Special software programs can permanently erase your hard drive. DBAN is a free data destruction program* that completely erases files on a hard drive. This includes all personal files, operating systems, and installed programs. It's smart to use a program to wipe your device.13 Jul 2020
How do I completely erase hard drive data?
- Go to Settings → Change PC Settings → Update and Recovery → Recovery.
- Under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows,” click “Get started,” then click “Next.”
- Select “Fully clean the drive.” This takes longer, but it's the most secure option.
- Click “Reset” to start the process.
How do you wipe a hard drive clean and start over?
Go to Settings > Change PC Settings > Update and recovery > Recovery. Click Get Started under the Remove everything and reinstall Windows section. Click Next, then choose Fully clean the drive to ensure everything is deleted. Click the Reset button and your drive is wiped, your PC is reset, and Windows is reinstalled.18 Jan 2022
Will wiping a hard drive clean remove the operating system?
You'd need to reinstall Windows again after wiping the hard drive. When all is said and done, it's worth noting that you cannot wipe everything off a hard drive except the OS in a single operation.
Can you wipe a hard drive completely clean?
How to Wipe a Windows 8 and 8.1 Hard Drive. Go to Settings → Change PC Settings → Update and Recovery → Recovery. Under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows,” click “Get started,” then click “Next.” Select “Fully clean the drive.” This takes longer, but it's the most secure option.17 Aug 2021
How do you wipe a computer clean to sell it?
- Open Settings.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Click on Recovery.
- Under the Reset this PC section, click the Get started button.
- Click the Remove everything button.
- Click the Change settings option.
- Turn on the Data erasure toggle switch.
- Click the Confirm button.
How do I factory reset and do a clean drive?
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to Update & Security > Recovery.
- Click Get started button in Reset this PC.
- Choose Remove everything.
- Click Change settings, enable both Data erasure and Data drives, and click Next.
- Click Reset button and wait for your Windows 10 to finish resetting.
How do I wipe my hard drive and start over?
Go to Settings → Change PC Settings → Update and Recovery → Recovery. Under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows,” click “Get started,” then click “Next.” Select “Fully clean the drive.” This takes longer, but it's the most secure option. Click “Reset” to start the process.17 Aug 2021
How many times can you wipe a hard drive?
Conclusion: Only 1 Overwriting Pass is Needed to Erase HDDs Multiple overwriting passes for hard disk drives is not an absolute necessity anymore. So, how many times should you overwrite a hard disk for complete data erasure? The answer: One pass is enough.29 Aug 2019