Autoclave Hard Disk Data Destruction - Usage Instructions
One of the free programs available under the “GNU Public License” (GPL) for hard disk data destruction is called “Autoclave.” It was written by Josh Larios of Washington University. His web page, which was used to help create these instructions, can be found at
Under the GPL, the program can be freely redistributed and used as many times and in as many places as is required without fee. If any changes or improvements to the functioning program are made, they must also be released under the same terms. But for the purposes of simply using the program as-is to wipe hard disks, there are no restrictions.
The file needed to make a bootable floppy disk with the Autoclave program is available from the SIUC FTP server (for on-campus users only), here:
ftp://ftp.siu.edu/drivewipe/x86/wipe.exe.
Simply save it to your hard disk drive (the “Desktop” is a good location where it will be easy to find when needed) and double-click it to start the installation and disk creation process. The file is self-extracting, which means it will unpack all necessary files and begin the floppy disk creation process immediately upon opening it.
After double-clicking the WIPE.EXE file, you will be presented with an opening screen; click “OK” to continue. Next, a black “DOS Prompt” box will open, and you will be prompted to insert a blank, formatted floppy disk into your “A:” disk drive. The disk does have to be formatted, but does not necessarily have to be blank; you can re-use an old disk for this purpose, so long as it has no errors or media damage on the magnetic surface. Be sure to use a disk that has nothing important on it, as any and all current information will be erased from the floppy disk. Once the disk is in the disk drive, press the “Enter” key on your keyboard and the program will start creating your Autoclave floppy disk.
After the creation program is finished, close the remaining installation dialogue box, and remove the disk from the floppy disk drive. It is ready for use.
BE CERTAIN TO CLEARLY LABEL THIS DISK. THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE DANGEROUS, AS IT WILL DESTROY THE DATA CONTAINED ON ANY HARD DISK DRIVE CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER WHERE IT IS BOOTED! DO NOT LEAVE THIS DISK WHERE IT MIGHT BE INSERTED INADVERTENTLY INTO A WORKING MACHINE CONTAINING VALUABLE DATA! DESTROY THE DISK (REFORMAT OR DEGAUSS) AFTER YOU ARE FINISHED AND CREATE A NEW ONE IF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME (MORE THAN A FEW DAYS) BETWEEN USES.
The disk will be used to start (“boot”) the computer that needs to be cleaned of data. Once it is created, simply insert the disk into the computer to be wiped and follow the prompts. Explicit instructions are contained in this document, below.
To begin wiping a computer, it must be plugged in, and have a monitor and keyboard attached. A mouse is optional. Place the Autoclave bootable floppy disk in the A: floppy disk drive and turn the computer on. If the computer does not start from the floppy disk and goes immediately into the original hard disk installation, you will need to change the "BIOS" settings to allow it to start from the floppy drive. Check the computer manual that came with the system or the manufacturer's web site for instructions on how to access and modify this setting. If you need assistance, as always you can call the CSC, 453-5155. If there are problems with this procedure via the telephone, request a visit from the "TAC" team for the purpose of resetting the BIOS only. This service will be at no charge to your department. The $40 fee will only be applied if the TAC team is requested to accomplish the rest of the disk wipe procedure.
Once the computer has been started with the Autoclave disk, you will see a warning screen, with the following text:
Autoclave v0.3
April 9, 2002
This disk is meant to be used to delete the contents of a hard drive. Unlike some other "delete" commands THIS ONE IS PERMANENT. If you do not wish to completely erase one or more hard drive(s) in this machine, please eject the floppy disk now. Otherwise, press enter or return to continue or F2 for copyright information.
Note: Autoclave currently only supports IDE disks, but it should support nearly any IDE configuration you have. If you encounter a system on which Autoclave does not work, please contact Josh Larios at jdlarios@cac.washington.edu.
Press the “Enter” key to continue to the selection screen.
The next screen will contain another warning message. A picture of this screen is here:
To continue the process, and to be sure that you truly mean to wipe the hard disk drive in this machine, you must type exactly the following two words, exactly as they appear here:
I understand.
You must capitalize the letter “I,” but no other letters can be capitalized; you must be certain to put the period at the end. Press the “Enter” key once you have finished typing.
The program will fail and you will have to reboot from the floppy disk again if you do not type the “I understand.” phrase exactly as shown.
This measure, while seemingly somewhat annoying at times, is for your protection and to keep from erasing the wrong hard disk. Autoclave and other similar programs are very thorough. There will be no recovery of data after a mistake.
After typing “I understand.” and pressing “Enter,” the program will search for hard disks. It should present you with a listing, similar to this:
Type the number 1 (one) and press the “Enter” key.
The next screen will be where to choose the “level” of the erasure process:
To comply with the policies set forth by the SIUC Data Security documents, you will need to choose item number 4 from the list of choices presented. Type the number 4 (four) and press the “Enter” key. Item 5 (five) will also be acceptable, but the process is likely to take several days (literally - DAYS) and is not recommended.
To quit or cancel the entire procedure at this point without wiping any data, press the “Q” key and press “Enter.”
After choosing level 4 (four), once again, there is a confirmation dialogue. Press the “y” key (you may use upper or lower case, either will work) and then “Enter.” Only do this if you are absolutely certain that the machine you are working with is the one you wish to remove data from. This cannot be said too often, since there is no chance of recovery of any valuable data if you are on the wrong computer.
Once you have confirmed the erasure, the program will immediately begin to wipe data. Do not wait for this task to finish. It will be several hours at least before it completes; exactly how long depends upon the size and speed of the disk drive you are erasing.
Check back once in a while, after an hour or two has passed. If you are going to do this on any regular basis, you will soon get a “feel” for the program and be able to estimate fairly accurately how long it will take for any particular type of machine. The progress percentage indicator and pass number will give you a guide to the speed of any particular machine.
After the program finishes, you may simply power it off, affix the completed certification label (cellophane tape should be fine), and send the machine to it's final destination.
