Parted Magic and Corsair SSD Toolbox

I downloaded Corsair SSD Toolbox. If I do the Secure Wipe, do I still need PartedMagic to re-initialize the SSD?

SSD: Neutron GTX 240

Anybody know about this?

Also, I used the Ultimate Flash Drive Tool to create a bootable USB drive. Everything seemed to go well. But when I boot to it, it just goes to the grub command prompt. I dont get the menue for memtest or freedos. It didnt matter if I left the drive default after creating with Corsair tool, or tried putting PartedMagic on it.

I went ahead and did a Secure Wipe with Corsair SSD Toolbox. Being I couldnt get a bootable drive to work created with the UBFDT, I used another method and managed to get Parted Magic working. The thing is, once I attempted to a Secure Erase, PM said the drive is in sleep state and had to be woken. The drive was unresponsive.

Again, is Secure Wipe (Corsair SSD Toolbox) the same as Secure Erase (Parted Magic)?

Bump.

I need to get my OS reinstalled on the drive asap. Looking for help. Please.

Finally we have CORSAIR SSD Toolbox.

Tool is excellent, only need little font and color change in next version maybe. :)

Option for Firmware update is welcomed but I'm still on 5.02 fabric firmware and I will stay on that for now. SSD is in EXCELLENT condition, like on beginning only 30% free space.

Next SSD would be CORSAIR SATA Express one day.

Thanks for replies.

What about the UBFDT? I tried to make the USB key several times. I never get the menu. Only GRUB command promp.

Try this

http://linhost.info/2010/06/how-to-create-a-parted-magic-bootable-usb-flash-drive/

Try this

http://linhost.info/2010/06/how-to-create-a-parted-magic-bootable-usb-flash-drive/

Thanks Toasted. I think that was what I ended up using and it worked. Not sure why I couldnt make a working one with UBFDT.

People what is better for secure erase Force GT 120.

My OS is almost year old and I want to refresh OS.

I used to Acronis Cleaner but now I see CORSAIR SSD Toolbox - Secure Wipe

What you recommend for Force GT???

then put a OS cd in and install it fresh ..... why do you want to secure wipe at all? whats the problem?

all those programm send a the same command to the firmware, there is no difference... the wipe itself is always executed by the firmware, not an external write operation. for example it is no differnce if the "general" or the "commander" passes on the order... the soldier executes it the same way.

Even formating the SSD as NTFS in WIndows 7 setup will send a ATA Trim command, so the hole secure wipe process is quite obsolete as long as you assign all SSD space to that partition, what is recommended at all.

There is no need in secure wiping as long as TRIM is functional!

The sense of secure erasing the disk is not to increase speed, but to simply secure erase all disk content, thats why it's not named "performance degradation removement wipe". Times were it helped increasing performance or in other words cure performance degradation, when reinstalling win7 didn't helped, was when the FW had TRIM-broken or the controllers-sata-mode doesnt support TRIM (most RAID)..... executing secure erase helped as a side-effect... whatever.... these issues have been solved with latest FW monthes ago and when having RAID-drivers that support TRIM, so you should prior pay attention on these when wanting a "fresh"-instalaltion.

There is no need in secure erase the SSD except you need to securely get rid of all data i.e. want to resell it.

You can send TRIM via Toolbox and give it some minutes to finish that operation (no feedback) what in nearly all cases removes performance degradation and making OS-reinstall unneccesary.

All it does is another unneccesary 120GB write cycle reducing your disk sustainability!

So beware!

BTW: in the replies up, somebody already stated that they are the same! so whats the reason you still asking whats better?

P.S.: Please now do not ask, whats the best tool for sending ATA TRIM commands ... because the answer is the same: it doesn't matter xD

Is Secure Wipe (Corsair SSD Toolbox) the same as Secure Erase (Parted Magic)?

No, apparently it isn't. I used both tools to secure erase Corsair Force GT 240GB SSD and some other models. Here are the findings:

Parted Magic:

- start Erase Disk GUI to call HDParm package to run a standard ATA Secure Erase or Enhanced Secure Erase command that causes SSD Controller to send electrical spike to all NAND cells to restore them to original state. It takes about 2 sec to complete. The log shows, SSD's SMART Total Host Writes value hasn't changed. Publications say, after such electrical spike its impossible to recover readable data from NAND pages;

- Erase Disk package can be used with most SSD brands & models on the market since all controllers must support standard ATA commands. Including OEM SSDs, which can't be secure erased by any brand name SSD toolbox including their maker's, while PC OEMs don't offer such tools either. On a flip side, after secure erase some OEM SMART attributes might change.

Corsair SSD Toolbox:

- seems to issues ATA Secure Erase hardware command first, then writes some data (possibly zeros) one time into each accessible NAND page that takes 5-20min to complete depending on SSD size. SSD's SMART Total Host Writes value after that increases by the size of accessible SSD memory, in my case by 224GB, thus somewhat shortening its lifespan.

- Secure Wipe seems to work primarily with Corsair branded SSDs. Other brand tools may invoke similar algorithms when wiping their brand SSDs, likely specific to each controller.

Its hard to say if filling up an SSD with zeros improves data sanitation. If you simply want to set an SSD fresh and run like new before installing a new OS onto it, Parted Magic's Secure Erase is all you need. If you plan to sell the SSD, Corsair Secure Wipe might be a safer option for Corsair SSDs, while its still probably overkill for most ordinary users, so the choice is yours.