Erase Hard Drive
Other Parameters

6.2 Other Parameters

General parameters allow you to turn features on or off or to change default settings when you are erasing data or wiping data from unoccupied space, as well as to change application look and feel and logging options. To view and change settings, press F2 key, or click Settings toolbar button.

6.2.1 Read/Write Retry Attempts

If an error is encountered while writing data onto the drive (for example, due to physical damage on the drive's surface), Active@ KillDisk tries to perform the write operation again. You can specify number of retries to be performed.

Sometimes, if the drive surface is not completely damaged, a damaged sector can be overwritten after several retries.

6.2.2 Ignore Disk Write Errors (bad sectors)

If this option is turned on, error messages will not be displayed while data erasing or verification is in progress.

When ignore error messages is turned on, all information about these errors is written to the KILLDISK.LOG file. These messages are displayed after the process is complete in the final Erasing Report.

6.2.3 Clear Log File before Start

If this option is turned on,KILLDISK.LOG log file will be truncated before erasing starts. After erasing is completed, the log file will contain information only about the last session. If this option is turned off, KILLDISK.LOG log file will not be truncated and information about the last erasing session is appended to the end of the file.

6.2.4 Skip Disk Erase Confirmation

The confirmation screen is the final step before erasing data. In this red-colored screen, you type ERASE-ALL-DATA or WIPE-ALL-DATA to confirm what is about to happen. If Skip Confirmation is turned on, this final safety request does not appear. This option is typically to be used with caution by advanced users in order to speed up the process.

It is safer to run KillDisk with this option selected (default state). You may want to use this as a safety buffer to ensure that data from the correct drive location is going to be erased completely with no possibility of future data recovery.

6.2.5 Save Log & Shutdown PC after completion

Erasing could be a long process, taking hours of time. If you are leaving your workplace and want to conserve an energy and shutdown your machine automatically after erasing complete, you can turn on this option. Log file will be saved and you can check erasing results later on.

6.2.6 Event Logging

By default KillDisk does a Minimal logging (information placed to the Event Log view and saved to the KILLDISK.LOG log file). However if more detailed info required, or execution errors occur, you can specify Detailed logging option. This option allows analyzing the problem more effectively.

6.2.7 Application Style

By default KillDisk has been launched in a "Dark" color scheme. If you are uncomfortable with it, change Application Style to "Light" mode. Application re-start is required when you change Application Style.

6.2.8 Include Logo/Technician info into Certificate

After Erasing/Wiping KillDisk can produce the output Certificate - PDF file that can be printed later on. This Certificate can include custom attributes, such as Company Logo (graphics) and Company info (text). You can configure these parameters on Logo/Technician Info tab. Turn on this option to include all supplied parameters into the Certificate.

This option is available in Professional version only.

6.2.9 Send e-mail Notification

After Erasing/Wiping complete KillDisk can deliver the output report (the content of the log file) to your e-mail mailbox. You can configure sending parameters on SMTP tab. Turn on this option to send out the report after successful action completion, or in case if and errors occur. This option is available in Professional version only.

6.3 Certificate and Log File Settings

These settings allow configuration of the storage and display parameters for the certificate and log file.

Certificate options

These parameters allow display of the erase\wipe certificate and setting of its storage location as a PDF file for future printing.

Log file options

These parameters allow naming the log file and setting its storage location.

6.4 Logo and Technician Info Settings

These settings allow embedding custom information into the standard PDF certificate for printing.

These options can be configured in the Free version, but are useable only in the Professional version.

6.4.1 Logo

You can select a company logo from a graphics file (*.BMP, *.JPG, *.PNG). The image size must be 450 by 200 pixels to be printed properly. The company logo will be placed at the top of the certificate and will be embedded into a PDF file that you can print later on.

6.4.2 Technician Information

You can specify all or some of the fields being displayed on a certificate and embedded into PDF file:

• Client Name
• Technician Name
• Company Name
• Company Address
• Company Phone
• Comments

6.5 SMTP Settings

These settings allow configuring mailer settings for delivering erasing/wiping reports to your mailbox. Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) is responsible for transmitting e-mail messages and needs to be configured properly.

These options can be configured in the Free version, but are useable only in the Professional version.

6.5.1 Account Type

KillDisk offers you free SMTP account (located on www.smtp-server.com) that can be used for sending out reports. By default all required parameters are pre-filled and configured properly. The only field you need to type in is the e-mail address, where reports will be sent to. If your corporate policy does not allow using services other than its own, you need to switch this option to Custom Account and configure all settings manually. Ask your system/network administrator to get these parameters.

6.5.2 To

Type the e-mail address, where erasing/wiping reports will be sent to.

6.5.3 From

Type the e-mail address, which you expect these reports to come from.

6.5.4 SMTP Server

For the use of smtp-server.com for a free SMTP account.This account is pre-configured for KillDisk users. Ask your system/network administrator to get the SMTP server name to be used in the Custom Account.

6.5.5. SMTP Port

For the free SMTP account, KillDisk allows you to use smtp-server.com on port 80. This is a standard WWW port being used by all web browsers to access the internet. This port most likely will be kept open on a corporate or home network. Other ports can be filtered by and closed on a network firewall. For the Custom account, ask your system/network administrator to set proper SMTP port for the related SMTP server.

6.5.6 SMTP Server requests authorization

To avoid spam and other security issues, some SMTP servers require each user to be authorized before allow sending e-mails. In this case a proper user name and password are required. Ask your system/network administrator to get proper configuration settings.

5.2 Erase/Wipe Options

In addition to the erase method, you can specify more options for erasing/wiping.

Verification

After erasing is complete you can direct the software to perform verification of the surface on the drive to be sure that the last overwriting pass was performed properly and data residing on the drive matches the data written by the erasing process. Because verification is a long process, you may specify a percentage of the surface to be verified. You may also turn the verification off completely.

Wipe out Deleted/Unused data

This parameter appears only when you are wiping data from unused space on the hard drive. The wiping process clears data residue from unoccupied space on the hard drive and does not affect installed applications or existing data. This process contains three options:

• Wipe unused clusters
• Wipe unused space in MFT/Root area
• Wipe slack space in file clusters

You may choose to run only one or two of these options in order to make the process complete more quickly. If you want a thorough wiping of unused space, then include all of the options.

General Settings

General parameters allow you to turn features on or off or change default settings when you are erasing or wiping data from unoccupied space. You can also change the look and feel of the application and its logging options. To view and change settings, press the F2 key, or click the Settings toolbar button.

Read/Write Retry Attempts

If an error such as physical damage on the drive surface is encountered while writing data to the drive, Active@ KillDisk tries to perform the write operation again. You can specify the number of retries to be performed.

Sometimes, if the drive surface is not completely destroyed, a damaged sector can be overwritten after several retries.

Ignore Disk Write Errors (bad sectors)

If this option is turned on, error messages will not be displayed while data erasing or verification is in progress. All information about errors is written to the KILLDISK.LOG file. These messages are displayed in the final Erasing report after the process is complete.

Clear Log File before Start

If this option is turned on, the KILLDISK.LOG log file will be truncated before erasing starts. After erasing is completed, the log file will contain information only about the last session.

If this option is turned off, the KILLDISK.LOG log file will not be truncated and information about the last erasing session is appended to the end of the file.

Skip Disk Erase Confirmation

The confirmation screen is the final step before erasing data. In this screen, you type ERASE-ALL-DATA to confirm what is about to happen. If Skip Confirmation is turned on, this final safety request does not appear. This option is typically used with caution by advanced users in order to speed up the process.

It is safer to run KillDisk with the default state of Skip Disk Erase Confirmation selected.You may want to use this as a safety buffer to ensure that data from the correct drive location is going to be erased completely with no possibility of future data recovery.

Save Log & Shutdown PC after completion

Erasing can take many hours. You can leave work with KillDisk running and set to turn the computer off when erasing is completed. A log file is saved and can be reviewed later on.

Event Logging

By default KillDisk does a Minimal logging. Information is placed in the Event Log view and saved to the KILLDISK.LOG log file. If more detailed information is require or execution errors occur, you can specify the Detailed logging option. The problem can then be more effectively analyzed.

Application Style

By default KillDisk has been launched in a “Dark” color scheme. If you are uncomfortable with it, change the Application Style to “Light” mode. An application re-start is required when you change the Application Style.

Include Logo/Technician info into Certificate

After erasing/wiping, KillDisk can produce a certificate PDF file that can be printed later on. This certificate can include custom attributes, such as company logo (graphics) and company info (text). You can configure these parameters in the Logo/Technician Info tab. Turn on this option to include all supplied parameters in the Certificate.

This option is available only in the Professional version.

Send e-mail Notification

After erasing/wiping is complete, KillDisk can deliver the output report ( contents of the log file) to your e-mail mailbox. You can configure sending parameters on the SMTP tab. Turn on this option to send out a report after successful job completion or if errors occur.

This option is available in only in the Professional version.