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    Help using dban

    Discussion in 'Security and Anti-Virus Software' started by Funkymoe, May 27, 2009.

  1. Funkymoe

    Funkymoe Notebook Geek

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    I want to use dban to wipe my drive before installing Linux Mint. I am using an ultraportable notebook that does not have a cd drive, so I need to run dban off a usb flash drive. When I install dban to the flash drive and then boot the drive in BIOS I just get a command prompt that says "operating system not found". The flash drive is correctly formatted for dban.

    What can I do to run dban off of the flashdrive?
     
    Funkymoe, May 27, 2009
    #1
  2. H-Emmanuel

    H-Emmanuel Notebook Evangelist

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    Format your USB Key as a Bootable DOS (using older Win98 DOS files available on the net) and then place on it whatever .exe or .bat dban has.
     
    H-Emmanuel, May 27, 2009
    #2
  3. DetlevCM

    DetlevCM Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    May I ask why you want to dban your own laptop if you want to reuse it?


    If you were selling it - obviously, do or get a new drive, but if you use it?
     
    DetlevCM, May 28, 2009
    #3
  4. Funkymoe

    Funkymoe Notebook Geek

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    ^To erase all evidence of my vast criminal enterprise.

    I formatted the drive as a bootable dos, but when I boot it the windows 98 screen loads indefinitely. It doesn't freeze, it just keeps on loading for hours.

    Any ideas?
     
    Funkymoe, May 28, 2009
    #4
  5. Funkymoe

    Funkymoe Notebook Geek

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    halp pleas.
     
    Funkymoe, May 30, 2009
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  6. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

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    Do you have the option to boot from USB device in the BIOS?
     
    Padmé, May 31, 2009
    #6
  7. Funkymoe

    Funkymoe Notebook Geek

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    I finally got it working, but thanks to those who replied.
     
    Funkymoe, Jun 3, 2009
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  8. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

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    Would you mind sharing with the other members how you accomplished this?
     
    Padmé, Jun 3, 2009
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  9. Funkymoe

    Funkymoe Notebook Geek

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    I actually forgot about booting off of the usb drive and used an external cd-rom drive instead. I had succeeded in making the usb drive bootable, but I don't think there was enough flash memory on the drive to boot the app.

    So yeah, it's not really a solution, but dban just isn't designed to run off of a usb drive without some significant tweaking...
     
    Funkymoe, Jun 6, 2009
    #9
  10. Padmé

    Padmé NBR Super Pink Princess

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    Thanks for sharing. We really do appreciate it. :)
     
    Padmé, Jun 6, 2009
    #10