Guide to Completely Erase the Content of a Hard Drive or SSD
Sometimes, formatting a hard drive is not enough to delete all the information. Therefore, it is advisable to use these tools to ensure the security of your data.
Erasing all the information from an SSD (solid-state drive) or a hard drive is an essential step before selling or transferring your laptop or computer. This procedure is crucial because, without the proper measures, the new owner could access sensitive data, potentially facilitating fraud. For example, a hard drive may store a history of the web pages you have visited, including those related to banking services. Therefore, it is advisable to learn how to completely erase information from an SSD or a hard drive.
The process of deleting data from an SSD is simpler than from a traditional hard drive (HDD). If your computer's operating system is on an SSD, you can easily perform this procedure using the Disk Management tool that Windows provides. However, you should keep in mind that it is necessary for Windows to be installed on another drive, as the system cannot erase itself unless it is reinstalled using a bootable medium such as a USB drive.
To begin formatting an SSD, access Disk Management and delete the partitions on the drive, which could be multiple. To do this, right-click on the partition you want to erase and select the Format option. A new screen will appear; make sure to uncheck the "Perform quick format" option to ensure that all files are deleted.
If the SSD is the only drive in your laptop or PC and you need to erase all its content before selling it to someone else, you can do so by installing Windows from a USB drive. For this, you will need a USB drive with at least 8 GB of storage and in FAT32 format, as well as creating the bootable drive from the Windows website.
In the case of hard drives, although the deletion process is similar to the previous one, some files may still remain and can be recovered with certain tools. To ensure that the information is completely erased, programs like Ascomp Secure Eraser or Darik’s Boot and Nuke can be used. Ascomp Secure Eraser requires email registration for individual users and offers a 14-day trial period for business use. After installation, its interface is similar to Windows Disk Management. Remember that you can only completely erase drives where the operating system is not installed, so select the appropriate drive and enable the Clear up MFT and Clear Change Journal options to remove everything from the disk.
Darik’s Boot and Nuke does not require registration, but you will need to download an ISO file and use Rufus to create a bootable USB drive. Boot your computer from this USB and follow the instructions to erase information from a hard drive or an SSD, even if Windows is installed on it. However, keep in mind that by performing this last step, the computer will become "inoperable" unless you reinstall Windows from a USB drive.