Acronis DRIVECLEANSER 6.0 User Manual

Acronis DriveCleanser

User’s Guide

Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2005

Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2005. All rights reserved.
Linux is a registered trademark owned by Linus Torvalds.
Windows is a registered trademark owned by Microsoft Corporation.
All other mentioned trademarks can be registered trademarks of their

respective owners.
Distribution of materials of this Guide both in original and/or edited f orm in

published form (book) is forbidden unless prior special written permission
from the author is obtained.

THIS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED «AS IS». THERE ARE NO EXPLICIT
OR IMPLIED OBLIGATIONS, CONFIRMATIONS OR WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO SOFTWARE MARKETABILITY AND
SUITABILITY FOR ANY SPECIFIC PURPOSES, TO THE DEGREE OF SUCH
LIMITED LIABILITY APPLICABLE BY LAW.

END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

BY ACCEPTING, YOU (ORIGINAL PURCHASER) INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE
TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ACCEPT THE PRODUCT UNDER THESE TERMS, YOU CAN
CHOOSE NOT TO ACCEPT BY SELECTING "I decline..." AND NOT INSTALLING THE
SOFTWARE.

Acronis DriveCleanser (the software) is Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2005. All rights are
reserved. The ORIGINAL PURCHASER is granted a LICENSE to use the software only, subject
to the following restrictions and limitations.

1. The license is to the original purchaser only, and is not transferable without prior written
permission from Acronis.

2. The original purchaser can use the software on a single computer. You cannot use the
software on more than one machine, even if you own or lease all of them, without the
written consent of Acronis.

3. The original purchaser cannot engage in, nor permit third parties to engage in, any of the
following:

A. Providing or permitting use of by, or transferring the software to, third parties.
B. Providing use of the software in a computer service business, network, timesharing or

multiple user arrangement to users who are not individually licensed by Acronis.

C. Making alterations or copies of any kind in the software (except as specifically permitted

above).

D. Attempting to unassemble, decompile or reverse-engineer the software in any way.
E. Granting sublicenses, leases or other rights in the software to others.
F. Making copies, or verbal or media translations, of the users guide.

G. Making telecommunication data transmission of the software.
Acronis has the right to terminate this license if there is a violation of its terms or default by

the original purchaser. Upon termination for any reason, all copies of the software must be
immediately returned to Acronis, and the original purchaser shall be liable to Acronis for any
and all damages suffered as a result of the violation or default.

ENTIRE RISK

THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU THE
PURCHASER. ACRONIS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE OR ITS FUNCTIONS WILL MEET
YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR
ERROR FREE OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES

IN NO EVENT SHALL ACRONIS OR ITS VENDORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR THE LOSS OF
BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION,
OR ANY OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO US E
THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ACRONIS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 4
CHAPTER 1. INSTALLING ACRONIS DRIVECLEANSER AND GETTING STARTED8

1.1 ACRONIS DRIVECLEANSER SYSTEM PACKAGE .................................... 8

1.2 INSTALLATION...................................................................................... 8

1.3 REPAIRING/UPGRADING ACRONIS DRIVECLEANSER........................... 9

1.4 REMOVING THE SOFTWARE.................................................................. 9

1.5 USER INTERFACE .................................................................................. 9

CHAPTER 2. WIPING HARD DISKS WITH ACRONIS DRIVECLEANSER............. 11

2.1 USING PREDEFINED WIPING ALGORITHMS.......................................... 14

2.2 CREATING CUSTOM ALGORITHMS OF DATA DESTRUCTION................ 17

2.2.1 CREATING CUSTOM ALGO RITHMS ...................................................... 17

2.2.2 ALGORITHM DEFINITION: TEMPLATE ................................................. 19

2.2.3 SAVING CUSTOM ALGORITHM TO FILE ...............................................25

2.2.4 LOADIN G ALGORITHM FROM FILE ......................................................28

APPENDIX A. HARD DISK WIPING ALGORITHMS ...............................................29

A.1 INFORMATIO N WIPING ALGORITHMS FUNCTIONING PRINCIPLES........ 29

A.2 ALGORITHMS USED BY ACRONIS DRIVECLEANSER........................... 30

Acronis DriveCleanser 3

Introduction

About Acronis Driv eCleanser

Getting rid of an old PC, upgrading to a new hard drive, returning a leased
computer, or redeploying a PC within your company? It is truly imperative to
completely destroy all data from the old hard disk.

Acronis DriveCleanser guarantees the complete destruction of data on
selected partitions and/or entire disks with extremely simple Windows XP­style interface and straight forward actions.

Confidential information on hard disks: storage and access

Today more and more amount of confidential information is created in the
digital form and consigned to stored on computers. Documents that were
previously created with the help of printing machines or table database files
are now stored on computer hard disk drives.

The enormous amount of personal data, including such important things as
personal banking account information, credit card numbers, business
application, data-banking, financial, accounting, and industrial – are all stored on
hard disks. It is impossible to enumerate all documents and data that in no
circumstances should not left behind on a hard disk drive for criminals or rivals
to possibly retrieve.

The main feature of these documents is that all of them co ntain

information
Confidential information: destruction

However, information not only has to be
developed rules, but also be destroyed according to the strict rules to provide
confidentiality.

Computers are usually upgraded more than once during their lifetimes. In
doing so, very often the computer disk subsys tem is upgraded first due to the
ever increasing amo unts of data stored on the hard disk drive. When a hard
disk of larger capacity is installed on the computer, a ll data from the old disk
can be transferred to the new o ne, but quite often the data also remains on
the old disk.

Careless storage of a hard disk that is no longer needed can result in the loss
of confidential information. The best solution is to completely
the old disk after it is moved to the new disk. Destroy! Not to erase
information, not to delete needless files, but to destroy confidential data!
(The difference between file deleting and information destruction will be
explained later.)

.

stored according to specially

confidential

destroy data on

4 Introduction

The following real-life passage illustrations this idea:
Jack V., a computer consultant from Brighton, bought a used notebook

computer for $400.00 at the clearance sale of a bankrupt Internet company.
It was clear that the hard disk drive contained data about the Internet. This
data included social security numbers and salary levels of the company’s
forty-six employees, plus pay-roll records, strategic company plans,
confidential board of directors minutes, and other internal documents.

There have been many cases like this concerning the sales and purchase of
used computer.

Data deletion wit h the means of an opera ting systems

There is a considerable difference between file deletion with operating
systems (with the help of file managers) and data destruction with the help
of specialized erasing programs.

The point is that operating systems, such as Windows, do not materially
delete anything from a hard disk when

deleting a file: the name of the deleted
file in the File Allocation Table (FAT) is substituted by the name which is not
assumed as a correct one by the operating system. The fi le only becomes
invisible for a user and the cluster chain that contains file data is considered
to be free. But the information contained within the hard disk sectors stays
permanent. It is not very difficult for someone to recover it.

File deletion under the Linux operating system is somewhat more reliable,
but even in this case it is possible to obtain software tools to recover any
important information.

Neither

partitions deletion on a disk nor even disk formatting solves this
problem. When partitions are deleted on a hard disk the information of
Partition table (if it is a primary partition) or File Allocation Table are deleted.
The information contained within sectors however remains untouched and
can be recovered with the help of software tools.

Reliable information destruction on hard disks is possible only while using
specially designed programs that implement specially designed erasing
algorithms.

Acronis DriveCleanser 5

Guaranteed destruction of confidential information: standards

The Acronis DriveCleanser application offers the guaranteed destruction of
confidential information on hard magnetic disks with the help of special
algorithms.

Acronis DriveCleanser algorithms guarantee compliance with most known
national standards:

(1) American: U.S. Standard, DoD 5220.22-M;
(2) American: NAVSO P-5239-26 (RLL);
(3) American: NAVSO P-5239-26 (MFM);
(4) German: VSITR;
(5) Russian: GOST P50739-95.

Besides algorithms corresponding to national standards, Acronis
DriveCleanser supports predefined algorithms proposed by well-known and
authoritative specialists in the field of information security:

(6) Peter Gutmann algorithm – data on hard disk is destroyed with 35

passes;

(7) Bruce Schneier algorithm – data is destroyed with 7 passes.
The Acronis DriveCleanser also supports simple but fast algorithms for

information destruction that provide a single hard disk pass with all sectors
zeroed.

The major feature of the Acronis DriveCleanser Deluxe version is the
opportunity for you to create your own algorithms for

Detailed information on data destruction standards is given in
«

Hard Disk Wiping algorithms» to the current Guide.

data destruction.

Appendix A.

Software usage conditions

The conditions for Acronis DriveCleanser software usage are described in the
«License agreement», included with this package. The supplied registration
card is the confirmation of your legal purchase and usage of Acronis
DriveCleanser on your system. Each registration card has its own unique
registration number.

Under current legislation the «License agreement» is considered a contract
between a user (you) and a software manufacturer (Acronis, Inc.). The
contract has legal effect and its violation may entail a court examination.

Illegal use and/or distribution of this software will be prosecuted.

6 Introduction

Technical support

Users who have legally purchased and registered their copy of Acronis Disk Director
Suite will receive free technical support from Acronis. If you have installation or working
problems that you can’t solve by yourself using this manual and the readme.txt file, e­mail the technical support team. You will need to provide the serial number of your
Acronis Disk Director Suite copy bundled with the program.

Before you do this, you will have to register your copy at:

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/my/products/registration/ .

Support URL:

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/my/support/

Acronis DriveCleanser 7

Chapter 1. Installing Acronis
DriveCleanser and Getting Started

1.1 Acronis DriveCleanser system package

Acronis DriveCleanser system package includes:

• An installation CD,

• This guide,

• License agreement,

• Registration card,

• Advertising materials.

1.2 Installation

To install the Acronis DriveCleanser:

1. Insert the Acronis DriveCleanser installation CD into CD-ROM drive
and start the installation procedure.

2. Carefully follow the installation program instructions on the screen.

3. After making your installation choices and copying of Acronis
DriveCleanser files onto your hard disk, you will be offered to create a
bootable diskette or CD-R/W (you may omit this step if you have
purchased the boxed product that contains a bootable CD). While
DriveCleanser works in Windows, you can also wipe a hard disk with
Linux or other PC operating system. If you are not running Windows,
you should create bootable media, and re-boot your PC from it, to start
a wiping.

8 Chapter 1 :

Installing Acronis DriveCleanser and Getting Started

After installation of Acronis DriveCleanser is completed, you should restart
your computer.

1.3 Repairing/Upgrading Acronis DriveCleanser

In order to upgrade or repair your software, start the DriveCleanser
installation program again. It will determine that DriveCleanser was already
installed on your computer and will ask you if you want to restore (update)
the program or completely remove it from disk.

1.4 Removing the software

To remove the software select Acronis Æ DriveCleanser Æ Uninstall Acronis
DriveCleanser

from the Programs menu. You will see a dialog box asking if

you really want to remove the software from your PC hard disk. Pr ess
confirm removal. Acronis DriveCleanser software will be completely removed.

1.5 User interface

Acronis DriveCleanser software has a Windows-like Wizard-driven graphical
user interface and is controlled by the mouse or by

Right, Up , Down, Space, Enter and Escape keys.

Tab, Shift+Tab, Left,

Yes to

If you regularly work with Windows, X Window or OS/2 applications, you should not
encounter any problems with the Acronis DriveCleanser interface.

While working with Acronis DriveCleanser software, a user deals with a
sequence of

dialogs, in which he/she selects one further action, of several

Acronis DriveCleanser 9