How to Securely Erase or Wipe an SSD in Windows 11/10

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Updated on April 22, 2024

On this page, you'll discover how to efficiently erase SSD on Windows 11/10/8/7 by yourself:

What is Secure Erase?

Secure Erase is a method used to completely wipe out data from a hard drive using specific commands. These commands write binary ones or zeros to the drive's sectors, overwrite all existing files, and as a result, data erased with Secure Erase cannot be recovered using any available data recovery techniques.

However, while they are commands, you cannot execute Secure Erase commands as you would with commands in Windows 11/10 through the Command Prompt since they are accessible from the firmware on the hard drive. Consequently, to securely erase your SSD in Windows 11/10, you'll require third-party software, such as disk wipe utilities, to assist you in executing these operations.

When Do You Need to Wipe an SSD? Solid State Drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their faster read and write speeds compared to traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). However, just like any other storage device, there may come a time when you need to wipe or erase all data from your SSD. Here are some common scenarios when wiping an SSD might be necessary: 1. **Upgrading or Selling Your Computer**: If you're upgrading to a new computer or selling your current one, it's essential to wipe the SSD to protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. 2. ** Formatting for Reuse**: If you plan on reusing the SSD in another device, formatting it will ensure a clean slate, free from any previous operating system or data. 3. **Performance Issues**: Over time, an SSD can experience performance degradation due to the accumulation of data and the writing process. Wiping the drive can help restore its optimal speed. 4. **Error Correction or Firmware Updates**: In some cases, manufacturers recommend erasing the SSD before applying error corrections or firmware updates to ensure a clean installation. 5. **Encrypting the Drive**: Before encrypting an SSD, it's good practice to wipe it first to eliminate any potential vulnerabilities or existing data that could compromise the encryption process. 6. **OS Installation or Reinstallation**: Installing a new operating system or reinstalling the current one often requires wiping the SSD to avoid conflicts with existing files and settings. 7. **Data Recovery or Testing**: If you're attempting data recovery or conducting diagnostic tests on the SSD, wiping it ensures that you start with a known state. 8. **Security Reasons**: In certain industries or for individuals with sensitive data, periodic erasure of SSDs is necessary to maintain high levels of security. To wipe an SSD, you can use various tools depending on your operating system: - **Windows**: Use the "Format" utility, Disk Management, or third-party software like DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke). - **macOS**: Utilize Disk Utility's "Erase" function. - **Linux**: Use the `dd` command or tools like GParted. Always remember to backup any important data before wiping an SSD, as the process is irreversible and will result in permanent loss of data.

When do you need to perform a secure erase on an SSD? A secure erase on an SSD is necessary when you want to:

1. Resell the SSD: Before reselling a storage device like an SSD, it's essential to erase all data to prevent unauthorized access to your files. 2. Prepare the SSD for another user: To safeguard your information, you might need to delete all files on the storage device before passing it on. 3. Clean up SSD for alternative purposes: To reuse the SSD for installing an operating system, using it as a game drive, or as a secondary data disk, you'll need to clear its contents. 4. Remove viruses or malware from the SSD: If your SSD has been infected with a virus or malware, securely erasing it can help completely eliminate the threat.

# How to Wipe SSD in Windows 11/10 ## Introduction Wiping an SSD (Solid State Drive) in Windows 11 or 10 is a process that involves completely erasing all data and restoring it to its original, factory settings. This can be useful for various reasons, such as preparing the SSD for resale, troubleshooting issues, or ensuring complete data deletion for security purposes. In this guide, we will walk you through several methods to safely and effectively wipe your SSD on a Windows 11 or 10 computer. ## Method 1: Using Disk Management 1. **Access Disk Management**: Press `Win + X` and select "Disk Management" from the menu. 2. **Identify your SSD**: Locate your SSD in the list of disks, usually labeled as "Drive 0" or "Drive 1." 3. **Shrink the Volume**: Right-click on the SSD's partition and choose "Shrink Volume." Follow the prompts to free up space. 4. **Create a New Partition**: Right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume." Follow the wizard to create a new partition. 5. **Format the Partition**: Right-click on the new partition and choose "Format." Select the file system (NTFS is recommended), allocation unit size, and give it a label. Click "OK" to format. 6. **Confirm Data Wipe**: A warning will appear. Confirm that you want to proceed with formatting. ## Method 2: Using Command Prompt 1. **Open Command Prompt**: Type "cmd" in the search bar, right-click "Command Prompt," and choose "Run as administrator." 2. **List Disks**: Type `diskpart` and press Enter. Then type `list disk` and press Enter to view the available disks. 3. **Select the SSD**: Type `select disk X`, replacing "X" with the number of your SSD. 4. **Clean the Disk**: Type `clean` and press Enter to erase all partitions and data on the SSD. 5. **Create a New Partition**: Type `create partition primary` and press Enter. 6. **Format the Partition**: Type `format fs=ntfs quick label="New Volume"` and press Enter. Replace "New Volume" with your desired volume label. 7. **Exit DiskPart and Command Prompt**: Type `exit` twice to close both windows. ## Method 3: Using Third-Party Tools There are several third-party tools available for securely wiping SSDs, such as DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) or CCleaner. These tools provide advanced options for data sanitization, but be cautious when using them, as they permanently delete all data without a chance of recovery. ## Conclusion Wiping your SSD in Windows 11/10 is a straightforward process using either built-in utilities or third-party software. Always ensure you have backed up any important data before proceeding, as these methods will permanently delete all information on the SSD. Once wiped, your SSD will be ready for a fresh installation of the operating system or any other purpose you have in mind.

Follow the steps in this section to securely erase your SSD and prepare it for any of the aforementioned purposes:

1. #1st. Download SSD Secure Erase Tool to Wipe SSD
2. #2nd. Wipe and Erase SSD in Windows 11/10
Translation:
3. #1st. Download the SSD Secure Erase Utility to Wipe SSD
4. #2nd. Wipe and Erase SSD on Windows 11/10

We recommend that you follow the tutorials in this section one by one. If you don't have any essential data saved on your SSD, skip the first guide and begin with the second guide.

#1. Download the SSD Secure Erase Tool to Wipe SSD on Windows 11/10

Professional partition tool - BitWiper can assist you in securely erasing and wiping an SSD in Windows 11/10. It thoroughly cleans the SSD, making data irrecoverable with ease. This disk/partition management utility features a "Wipe Data" function, which operates similarly to Secure Erase commands.

"Wipe Data" vs Secure Erase Commands

Both the "Wipe Data" function and the Secure Erase command erase your data by overwriting all the data on your SSD. However, the Wipe Data feature in BitWiper surpasses the Secure Erase command:

Here are the translations for the provided language segments: 1. Secure Erase writes binary 1 or 0 to the disk sectors while "Wipe Data" writes random numbers. Secure Erase writes either a binary 1 or 0 to the disk sectors, whereas "Wipe Data" overwrites with random numbers. 2. Wipe Data doesn't damage the SSD, while the Secure Erase command will. Wipe Data does not harm the SSD, whereas the Secure Erase command might. 3. Wipe Data in tools like BitWiper is easier than Secure Erase, which is especially friendly to beginners. Using Wipe Data in tools such as BitWiper is more user-friendly and simpler than the Secure Erase process, making it ideal for beginners.

Get the software to erase SSD instantly on Windows 11/10:

#2nd. Simple Steps to Wipe an SSD in Windows 11/10

These changes cannot be undone. If you have important data saved on the SSD, back it up first.

Step 1. Run BitWiper. Click the "Wipe Disk" tab.

Step 2. Select the targeted HDD or SSD to wipe.

Important: Make sure you've selected the correct HDD or SSD. Once the erase process begins, your data will be irretrievably lost.

Step 3. Choose Wiping Method and click "Next".

Select a suitable wiping method. Recommended: Secure Erase!

Step 4. Check the warning message and tap "Wipe" to confirm.

Step 5. Wait for the erasing process to complete and then tap on "Done".

Beware that once the process is executed using BitWiper, the data will become irrecoverable by any data recovery software or service! Wait for the process to finish, and then you can utilize the wiped SSD as a new drive for installing a new operating system, games, or even sell it online.

You might also be interested in: How to Install a New HDD/SSD on Windows 11/10/8/7.

The Bottom Line

There are various reasons why people might want to wipe or erase an SSD (solid-state drive). Erasing an SSD can sanitize the drive, ensuring that any viruses or malware are no longer hidden within it.

Besides, wiping an SSD helps to recover lost performance on systems with inefficient garbage collection. But unlike a traditional hard drive disk (HDD), there are not so many tools that can wipe SSD drive. Here to save your time and efforts, we recommend you try a disk wipe software, a secure erase utility that does work with SSD drives.

"What is Secure Erase for SSD and how does it work?"

You can securely and thoroughly erase your SSD in Windows 11/10 using the tool BitWiper, ensuring that all content is removed, including personal data, viruses, and malware. If you have additional questions about securely erasing an SSD, review the frequently asked questions and answers below for a satisfactory answer.

< strong > 1. Does Secure Erase damage SSD? < /strong > No, Secure Erase is a safe and effective method to erase data from an SSD. It's a built-in function designed by the manufacturer to reset the drive to its original state, eliminating all data without causing any harm to the solid-state drive. However, it's crucial to ensure that you're using a reliable tool or software for the process.

As explained on this page, Secure Erase is a process that runs commands from the firmware to wipe disk data, writing binary one or zero to the hard drive at a sector level.

This will render the data on the SSD irretrievable, and the process of writing 0s and 1s may also cause some damage to the disk. To safeguard your SSD, we recommend using a third-party disk erasing tool like BitWiper for assistance.

2. How can I prevent data loss when securely erasing an SSD?

As we advise, to prevent data loss during an SSD wipe, it's crucial to back up all important data to another device beforehand. You can use a tool like Todo Backup to create a backup image of your SSD data with these steps:

Step 1. Click "Select backup contents" to start a backup.

Step 2. There are four data backup categories: File, Disk, OS, and Mail. Click File.

Step 3. Local and network files will be displayed on the left side. You may extend the directory to choose which files to back up.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the location where you want to save the backup.

Click “Options” to encrypt the backup with a password in “Backup Options,” and to set up a backup schedule and choose to initiate a backup at a certain event in “Backup Scheme.” There are a variety of other customization options available for the backup process.

Step 5. You can save the backup to a local disk, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step 6. Todo Backup allows users to back up data to a third-party cloud drive or its own cloud drive.

If you want to back up data to a third-party cloud drive, choose Local Drive, scroll down to add Cloud Device, add your account, and then log in.

You can also save backups to the tool's cloud storage service. Click Todo Cloud, sign up for a Todo Account, and log in.

Step 7. Click "Backup Now" to start the backup. When the backup is complete, it will appear as a card on the left panel. Right-click a backup job to manage it further.

To securely erase an SSD and make the drive clean, you'll need a professional disk wiping tool for assistance. As suggested on this page, BitWiper is a tool capable of helping you.

< strong > 3. How do I securely erase Samsung SSD?

To erase a Samsung SSD, you can either refer to the steps outlined above to complete the process, or you can follow this quick guide to get it done:

#1. Backup useful data on Samsung SSD to another device.

#2. Download a reliable wipe tool to securely erase Samsung SSD.

Here, you can try tools like BitWiper, or other wiping utilities such as Samsung Magician SSD Tool, SanDisk SSD Dashboard, etc.

#3. Securely erase and wipe Samsung SSD using the chosen wipe tool.