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Last Updated on April 19, 2024
When your computer breaks down or becomes obsolete, it's time to get rid of it by selling, recycling, or donating it. But before you do, you should check and remove all data from the hard drive. Ordinary “deletion” doesn't permanently erase your information. With data-recovery software, a hacker or the next owner could restore lost files, leaving your data exposed. So it's essential to remove all files from the device. Make sure you've deleted everything.
Also, if you want to keep your computer, it's best to refresh it by wiping all the data from it and updating it to the latest version. But how do you erase all the data from a computer? You don't need to uninstall the hard drive; the best solution is to use third-party software for data erasure and factory reset.
Quick navigation:
Before You Begin
Erase data deletes your accounts, apps, music, files, videos, cache files, and documents from internal storage. Before you do this, make sure to:
1. Back up your important data.
Have a USB flash drive or another external hard drive ready to store the data you want to keep, or upload it to OneDrive. Otherwise, you won't be able to recover the data with any data recovery software.
2. Encrypt your solid-state drive.
SSDs are faster than HDDs, but they require additional encryption to ensure that data cannot be recovered after deletion.
Starting with SSD encryption:
Steps: Settings > System > About > Additional settings > BitLocker settings
If you cannot find the encryption option in Settings, you can turn on BitLocker through Console. (Open Console > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Turn on BitLocker)
If you can't get to BitLocker settings through any of the above methods, you can seek out a third-party encryption tool.
How to use data erasure software to remove all data from your computer? To thoroughly delete all data from your computer using data erasure software, follow these steps: 1. **Choose a Data Erasure Tool**: First, you need to find a reliable data erasure program such as DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke), Eraser, or a similar tool. Make sure you download the software from an official or trusted source. 2. **Download and Install**: Visit the software's official website and download the package suitable for your operating system version (e.g., Windows, Mac, or Linux). Typically, this will be a bootable ISO image file. 3. **Create a Bootable Medium**: Use a burning software like Rufus, Etcher, or Windows' built-in "Create Installation Media" tool to burn the ISO file to a USB drive or DVD. This will allow you to boot your computer from external media and run the data erasure program. 4. **Enter BIOS Settings**: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS settings during the startup process (usually by pressing F2, F10, Delete, or another key, depending on your computer brand). In the BIOS, set the boot order to start from USB or DVD. 5. **Boot the Data Erasure Software**: Save and exit the BIOS settings. Your computer will then boot from the created bootable media. The software will load and display the main menu. Follow the on-screen instructions to select your language and erasure option. 6. **Choose an Erasure Method**: Data erasure software typically offers multiple erasure methods, ranging from quick wipes (overwriting once) to more secure multi-pass wipes. Choose the option that suits your needs. More secure wiping methods may take longer. 7. **Start the Erasure Process**: After confirming your selection, the software will begin erasing all data from your hard drive. This process can take several hours to days, depending on the size of your hard drive and the chosen wipe method. 8. **Completion and Verification**: Once the erasure is complete, the software will notify you. To ensure data is unrecoverable, you might need to perform an additional verification step. Follow the software's prompts to complete this process. 9. **Reinstall the Operating System**: After securely erasing the data, you'll need to reinstall your operating system and any necessary applications to make your computer usable again. Remember that data erasure is irreversible, so back up any important information before proceeding.
When it comes to permanently deleting data from a computer, the Partition Master Tool performs a "Wipe Data" function to completely remove all data. Once the wipe operation is executed, the data cannot be recovered.
How to Wipe Data from a Hard Drive
We have two options for clearing your data. Please choose the one you need.
Option 1: Erase the partition
- 1. Right-click the partition you want to wipe and select "Erase."
2. In the new window, set the time you want to erase the partition, then click "OK."
3. Click the "Execute 1 Task" button in the bottom right corner to review the changes, then click "Apply."
Option 2: Erase the disk
- Select the HDD/SSD, then right-click and choose "Erase Disk."
- Set the number of times you want to overwrite the data. (You can choose up to 10.) Click "OK."
- Click "Execute 1 Task," then click "Apply."
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Note: After data is erased from a hard disk, the entire disk becomes unallocated space.
How to Wipe Your PC with a Factory Reset
A factory reset will restore your settings and drivers to their default state. This will remove all apps and files. You can choose to keep your personal files, or remove all personal files, apps, and settings.
Windows 10:
Step 1: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery
Step 2: Click “Get started” under “Reset this PC.”
Step 3: In the Reset this PC window, choose Remove everything.
Step 4: Your computer will then restart, and you'll need to wait for it to finish.
Windows 8:
Step 1: Press "Windows + I" to open Settings.
Step 2: Select "Change PC settings" > "Update & recovery" > "Recovery."
Step 3. Under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows,” click on “Get started.”
Windows 7:
Step 1: Click on the “Restart” button & hold down the “Shift” key to enter WinRE.
Step 2: Go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Choose Keep my files or Remove everything.
Windows Vista/XP:
Step 1. Go to Settings > choose Remove everything and reinstall Windows.
Step 2: On the Reset your PC screen, click Next.
On the "Do you want to fully clean the drive" screen, choose Delete my files or Clean the drive completely.
Like these two ways to delete all files on PC? Hope this tutorial was helpful. If you have friends who are facing the same issue, click the social buttons to share with them.
Erase Data Securely
In this article, we offer two solutions to address the issue of how to wipe all data from a computer. If you prefer an automated approach, we recommend trying the Partition Master tool in section Part 1. Additionally, a factory reset can help thoroughly remove data, but you'll need to check your Windows version and follow specific steps. Should you encounter any issues, feel free to contact us via LiveChat or email (support@tools.com).