SoCal App,
Rather than making sweeping meaningless statements such as "Rubbish" and "Total Tosh", why don't you enlighten us as to what basis you have to state :
It is quite easy to over an entire disk surface with available proprietary software.
The only safe way is complete physical destruction. Anything else, especially software based options and you're just kidding yourself that it's doing the same job.
Mac the knife,
erase an entire disk surface with available FREE software
Your "FREE software" won't "erase an entire disk surface".
Overwrite a significant portion yes, but you're dreaming if you think it will cover the entire surface.
As I've said before, disk drives are so cheap these days, if you're selling/donating your old PC, just supply it with a new drive or no drive at all.
theoretically possible (at the cost of great time and expense)
Not necessarily "theoretical", and not necessarily "great time and expense", especially with the right tools.
Time to finally put this recurring canard to bed.
Indeed. Don't get me wrong, for your "average user" and your "average data snoop", sure, why not use some random software to wipe your disk.
What I'm trying to say here is please try to avoid questionable statements such as "you can wipe an entire disk surface with some software".