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hyperasus
10-24-09, 02:31 PM
I have a 128gb G-Skill ssd I am trying to cleans so I can do a fresh install on it. Every time I run HDDERASE it goes threw the warning and disclaimer menus then hangs on this screen.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4185/hdderasehang.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/i/hdderasehang.jpg/)

This is being done on a Dell Latitude e4300. I have set the bios to regular IDE mode. I also tried the older hdderase version 3.3 with the same results. Are some SSD drives not compatible with HDDERASE? Is there any other way to clear the drive so I can get my fresh out of the box performance back?
deed
10-24-09, 03:03 PM
I think this link may help you: http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell-mini-9-hardware-upgrades/4578-wipe-stec-drive-clean.html#p39009

I heard hdderase is not compatible with ssds and may even damage them.
Randyman...
10-24-09, 07:28 PM
I dunno if this is applicable to your SSD, but the Intel SSD's require an older version of HDDErase. You can find a DL link to v3.3 on this PCPER webpage:

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6

I'll be wiping my X25M's tonight :)

:cool:
HDCHOPPER
10-24-09, 07:39 PM
IIRC HDErase doesn't work with some mobo's..

Also you could use Diskpart clean all command ...
Ashura
10-24-09, 08:13 PM
This is being done on a Dell Latitude e4300. I have set the bios to regular IDE mode. I also tried the older hdderase version 3.3 with the same results. Are some SSD drives not compatible with HDDERASE? Is there any other way to clear the drive so I can get my fresh out of the box performance back?

Which G.Skill SSD is it?
hyperasus
10-25-09, 02:39 AM
I dunno if this is applicable to your SSD, but the Intel SSD's require an older version of HDDErase. You can find a DL link to v3.3 on this PCPER webpage:

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6

I'll be wiping my X25M's tonight :)

:cool:
I have tried version 3.3 and 4.0 both with the same results.



IIRC HDErase doesn't work with some mobo's..

Also you could use Diskpart clean all command ...
Is this true? Will Diskpart delete all the pages on an SSD, or does it simply overwrite the drive with 0's?



Which G.Skill SSD is it?
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB , This one here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231221).
Ashura
10-25-09, 11:08 AM
No idea why HDDErase isn't working. An alternative is to use a bootable Linux disc and perform a secure erase via hdparm. It does the same thing.
w6kd
12-11-09, 12:15 AM
I had the same problem initially...a hang at the same point.

I got HDDErase 3.3 to run by disabling the two JMicron SATA controllers in the BIOS, enabling IDE legacy support, and plugging the Intel X-25M SSD into one of the first four ports on the primary Intel SATA controller (eVGA X58 mobo).
ratbuddy
03-02-10, 09:54 AM
Bump.. Same issue here, on an AMD 790GX/SB750 setup. All other drives are unplugged but HDDerase won't even find the SSD. Is HDDerase really the only option for running SATA's built in secure erase command??
Mr Alpha
03-02-10, 10:01 AM
Is HDDerase really the only option for running SATA's built in secure erase command??No, you can also use hdparm, from a Linux Live CD for example. Instructions (http://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase)
ratbuddy
03-02-10, 11:04 AM
No, you can also use hdparm, from a Linux Live CD for example. Instructions (http://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase)

That's actually what I tried next. I'm starting to think that my 1st gen OCZ SSD doesn't even support the secure erase command. It keeps throwing me a lovely "SECURITY_ERASE: Input/output error."

I'm running a cat /dev/zero /dev/sda right now, mostly out of spite :shrug:
Mr Alpha
03-02-10, 11:48 AM
Did you put a password on the drive? You get the "SECURITY_ERASE: Input/output error" if you don't have a password on it.
ratbuddy
03-02-10, 12:29 PM
Did you put a password on the drive? You get the "SECURITY_ERASE: Input/output error" if you don't have a password on it.

--security-set-password gave the same I/O error :-/

It's also been an hour or two and cat doesn't seem to be doing anything. The cursor started blinking fast, and I just let it sit, and it's still doing nothing. Not sure if it's working. If it was a mechanical drive I could just listen to it, but SSDs are silent. I can type stuff, but there's no command prompt, just a blank link with the rapidly flashing cursor. Not sure if I should abort and give up on the whole thing, or let it sit another few hours. You'd think 'cat /dev/zero /dev/sda' wouldn't take that long on a 30GB drive..
Mr Alpha
03-02-10, 02:26 PM
I suppose it might have gotten frozen somehow. I think hdparm -I should tell you if it is.
ratbuddy
03-02-10, 06:40 PM
I gave up. Searching around, it appears that JMicron controllers just don't support many regular SATA commands. I just had to satisfy myself with an apparently non-working 'cat /dev/zero /dev/sda' and a few cycles of nuking the partition and formatting before putting Vista on there. No idea how valid the data is, but before/after pics are attached. Sequential write speeds went up while 4k randoms went weird. The one on the left is pre-nuking, the one on the right is after a fresh Vista install.