How to Create a Bootable USB to Wipe a Hard Drive

Updated by

Linda 

Updated on April 22, 2024

It's essential to fully wipe a hard drive before selling a computer, reinstalling the operating system, or ensuring that sensitive data can't be recovered. Traditionally, this required technical knowledge and a bootable CD. Luckily, it's now very easy to create a bootable USB with user-friendly tools to wipe your hard drive! These tools will provide the know-how and steps to create a bootable USB and securely erase your hard drive, ready for a fresh start.

So, without further ado, let's look at two simple ways to create a bootable USB to wipe your hard drive following this guide.

How do I create a bootable USB to wipe a hard drive?

Now, let's learn how to create a bootable USB to wipe your hard drive. We will explore two methods for different preferences. The first method uses a user-friendly bootable USB partition manager that simplifies the process. The second method involves creating a bootable USB from a DBAN ISO image, which is more favored by tech-savvy users. This guide will provide you with the steps to securely erase your hard drive, regardless of your experience level.

Hint:

• Make sure your USB drive has at least 4 GB of free space for a 32-bit operating system, or 8 GB for a 64-bit system.
• Back up any files on the USB drive ahead of time, since formatting will erase everything.

Method 1: Create a Bootable USB with Partition Master to Wipe the Hard Drive Method 1: Use Partition Master to Create a Bootable USB for Erasing the Hard Drive

While there are several ways to create a bootable USB that require advanced tech skills, opting for a user-friendly and seamless experience will lead you to tools like Partition Master Professional. This intuitive disk management software offers much more than just making a bootable USB drive.

With its comprehensive features, you can easily create bootable media to solve various Windows boot issues and integrate the bootable partition manager option into the Windows boot menu. This means you can boot from the Partition Master bootable media and format/wipe/allocate hard disks.

Please provide the English content you want to translate, and I'll do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Follow the steps:

Step 1. To create a bootable USB Disk Genius drive, you will need a storage media such as a USB drive, a flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc. Connect the drive to your computer correctly.

Step 2: Launch Partition Master and locate the “Bootable Media” feature on the left side. Click it.

Step 3: If you have a USB or CD/DVD drive, you can select it. If no storage device is available, you can also save the ISO image to your local disk and burn it to a media later. After making your choice, click "Create" to start the process.

• Read the warning and click Yes.

When it's done, a prompt will ask if you want to restart your computer from the bootable USB.

• Restart Now: This means you want to restart your current computer and boot from the tool's startup media to manage partitions without an operating system.
• Finish: This means you do not want to restart your current computer, but instead want to use the bootable USB drive on a different computer.

Note: To use the boot disk on a new computer, you need to restart the target computer and press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS, where you should set the USB boot disk as the first boot device.

Wait patiently, and your computer will automatically boot from the USB media and load the WinPE desktop.

Main Features of MiniTool Partition Wizard:

• Format Disk in Windows
• Perform disk/partition cloning for backup purposes.
• Erase SSD or HDD Securely for Free
• Partition formatting: Easily format hard drive partitions with various file systems, including FAT32 and NTFS.

We highly recommend users to try the Partition Master tool for securely erasing hard drives via a bootable USB drive. Its user-friendly interface, rich features, and reliability make it an indispensable tool for disk management tasks.

Method 2: Create a Bootable USB from the DBAN ISO Image and Wipe the Hard Drive Step 1: Download the DBAN ISO Image First, visit the official DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) website and download the ISO image file. Step 2: Prepare the USB Drive Make sure you have a USB drive with at least 1 GB of free space. Format it to the FAT32 file system using one of the following tools: - For Windows users: Use the built-in Disk Management tool or download utilities like Rufus. - For macOS users: Use the Disk Utility application. - For Linux users: Format using the `dd` command. Step 3: Create a Bootable USB Depending on your operating system, follow these guidelines to write the DBAN ISO image to the USB drive: - For Windows users: Use Rufus or similar tools (like Etcher), choosing "DD" or "ISO" mode to write the image. - For macOS and Linux users: Use the `dd` command. Open a terminal and enter the following command (replace "/path/to/dban.iso" and "/dev/sdX" with the actual paths and USB device name): ```bash sudo dd if=/path/to/dban.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync ``` Note: In the above command, `/dev/sdX` represents the USB device, such as `/dev/sdc`. Make sure to identify the correct USB device to avoid accidentally erasing other data. Step 4: Boot Your Computer from the USB Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually accessed by pressing F2, F10, Delete, or another key during startup). Change the boot order to boot from the USB drive, then save and exit. Step 5: Run DBAN and Wipe the Hard Drive Your computer will boot from the USB and load DBAN. In the DBAN interface, select the hard drive you want to wipe (be careful not to choose the wrong one) and press Enter. Confirm the prompt, and DBAN will begin securely erasing all data on the hard drive. This process may take some time, depending on the size of the hard drive. After the wiping is complete, remove the USB drive, shut down your computer, and reinstall the operating system or recover data as needed.

DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) is a powerful, free hard drive eraser. While DBAN provides a strong wiping solution, it requires more technical knowledge than user-friendly software like Partition Master.

Follow the steps:

Step 1: Visit the DBAN website and download the latest ISO image.

Step 2: Download the latest version of Rufus from its official website.

Note: This process will erase all data on the USB drive, so be sure to back up any important files.

Step 3: Connect the USB drive to an available USB port on your computer.

Step 4. Locate the downloaded Rufus executable and run the program.

Step 5: In the Rufus window, select your USB drive from the dropdown menu next to Device.

Step 6. Under Boot Selection, choose either Disk or ISO Image (the default). Then click SELECT, browse to the downloaded DBAN ISO file, select it, and click Open.

Step 7. Next, click on the START button to begin creating the DBAN bootable USB drive. If prompted, click “Yes” to proceed with the operation.

Use DBAN to Wipe a Hard Drive from a USB Drive

Step 1: Enter your computer's BIOS and set the DBAN bootable drive as the first boot device.

Step 2. Boot from the DBAN bootable drive and reach the DBAN main menu. Here, DBAN will provide you with instructions. To wipe your hard drive, it is recommended to enter the interactive mode by hitting the “Enter” key.

Step 3. In the next window, use the Spacebar to select the drive you want to erase. If multiple drives are listed, use the J or K keys to highlight the desired drive, then press the Spacebar to select it.

Step 4. Press F10 to begin the process. The time this takes will depend on the size of the drive you selected. Be patient and let it run its course.

Here are two simple methods to create a bootable USB to wipe a hard drive, shared for other Windows users who might need it:

Why do I need to create a bootable USB to wipe a hard drive?

When you want to sell your old computer or do a fresh Windows install, erasing the hard drive is an important step to ensure that your data is safe and out of other people's hands. That's where a bootable USB drive comes in handy.

But why not use the standard method through your operating system? The traditional way may be unreliable, especially if your system won't boot up properly. A bootable USB drive is the ultimate solution – it's a standalone toolkit that lets you securely wipe your hard drive while booted outside of your operating system. With a bootable USB drive, you can boot your computer directly into a specialized erasing program to completely scrub your data.

Conclusion

By now, you might have realized the convenience of using a bootable USB drive to securely wipe a hard drive. It's perfect whether you're selling an old computer or ensuring a clean slate before a fresh Windows install.

Remember, your data is worth protecting! With a bootable USB drive and the right tools, you can securely erase your hard drive and safeguard your privacy. We highly recommend giving Partition Master a try. This software streamlines the process of creating a bootable USB and offers various features for efficiently managing your hard drive.

Frequently Asked Questions about Creating a Bootable USB to Wipe a Hard Drive

Questions about creating a bootable USB to wipe a hard drive? See the FAQ below.

**How to format a hard drive using a bootable USB?** To format a hard drive using a bootable USB, follow these steps: 1. **Create the bootable USB**: First, download an operating system installation image (such as Windows, Ubuntu, etc.) compatible with your computer. Then, use a tool (like Rufus, Etcher, or the built-in Windows creation tool) to write the image to the USB drive. 2. **Connect the USB and hard drive**: Insert the bootable USB into a USB port on your computer and connect the hard drive you want to format. Make sure the hard drive is connected directly to the computer, not through an external enclosure or USB hub. 3. **Enter BIOS/UEFI settings**: Restart your computer and press the designated key (usually F2, F10, F12, or Delete, depending on your computer's brand) during the startup process to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings. 4. **Set the boot order**: In the BIOS/UEFI settings, find the "Boot" or "Startup" menu and set the USB device as the first boot option. 5. **Save and exit**: Save the changes and exit the settings; your computer will boot from the USB. 6. **Start the installer**: You'll see the operating system installation interface. Choose your language and other preferences, then click "Continue." 7. **Format the hard drive**: During the installation, there will be a step to choose the installation location. Here, you'll see your hard drive. Select it and click on the "Format" or "Erase Disk" option. Note that this will permanently delete all data on the hard drive! 8. **Choose partitioning and file system**: Follow the prompts to select a suitable partition scheme (e.g., MBR or GPT) and file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, or ext4, depending on your OS). Confirm your choice and click "Confirm" or "Install." 9. **Wait for formatting to complete**: The formatting process may take a few minutes. Once done, the installer will proceed with the operating system installation. 10. **Finish the installation and reboot**: After the installation is complete, remove the USB drive and restart your computer. Now, you should be able to boot from the newly formatted hard drive. Please note that different operating systems and computers might have slightly different steps, but the above guide provides a general outline. Always back up important data before formatting, as it will result in data loss!

You can use the Partition Master tool to format your hard drive seamlessly.

Connect the bootable USB to your computer and launch Partition Master. Right-click on the target partition and select "Format". Set the parameters and click "OK". Confirm the action and proceed. Review the changes and click "Apply" to begin formatting.

2. How do I wipe my hard drive clean?

You can use DBAN or Partition Master to completely wipe your hard drive from a bootable USB. Follow Method 1 or Method 2 for detailed steps and instructions.

3. How to Wipe a Hard Drive through BIOS?

No, the BIOS is used to boot your computer. Formatting requires a bootable operating system (such as from your USB drive).