DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke)

2.3.0 Hard drive eraser for Windows

Felix Cheng

Software that securely wipes data from hard drives, ensuring that it cannot be recovered.

Freeware HDD erasing software download, reviewed by Felix Cheng
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Wipes data from consumer hard drives and other storage devices.

DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) is an advanced-level application which will completely destroy data on a hard drive.

The application is a little more advanced than what many consumer products offer, in that it doesn't run in Windows but instead will boot on its own to completely nuke the contents of a hard drive.

With that all said, you will require some type of flash device to burn this ISO file to. Once created, you can use it to boot into a menu screen which allows you to complete a few different tasks. Firstly, F2 will give you directions and information about DBAN; F3 will list commands; F4 provides for some troubleshooting information and will start the actual program.

From the main DBAN application, you are given a list of disks and partitions of which you can use DBAN to completely destroy the contents of.

Overall, DBAN is a great program for advanced users but those who lack proper knowledge can do some serious damage so be careful.

Features of DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke)

  • Bootable Media: Creates bootable media for data wiping.
  • Complete Disk Cleaning: Wipes all data from hard drives.
  • Comprehensive Scanning: Detects and deletes all data.
  • Data Recovery: Recovers accidentally deleted files.
  • Data Sanitization: Erases data beyond recovery.
  • File Shredding: Permanently erases sensitive files.
  • Multi-Pass Wiping: Uses multiple passes to ensure data is permanently removed.
  • Multiple Hard Drives: Supports multiple hard drives simultaneously.
  • Network Support: Can be used on networked systems.
  • Portable Version: Can be run from USB drives.
  • Secure Erasing: Overwrites disk with random patterns.
  • Support for SSDs: Optimized for solid state drives.
  • System Restore: Reverts computer to factory settings.

Compatibility and License

DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) is provided under a freeware license on Windows from secure cleaning software with no restrictions on usage. Download and installation of this PC software is free and 2.3.0 is the latest version last time we checked.

Filed under:
  1. DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) Download
  2. Free Secure Cleaning Software
  3. Open source and GPL software
  4. HDD Erasing Software
DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) has been picked by our editors as very good.
DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) has been tested for viruses and malware.
We have tested DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) 2.3.0 against malware with several different programs. We certify that this program is clean of viruses, malware and trojans.