How do i completely clean my hard drive? (2023)

How do I completely clean my hard drive data?

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.

For Windows 10, go to the Start Menu and click on Settings. Then navigate to Update & Security, and find the Recovery menu. Next, select Reset this PC and choose Get Started. Follow the instructions to revert your computer to when it was first unboxed.

Otherwise, formatting a hard drive using the quick format option (or an earlier version of Windows) will not actually erase all of its stored data. When you choose to format a hard drive, you are essentially only removing the pointers to the data as the partition table is either cleared or rebuilt.

Windows 10

Type Disk Cleanup into the Windows Start menu and click to launch the disk cleaning utility. Then select the disk you want to clean. Disk Cleanup will show you a list of unnecessary files that you can delete. Select Clean up system files to remove files you no longer need.

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.

In theory, a magnet could be used to corrupt data on a hard drive. However, your average magnet, or even a relatively strong one, would not be strong enough to have any effect on a hard drive. You would need to bring an extremely powerful magnet into contact with the magnetic platters of a hard drive.

The most effective way to destroy a hard drive is to shred it. Similar to shredding documents and paper, shredding turns a hard drive into a million tiny pieces that can't be put back together again, therefore destroying and erasing the data forever.

How do I permanently delete files from hard drive without recovery?

Right-click on the Recycle Bin and choose "Properties". Select the drive for which you want to delete the data permanently. Check the option "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted." Then, click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.

In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery. Click the Get started button under the Reset this PC section. You are then asked if you wish to remove apps and settings but keep your personal files or remove everything. Choose the option for Remove everything.

According to the comparison table, you can tell that formatting is a quick process to empty a disk, resetting the file system. While wiping is a complete way to clean up the whole disk, erasing all files. When to use formatting or wiping?

Is destroying a hard drive enough to permanently remove data? The quick answer to this question is “no”. The practice of physically destroying hard drives has been a common method of removing data for many years, but it's not the best solution for multiple reasons.

There are two methods to erase the images that are stored in your memory card. Using the camera's menu to "format" removes all files and sets up the memory card for use in the camera. "Delete" on the other hand removes one image after another.

Delete unnecessary files

One of the best ways to improve computer performance is to go through your files and delete anything you don't need. Not only will this free up space on your hard drive, but it can also improve the speed of your device.

By reducing the amount of unnecessary and temporary files on your hard drive your computer will run faster. You will especially notice a difference when searching for files. Here are easy step-by-step instructions on how to perform a disk cleanup.

Similar to a desktop, the hard drive of your laptop also needs to be properly wiped and destroyed prior to recycling. Carefully remove the hard drive or, if physically destroying it is not possible, use data shredding software. There are lots of options available readily online.

How big of a magnet Do you need to wipe a hard drive?

You see, you need a strong magnet to delete data. And by strong, we mean very strong. A pull force of at least 450 pounds is needed to have any effect on a hard drive, and that kind of force is incredibly dangerous.

We make sure your hard drives are thoroughly wiped or physically destroyed so no sensitive data can be retrieved. If you bring your old computers to Best Buy, destroying your data rests on your shoulders. Best Buy doesn't have a third-party certified process in place to do this for their customers.

Because of how hard drives work, magnets won't delete anything from your hard drive. Your hard drive has a very powerful magnet inside that controls the read-write head movement. If the magnet inside the drive itself doesn't delete information, any magnet that isn't insanely powerful won't wipe it either.

The heat from the drill might even cause damage that permanently warps the drive. But as long as there are intact sections of hard drive platters, the data stored on those sections is still technically accessible.

Hard drive shredding is one of the most effective ways to destroy a hard drive. It involves running the drive through a machine known as a shredder, which cuts it into tiny bits. Since hard drives store data on a platter, cutting it into small pieces renders the drive and any data on it useless.

When a hard drive gets wet, the water could potentially cause a short circuit, especially if it dries on the platters. But water alone will not destroy a hard drive or delete its data. While water can damage a hard drive's electronics, the data itself is stored magnetically.

To reset your PC, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get Started.

They both do basically the same, except selecting Clean The Drive will write zeros to the entire drive before reinstalling... Just Remove Files deletes the Files without writing zeros...

Resetting your computer will remove all your files and programs, so a backup is essential if you don't want your files to be deleted. If you just want to easily keep a hold of your photos, documents, and other files, you might consider using a cloud-based backup service like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.

Does resetting PC delete everything?

Factory Reset a Computer

For most purposes, you can assume that you have deleted everything on the computer, and that's okay for most people. However, that information still lives on your hard drive and will stay there until it has either been overwritten by new information or completely destroyed.

It's important to know what a factory reset actually does, though. It puts all applications back into their original state and removes anything that wasn't there when the computer left the factory. That means user data from the applications will also be deleted. However, that data will still live on the hard drive.