Last updated on April 22, 2024
If you wish to wipe a bootable hard drive in Windows, you can try using the Partition Master tool. It's a reliable bootable hard drive eraser software that supports securely deleting boot drives in Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. Let's see how it can assist you.
To prevent users from accidentally deleting or damaging the operating system and rendering Windows 11/10/8/7 unbootable, Microsoft does not allow users to directly delete, format, or erase the OS within the Windows environment. If you attempt to format or wipe the boot drive, the "Format" or "Delete" options in Disk Management will be grayed out and unavailable.
Therefore, you need to download a bootable hard drive eraser tool that can help securely format or wipe a bootable hard drive (usually C:; if you have a dual-boot system, it could be another drive letter). For this, professional hard drive eraser tools are available.
A professional disk partition manager can wipe bootable hard drives thoroughly to prevent others from recovering your system files or other personal files. It comes with a "Create Bootable Media" feature that allows you to format or wipe bootable hard drives, like the C drive. Check out the details of this bootable hard drive eraser tool in the list below.
There are two scenarios.
Scenario 1. If Windows 10 and Windows 11/8/7 are installed on two different disks, you can log in to Windows 11 and run the Partition Master tool to directly erase the disk where the other OS is located. Please refer to Method 1 for the steps.
Scenario 2. If you have only one operating system installed, such as Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP/Vista, etc., you need to create bootable media with the Partition Master tool, then boot your Windows PC from it, and then you can wipe the bootable hard drive with the Partition Master tool. See Guide 2 for how-to.
Please provide the English content you want translated, and I'll translate it into Chinese for you.
How to Create a Bootable USB to Wipe Hard Drive
This article offers a comprehensive guide on how users can create a bootable USB to wipe a hard drive in Windows. Read More >>
First, log in to the correct operating system and install the Partition Master tool. Then, follow this guide to format the drive meant for the other operating system.
We have two options for clearing your data. Please choose the one you need.
Option 1: Erase the partition
Option 2: Wipe the disk
In this guide, you will create a bootable media to ensure that your computer doesn't become unbootable after you wipe the bootable hard drive. Here's how:
Step 1: Connect the USB flash drive, external hard drive or CD/DVD to the computer properly, launch MiniTool Partition Wizard, click “Bootable Media”, select “Create Bootable Media”, and then click “Next”.
Step 2: If you have a drive available, select either USB or CD/DVD. Click “Continue” when you're done.
If you do not have suitable burning software, you can save the ISO image to your local disk and burn it to media later.
Step 3: Connect the WinPE bootable drive to your computer. Restart your computer and press F2 or Del to enter BIOS. Set the boot order to start from "Removable Devices" (boot USB) or "CD-ROM Drive" (boot CD/DVD) instead of the hard disk. Press "F10" to save and exit.
Step 4. Install and launch Partition Master. Select the HDD or SSD you want to wipe, then right-click and choose “Wipe Hard Drive.”
Step 5: Set the number of times you want the data erased, up to a maximum of 10. Then, click “OK.”
Step 6. Tap “Erase 1 Task,” then tap “Erase” to begin wiping the data.
If you only want to erase the system partition and not the entire system disk, right-click on the system partition at Step 4. This way, you can wipe or format the boot drive from the BIOS.
If you find these guidelines helpful, please share them and help more users.
AOMEI Partition Assistant can easily wipe a hard drive with an operating system (Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista) on it. Actually, it also features more advanced functions like formatting/deleting bootable disks. Besides, simply deleting or formatting files on the HDD might lead to information leakage, as professional data recovery software can restore all these files. To prevent such incidents, you need to use a dedicated hard drive eraser tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant.
Assuming you've downloaded a bootable disk wiping tool that you're comfortable with, read on for details about how to wipe a bootable drive.
**1. What is the best software to wipe a bootable hard drive?**
Partition Master is a reliable program for erasing or formatting bootable hard disks. It features the creation of bootable media, allowing users to securely wipe system drives and associated files.
2. How do I create a bootable USB disk eraser?
If you only have one operating system installed, you'll need to use a bootable USB made with a third-party disk wiping tool to erase the bootable drive. Here's how:
Step One: Download a free hard drive wipe program, such as Partition Master, following the instructions above.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Bootable Media” section to create your bootable USB drive.
Step 3. Boot the PC from the bootable media, and use a bootable disk-wiping utility that's appropriate for Windows 10 to scrub the system drive.
3. Can DBAN wipe a bootable hard drive?
Of course, DBAN is popular for erasing bootable hard drives. However, it stopped updating in 2015, so you can't get further technical support, which is risky. Partition Master is a professional bootable disk eraser software that can be used as a DBAN alternative.