What is the Gutmann Method

The Gutmann method is a procedure for securely deleting all data that can be found on a computer's hard drive.

It was designed by Peter Gutmann and Colin Plumb in 1996. It achieves a complete erasure of the disk contents by repeatedly writing 35 segments to the sectors to be erased.

It will use a random character, not just the zeros used in other techniques, for the first 4 and last 4 passes. A complex overwriting pattern is used from the 5th to the 31st pass. In total, it will write 35 times.

This is the most thorough erasure method, but it is also time-consuming due to multiple erasure times.

Why Do We Need The Gutmann Method?

If you need to replace your storage device with a new one, you can choose to delete the files from the old disk and then simply throw it away.

However, this is very dangerous because the actual data still remains on the drive and can be easily recovered with some data recovery tools.

You should erase the disk so that the data is not compromised and cannot be easily recovered. You can choose to wipe the disk once, wipe it three times, wipe it seven times, and wipe it thirty-five times. The more times you erase, the harder it is to recover your data.

Therefore, when you want to completely erase your disk, we recommend using the most secure and thorough erasure method: the Peter Gutmann erasure method . It can effectively help protect your data from leaks, especially sensitive information.

Difference Between The Gutmann Method And Other Cleaning Methods

Let's look at the following common erasure methods around the world, so we can see the difference between each of them by comparing them with the Gutmann method.

United States Department of Defense Method, DoD 5220.22-M : It is one of the most improved, safe and common erasure standards that is implemented between 3 passes and 7 passes with different verification frequencies.

United States Army Method, AR 380-19 : This method is defined and published by the United States Army in Army Regulation 380-19. It destroys data in 3 passes.

United States Air Force Method, AFSSI-5020: This method uses zeros, ones, and pseudo-random values, but in a different order and number of passes.

Canadian Method RCMP TSSIT OPS-II: Uses 6 passes of complementary repeated values ​​and ends by overwriting a pseudo-random character with verification on the seventh pass.

British Method HMG IS5: Uses 2 or 3 passes where you write a combination of zero, one and random data with verification.

Peter Gutmann Method: The safest cleaning method. It works by overwriting some pseudo-random values ​​35 times. Gutmann cleaning uses random values ​​for the first and last 4 passes, and then a complex pattern from pass 5 to 31.

When you want to wipe a disk with Gutmann disk wipe method, you should choose a safe and reliable Gutmann method software to help you.

Most software that has the Gutmann method as one of its functions not only serves to erase disks easily, but also to erase partitions and unallocated space.

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How to Use the Gutmann Method to Erase a Disk Easily

There are a lot of disk cleaning and wiping software that use the Gutmann method. You just need to get one that is easy to use, has a simple interface and is practical.

Regardless of which software you choose, the procedure for erasing a disk is very similar from one to the other. You can follow the steps below to erase your disk with the reliable erasing tool you have decided to download.

By the way, if you have any important files or data, you should back them up in advance, because all data will be erased and cannot be restored after the erase process.

• Download the disk erasing software you selected, which has the Gutmann method among its deletion procedures.
• Once in the software interface, look for a tab or section labeled “Tools" or "Showtimes:".
• If the software has several additional features, look for “Clean Disk" or "Delete disk".
• Choose the disk you want to clean.
• Then choose the Gutmann method as the cleaning method to use. In some cases, it is the method chosen by default, and even in some programs, it is the only method used.
• Allow the software to perform the erasure. This step may take a long time depending on the size of your hard drive.

How Long Does The Gutmann Method Take To Perform A Cleanse?

It should be estimated according to the size of the drive; for example, a 1 TB drive might take around 10 hours to erase. This is one of its clear disadvantages.

However, the Gutmann method takes so long to perform the erasure because it does so in 35 passes. This ensures that the data being erased cannot be recovered under any circumstances.

Once disk space is overwritten by Gutmann erasure, there is no known way to use software to recover it. It cannot be done with software alone, as the storage device only returns its current contents through its normal interface.

To close

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Due to its high efficiency in data erasure and disk cleaning, the Gutmann method remains the best hard drive cleaning method to this day. It offers secure data erasure and ease of use with various specialized software programs.

However, many people are still not convinced by the long deletion times, especially on high-capacity hard drives with a large amount of data.

For medium-sized hard drives and external storage devices, the Gutmann method is a very good option, as the erasure times are not that long.