full-disclosure - Erasing a hard disk easily

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Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.4.58.0407130954030.11921@dave.horsfall.org>
From: dave at horsfall.org (Dave Horsfall)
Subject: Erasing a hard disk easily

On Tue, 13 Jul 2004, Gregh wrote:

> Since that time I have seen sensationalist TV shows showing how FBI and
> CIA operatives get stuff out written to a sector BEFORE the sector was
> overwritten and I honestly cannot understand how that could be, if at
> all possible. Am I right in thinking those shows are bull?

It's quite possible.  Simply put, you record what's on the disk.  Then,
you wind up the gain on the read amplifiers and re-read, subtracting what
you read last time.  What's left is what got recorded over...

-- Dave