Zeroing a PC Hard Drive

To ensure that all confidential data has been removed from a computer system and cannot be restored using data restoration tools, as well as to ensure that the computer is in compliance with all software licensing issues, all information on the hard drive should not only be deleted but also overwritten (also known as zeroing out the drive). This applies not only to computers going to off-campus locations, but also to ones going to another individual at Lehigh as that individual is unlikely to have the same access rights to confidential information as the original user of the system.

In order to do this, start the computer from a bootable GWSCAN floppy disk or bootable GWSCAN CD-ROM (either of which is available at the Circulation Desk of the E.W.F.M. Library) and run the program GWSCAN as follows. (Instructions for manually creating a floppy to zero the hard drive, without visiting the library, follow below.) 

• Insert the GWSCAN floppy disk and turn on the computer. If using a bootable GWSCAN CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM while the computer is on and then restart the computer.
  
• GWSCAN will start automatically.
• Select the Write Zeros to Drive option and press R on the keyboard.
• Type YES to confirm and press the Enter key.
• The procedure may take an hour or more depending on the size of the hard disk.

Creating a Bootable Floppy Containing GWSCAN

Note: If a bootable floppy or CD-ROM was obtained from the library, follow the procedure above; otherwise, use the steps below to create a bootable floppy containing GWSCAN and use this floppy to zero the hard drive.

Step 1: Create a bootable floppy.

• Take a floppy disk and insert it in the disk drive (either a blank one or one that can be erased)

Go to My Computer, right-click on the floppy drive icon and select Format.

• On the Format dialog box select the Create an MS-DOS startup disk and click Start. Click OK on the warning message saying ALL data will be erased.

Step 2: Copy the GWSCAN program to the floppy disk.

• At this point click on the following link to download the GWSCAN program http://www.lehigh.edu/security/download/gwscan.exe . Click on the Save button and save it to the Floppy A: drive (located in My Computer) and close the dialog box.

Step 3: Reboot the computer and run GWSCAN

• Take the floppy drive out of the disk drive and restart the computer.
• When the computer screen goes blank, re-insert the floppy disk in the disk drive.
• The computer will start with an A:> prompt displaying on the screen.
• Simply type gwscan at the A:> prompt and the program will run.
• Select the Write Zeros to Drive option and press R on the keyboard.
• Type YES to confirm and press the Enter key.
• The procedure may take an hour or more depending on the size of the hard disk.

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For additional assistance in zeroing a hard drive, contact your Computing Consultant.