iPod Nano "Format"

[ESC@PE]

I have an iPod Nano 2nd gen here and I am curious to know how formatting works on it.

If I "restore it to default factory settings" and "wipe it clean," does this PERMANENTLY delete all of the content off of it?

I know this is flash memory that the iPod uses but does this have behavior like a normal hard drive, being the only way to ensure the data is not at all recoverable off of it is to destory it for good?

Thanks :)

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I once did a factory reset on classic, and it was deleted permanently. I never got the files back.

Think, its the same for Nano. I guess

[ESC@PE]

I once did a factory reset on classic, and it was deleted permanently. I never got the files back.

Think, its the same for Nano. I guess

Well, thats not exactly what I meant. Sure the files are not visible to the naked eye but I did some searching and found out about this program:

http://www.stellarinfo.com/ipod-recovery.htm

Not sure how it works exactly but COULDNT it theoretically work the same way?

[Miuku.]

If you can see data with a naked eye, I want to hire you. Also prepare to wear spandex and pose for the crowd.

Seriously though, factory resetting the device would not completely wipe the drive but it would effectively do the same as a quick format would to a normal drive, clean the filesystem so any used space would appear to be empty.

[ESC@PE]

Interesting. So I suppose destroying it is the only way to keep from ANYthing to be recoverable off of it...

[ESC@PE]

double post sorry

[Guest]

I guess you could empty the device and store some crap on it, then empty it again a few times over... you'd have to fill it each time though, obviously with a file with unimportant information. I think there are apps that can create text documents with nothing but 1's and 0's

[Miuku.]

Fill the iPod a few times full of Elton John's "Candle in the wind" and people won't even try to recover anything :p

[ESC@PE]

I guess you could empty the device and store some crap on it, then empty it again a few times over... you'd have to fill it each time though, obviously with a file with unimportant information. I think there are apps that can create text documents with nothing but 1's and 0's

That's a good option I guess. I may end up doing that :)

[Si Veteran]

I guess you could empty the device and store some crap on it, then empty it again a few times over... you'd have to fill it each time though, obviously with a file with unimportant information. I think there are apps that can create text documents with nothing but 1's and 0's

This is exactly what you should do. But you only need to fill it once. Then, do a restore in iTunes to make it as 'fresh' as possible.A simple format won't completely erase data on any medium (disk or flash for example) - an overwrite is what you need, and the tools which clear down magnetic hard drives don't necessarily work on flash/SSD. The simplest way to do it in this case is fill it with data you dont care about (windows service packs etc are quite large) and then format it after. Your data is overwritten by the junk so even if someone runs data recovery software on the device the best they can get back will be your junk data.

[ESC@PE]

This is exactly what you should do. But you only need to fill it once. Then, do a restore in iTunes to make it as 'fresh' as possible.A simple format won't completely erase data on any medium (disk or flash for example) - an overwrite is what you need, and the tools which clear down magnetic hard drives don't necessarily work on flash/SSD. The simplest way to do it in this case is fill it with data you dont care about (windows service packs etc are quite large) and then format it after. Your data is overwritten by the junk so even if someone runs data recovery software on the device the best they can get back will be your junk data.

Cool. All it had on it was some music. Maybe ill just fill it up a little bit with some filler crap and wipe it again. Thanks!