How to Securely Erase Hard Drive/SSD and Wipe Confidential Data? Your Trustworthy Guide is Here

Secure Hard Drive Disposal: How to Erase Confidential Information on a Hard Drive or SSD?

Can you fully erase a hard drive and securely delete data from it to protect your privacy from unauthorized access? Whether it's an old hard drive, a failing SSD, or a non-functional external hard drive, as long as there are sensitive files stored on it, the crucial step before getting rid of them, whether by selling or discarding, is to erase the disk securely.

Thus, whether you're dealing with an old hard drive, SSD, or external hard drive for erasure, you'll need a secure disk eraser tool to assist. That's where this guide comes in.

"Secure Erase Hard Drive"是指安全擦除硬盘。

那么，安全擦除硬盘意味着什么呢？它对硬盘文件会做些什么呢？让我们来澄清一下。

Erasing refers to the action of completely wiping out all data, including saved documents, images, audio files, videos, and other content, from your storage device. There are three methods to erase a disk:

• Use disk erasing software
• Use hardware erasing devices
• Physically destroy the device.

Securely erasing a hard drive goes beyond simply deleting or removing files, which doesn't necessarily ensure that the data is irrecoverable. It involves using disk erasing software to write zeros to the storage device at a sector or even cluster level. This process ensures that all sensitive information and regular files are completely erased.

How to Securely Wipe Hard Drive/SSD or External Disk

So how do you securely erase a hard drive, an SSD, or an external hard drive? The methods for securely erasing a hard drive or external USB may vary depending on the purpose. By following this guide, you'll learn how to properly choose the appropriate method to safely wipe everything on your HDD/SSD.

#1. Backup Your Data!

It matters to back up your essential files from the working hard drive which you intend to erase in advance. Once you execute the secure erasing operation, you can never find back your files again.

• To backup a functioning disk, you can manually copy files or use file backup software to back up all data to another storage device.
• To backup a failing disk, you can clone the failing disk to save as many files as possible.

#2. Assess Your Needs & Choose the Right Method to Wipe Hard Drive

Here, we've listed 4 different scenarios where most disk users typically need to erase their hard drive. Choose the one that matches your current situation and follow the corresponding guide to wipe everything now:

1. 1. Securely Erase (Data) Hard Drive for Reuse or Sale
2. 2. Securely Erase Hard Drive with Windows Installed On
3. 3. Wipe Hard Drive on a Dead Computer
4. 4. Erase a Dead HDD/SSD

1. How to Securely Wipe (Data) Hard Drive or SSD for Reuse/Selling

It also works to: securely erase external hard drive in Windows 10/8/7.

Here, we'll introduce two standard methods to help safely erase your target drive:

• Hard drive wipe software
• Windows built-in tool - cmd

For beginners or simpler solutions, it's recommended to use hard drive wipe software.

方法1：使用磁盘擦除软件安全删除硬盘

For most novices, disk erasing software is the most cost-effective way to securely wipe a disk, rendering all files irrecoverable with just a few clicks. To save you the time of comparing all disk erasers available, we'll demonstrate how to directly wipe a hard disk using the tool Partition Master.

How to Use:

We've prepared two options for you to erase your data. Please select the one that suits your needs.

Option 1. Wipe Partition

Translate the following text into English: - Right-click the partition from which you want to erase data, and select "Wipe". - In the new window, set the duration for which you want to wipe your partition, then click "OK". - Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the bottom right corner, review the changes, and then click "Apply".

Option 2. Wipe Disk

Translate the following text into English:
• Select the HDD/SSD, then right-click and choose "Wipe Disk."
• Set the number of times to overwrite the data (maximum 10). Click "OK."
• Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" and then click "Apply."

Method 2: Securely Erase HDD/SSD Using CMD Command Lines

请注意，此方法适用于有经验的Windows用户，如果你没有任何计算机技能，请尝试方法1。同时，请确保仔细按照这里的步骤指南操作。我们开始吧。

How to Use:

Step 1. Press Windows + S, type Command Prompt. Right-click Command Prompt from the search results and choose Run as Administrator.

Step 2. Click Yes to allow the Command Prompt to run on your PC.

Step 3. Type diskpart and press Enter.

Step 4. In the Diskpart window, type each of the following commands individually and press Enter after each one:

1. list disk
2. select disk 1 (Replace 1 with the disk number that you want to wipe.)
3. clean all

Step 5. Wait patiently, and type exit when the erasing process is finished.

关闭命令提示符，现在你的磁盘已经清空，没有任何数据存在。

Following Method 1 or Method 2, your disk is now 100% clean and secure for reuse or sale.

2. How to Securely Erase a Hard Drive with Windows Installed On It

It also works to: Wipe the old OS disk for new use.

To safely erase a hard drive with an operating system installed on it, you cannot directly use the methods mentioned earlier. Due to the operating system's protection mechanisms, Windows does not permit users to delete, format, or erase the system drive on a computer.

To achieve the goal of disk erasure, you'll need a professional disk erasing tool. The utility Partition Master, along with its bootable disk, can make this goal a reality.

Step 1. Properly connect a USB drive, flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc to your computer. Then, launch tools Partition Master, go to the "Bootable Media" option, and click "Create bootable media". Click "Next"之后.

Step 2. When the drive is available, you can select either USB or CD/DVD. After making your choice, click "Proceed."

If you don't have a storage device at hand, you can also save the ISO file to a local drive and then burn it to a storage medium later.

Step 3. Connect the WinPE bootable disk to your computer. Restart your computer and simultaneously press F2 or Del to enter BIOS. Set your PC to boot from "Removable Devices" (bootable USB drive) or "CD-ROM Drive" (bootable CD/DVD) instead of the hard drive. Press "F10" to save the changes and exit.

Step 4. Install and launch Partition Master. Select the HDD or SSD that you want to wipe, then right-click and choose "Wipe Disk."

Step 5. Set the number of times to wipe the data. You can set it up to a maximum of 10 times. Then, click "OK".

Step 6. Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" and then hit "Apply" to commence the data erasure process.

3. How to Wipe a Hard Drive on a Non-Working Computer

Also works for: Wiping a failing OS disk that rendered the computer unbootable.

If your computer is dead due to a failing or non-functional hard drive, you can wipe the hard drive to reinstall an operating system and breathe new life into your computer.

Please note that if you have important files on the disk, you should first recover data from the dead computer. Follow the guide on how to Recover Files from Dead Laptop Hard Drive for assistance.

Once you've safely extracted the data from the drive, you can seek assistance from tools like Partition Master and its bootable disk.

Refer to the steps demonstrated in the 2nd scenario of erasing disk with OS installed for assistance.

4. 如何安全删除报废的硬盘/固态硬盘

It's not advisable to dispose of a dead hard drive or SSD directly. Your data or sensitive information could be at risk if someone with the know-how retrieves it from the damaged disk.

Therefore, to safeguard your privacy and data security on a failed hard drive, you need to know how to handle them properly. Here are two tips for you to consider:

Translate the following text into English:
• Repair the dead drive - retrieve data from the disk and erase it.
• Physically destroy the disk.

If you have important data saved on the drive, you can take it to a professional for repair first. They can retrieve the data and erase the drive. However, if you don't care about the data and don't intend to repair it, you can manually destroy the drive by, for instance, drilling holes in it or smashing it with a hammer.

"What is the best software to erase a hard drive?"

Consequently, if you search for "hard drive wipe tool" or "hard drive eraser" on Google, you will undoubtedly come across recommendations from various software or hardware manufacturers offering disk erasure services.

Here, we compare third-party software with Windows' built-in tool, Command Prompt, to help you determine which is better for erasing a drive.

In conclusion, while most disk eraser software is not free, it is still valuable for providing an easy solution to erase hard drives, SSDs, or external storage devices. If you're looking for a straightforward method to wipe a disk, consider using a disk wipe program. Among the options, tools Partition Master with its Wipe feature stands out as an excellent choice.

Securingly Erasing a Hard Drive Is Easy, You Can Do It Yourself

On this page, we discussed the meaning of erasing or securely erasing a hard drive. Whether you've replaced a computer disk, intend to sell the old one, or wish to safeguard your privacy from information theft, wiping a hard drive is crucial.

Please note that properly erasing a disk is no longer a challenging task. Simply follow the solutions provided on this page to erase your HDD, SSD, or external hard drive. You can easily do it yourself.