If you want to completely wipe away the data on your hard drive, for example to sell or recycle it, follow these instructions.
Why wipe your hard drive?
Wiping your hard drive completely erases all the data on the drive. Deleting data or reformatting the drive leaves enough information to make the data recoverable using certain tools.
If you have partitioned your hard drive, be sure to wipe the data in all the partitions.
Migrate existing data
First, copy the data you want to save to another drive. This process will delete all your data and make it unrecoverable. If you have a cloud account, such as iCloud or OneDrive®, you can copy your data there. An external storage drive is also convenient if you don’t have a cloud account. If you are wiping your hard drive in preparation for replacing it, you can move your data to your new storage drive.
If you’re going to be using a solid state drive, you will also want to transfer data from your existing drive to your new SSD. Find out more about migrating existing data to an SSD.
Wiping your hard drive
Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 and 10
If you’re using Windows 8.1 or 10, wiping your hard drive is easy.
- Select Settings (the gear icon on the Start menu)
- Select Update & security, then Recovery
- Choose Remove everything, then Remove files and clean the drive
- Then click Next, Reset, and Continue
Microsoft Windows before 8.1
If you are using Windows 8 or earlier, you will need to download third-party software to wipe your hard drive. Be sure to get software that meets the US DoD 5220.22-M requirements for sanitizing a drive. Using this kind of software will take several hours or more, depending on how much data you have on your drive.
If your hard drive is going to be out of your control, because you’re selling or recycling it, it’s best to be safe and wipe all of the data off the drive so that it’s not recoverable.
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FAQs
To securely erase all the data on an SSD, you use a command—called ATA Secure Erase or NVMe Secure Erase, appropriately enough—that's built into the firmware of modern SATA and NVMe SSDs and older PATA/IDE drives.
What is the most secure way to wipe a hard drive? ›
Using a Data Erasure Software
Many free and paid data erasure software help securely erase data from hard drives and SSDs. These programs work by overwriting the data on the drive multiple times with patterns of zeros and ones, making it virtually impossible to recover the data.
How do I wipe my hard drive properly? ›
How to wipe a hard drive – Windows 10
- Press the Windows key.
- Type “Settings” to find the Settings app.
- Open Settings.
- Click Update & Security.
- Click Recovery.
- Click Get Started.
- Use the Remove everything option.
- Chose Local reinstall.
Go to Settings → System (In Windows 10: Update & Security) → Recovery. Under Reset this PC, click Reset PC. (In Windows 10: Click Get Started.) Choose Remove everything.
What does securely wipe hard drive mean? ›
Secure drive erasure is the process of erasing all or part of a storage device so that the data it contained is difficult or impossible to recover. Standard methods of secure drive erasure do not work with solid-state drives (SSDs).
How do I permanently delete data from my hard drive? ›
Go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Reset PC. When asked what you want to erase, select Remove everything. Choose Local reinstall to reinstall Windows from this device, since it will run faster than the cloud download. If that doesn't work, select the Cloud download.
How do I securely erase my hard drive before recycling? ›
Let's see what those steps are:
- Open the Settings of the system.
- Click on 'Update & Security'
- Go to 'Recovery' option in the menu on the left side.
- Choose the option 'Get Started' under the Reset This PC.
- Select 'Remove Everything' from the dialogue box that pops up like the one below.
How to wipe your computer hard drive
- Go to “Settings.”
- Choose “System” on the left side menu.
- Click “Recovery.”
- Click “Reset PC.”
- Choose “Keep my files” (removes apps and settings but keeps your personal files) or “Remove everything” (removes apps, settings, and your personal files).
Most magnets are simply not strong enough to have any effect on the hard drive. You need at least 450 pounds of force which eliminates almost all magnets except for some of the strongest neodymium magnets. And most people don't have them lying around their home or office.
How to completely wipe a SSD? ›
Windows 10 and 11 include a feature called “Reset this PC” that can securely erase your drive:
- Go to Settings > System > Recovery.
- Click “Reset PC” and choose “Remove everything.”
- Select “Local reinstall” and click “Change settings.”
- Turn on “Clean data” and “Delete files from all drives.”
If you select a program that runs the Secure Erase command, it will erase data by overwriting all areas of the hard drive, even areas that are not being used. data is written multiple times - It is important to make sure that not only is the information erased, but new data is written over it.
How to make a hard drive unrecoverable? ›
If you're selling or giving away your computer, you should clear all the data off first. To do this, backup all of your files, then delete all of your files from your PC. Finally, use a file erasing tool (e.g. CCleaner's Drive Wiper) to clear your hard drive data permanently.
How do I securely wipe a file? ›
The safest way to permanently delete files from your hard drive is through a process called “zero fill.” When you zero fill a storage device, you're overwriting your entire drive contents with zeroes so that data on that drive can no longer be recovered by others.
How do I completely wipe my hard drive? ›
Reset your PC
- Open the Start menu and select Settings.
- Choose the System category from the menu on the left, then scroll down and select Recovery.
- Click Reset PC.
- Select Remove everything.
- Choose how you'd like to reinstall Windows, then click Change settings.
- Switch the Clean data?
The time it takes to secure erase an SSD drive can vary depending on factors such as the drive's capacity, its speed, and the method used. Generally, the process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. It's recommended to be patient and let the secure erase process complete without interruptions.
How do you tell if a hard drive has been wiped? ›
You can use data recovery software to scan the wiped hard drive and check if any recoverable data remains. If the scan comes up empty, it means your data has been successfully wiped.
Is it safe to wipe a hard drive? ›
The most reliable way to wipe a hard drive is to physically destroy it. If you want to sell or continue using your computer, an alternative is to erase your hard drive from inside the operating system, but this can be slightly complicated, and you may risk losing data if you make a mistake.
How do I securely erase my SSD without destroying it? ›
1. Manufacturer-specific tools
- Download the appropriate software for your SSD brand from the manufacturer's website.
- Install and run the software.
- Locate the secure erase option (usually under a “Tools” or “Management” section).
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the secure erase process.
You'd think that if a hard drive is littered with holes that the data will be completely destroyed and inaccessible, but this isn't the case. Although your computer may not be able to read it, all the intact portions of the drive will be retrievable by data thieves.
Does wiping a hard drive get rid of malware? ›
Perhaps one of the easiest and most effective ways to eliminate a virus from a hard drive is to simply wipe the hard drive to remove the virus. Don't mistake this for formatting the drive, however. While formatting is essentially the same concept, this does not guarantee that the virus is gone forever.
