Erase the drive Windows runs on.
Before Windows starts.

Specifically developed by Protectstar™ Inc. in 2007 it runs through fifty erasure routines.

Data will be overwritten for two times with a random value, afterwards with their complements. It includes the DoD 5220.22-M (E) standard and Peter Gutmann method and random algorithms.

The algorithm from Peter Gutmann was found in 1996 and makes 35 overwrite passes in total.

This algorithm is one of the state-of-the-art methods for data destruction.

In March 2010 the German Federal office for IT Security (BSI) published a new technical BSI Guideline for "Requirements to overwrite memory media".

The method is similar to VSITR standard for magnetic storage media.

In total the new algorithm has 8 cycles, which has to be worked through in chronological order. Includes one cycle of verification.

The NATO method is the deletion standard of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

It will overwrite the target data area 7 times.

The first six overwrites are with the fixed values (0x00) and (0xff), alternating between passes.

The 7th overwrite is with a random value i.e. 0x00,0xFF,0x00,0xFF,0x00,0xFF and 7th pass with a random value.

The method for high security is based on the January 1995 'National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual'by the Department of Defense (DoD).

In this seven cycle variation (DoD 5220.22-M ECE), data is first overwritten three times with DoD 5220.22-M (E) Standards, then with a specific random value, and finally once again with DoD 5220.22-M (E).

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Standard RCMP TSSIT OPS-II overwrites data securely with alternating sequences with a total of seven cycles.

The German Federal office for IT Security (BSI) describes in the technical BSI guideline for 'Requirements to overwrite memory media' from July 2010 the modern method BSI-2011.

This clause includes 5 steps, which is implemented in sequential order.

ASDA enables highly effective, verifiable data erasure with minimal resource consumption. The four passes are designed for efficiency and transparency: read‑after‑write verification and deletion logs document every step. AES‑256 and cryptographically strong random numbers make forensic reconstruction significantly harder. The implementation integrates seamlessly into existing processes.

This method is specially developed for SSD (Solid State Drive) and flash memory, based on the U.S.

Department of Defense's standard DoD 5220.22-M E. It will overwrite data four times.

The Canadian CSEC ITSG-06 sanitization method has three cycles and was published in 2006 by Communication Security Establishment Canada (CSEC).

The HMG Infosec Standard No 5 - enhanced level is approved to wipe UK Government Top Secret data and has also been approved by NATO.

The algorithm is a three pass overwriting algorithm: first pass - with zeros (0), second and third passes with its complement and random values(with last pass verification).

The AFSSI-5020 sanitization method was originally defined in the Air Force System Security Instruction 5020 by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1996 and may still be today.

This is the US Navy standard NAVSO P-5239-26 for MFM encoded drives.

This deletion method first writes the fixed value (0xffffffff) to the target data area, then the fixed value (0xbfffffff) and then random values.

Finally, the target data area is read to verify the overwrites.

This is the US Navy standard NAVSO P-5239-26 for RLL encoded drives.

This deletion method first writes the fixed value (0xffffffff) to the target data area, then the fixed value (0x27ffffff) and then random values.

Finally, the target data area is read to verify the overwrites.

AR380-19 is the data shredding algorithm specified and published by the U.S. Army.

The algorithm is a three pass overwriting algorithm: first pass - with random bytes, second and third passes with certain bytes and with its complement (with last pass verification).

The method for low security but for high execution speed is based on the January 1995 'National Industry Security Program Operating Manual' from the DoD (US DoD 5220.22-M).

The variation (DoD 5220.22-M E) offers 3 cycles in which the data are overwritten with first a set value, then its complement , and then a random value.

The American NCSC-TG-025 standard of the National Computer Security Center (NCSC) securely overwrites existing information on a data medium three times.

The in 2006 released standard is the Special Publication 800-88 from NIST, which is the go-to data erasure standard for organizations in the United States. Its principles can apply to magnetic, flash-based, and other storage technologies, from USB drives to servers.

The Russian data deletion standard GOST R 50739-95 for secure data erasure overwrites the target data area two times. In the first pass with a zero, and in the second pass with random characters.

ISM 6.2.92 is the Australian government's data sanitization standard.

The method was originally defined in the Information Security Manual (ISM) issued by the Australian Department of Defense: Intelligence & Security.

The ISM 6.2.92 sanitization cannot be used to sanitize classified information.

This method is specially developed for SSD (Solid State Drive) and flash memory.

It offers one cycle which data are overwritten by the pattern "0xFF".

This method for lowest security but for very high execution on speed. It offers only one cycle which data are overwritten with random values.

In December 2014, the guidelines were revised, making the current version “NIST Special Publication 800-88 Rev. 1”.