On Mon, 2004-03-22 at 18:18, Tom 'Needs A Hat' Mitchell wrote: > On Mon, Mar 22, 2004 at 04:13:46PM -0600, Marc Schwartz wrote: > > > > > > >by following the instructions here: > > > > > > > >http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html > > > > > > > Mark: > > > You da man. Worked the first time, no problems. > .... > > I need to essentially preserve the Windows > > partition in as transparent a process as possible, since I lease my HW > > and need to send it back to Dell when the lease expires. > > Linux or WindowZ you want to wipe the disk before you send > the hardware back, IMO. > > Your address includes "MedAnalytics" which translates to me as a > company with potential of having confidential content on the hard > drive. Your company liability may be such that they cannot trust Dell > to do the low level format that I suspect is needed. > > I would check but I doubt that you need or want a return process that > does not clean the hardware. Thus you may be constraining yourself > in ways that are unnecessary and have the potential of liability > for you and the company. Tom, Thanks for your post and raising these important points. Believe me, I can pretty much recite the HIPAA privacy and security requirements in my sleep... ;-) I have even lectured on the subject. Some of the presentations were literally years before HIPAA (1996 Public Law 104-191) was a gleam in the Clinton Administration's eyes. I have various procedures here that I utilize before sending any magnetic media anywhere. While nothing short of melting down the hard disk platters would provide near absolute erasure, I am comfortable in the notion that I take reasonable and appropriate measures to properly handle PHI (protected health information). Best regards, Marc Schwartz
