Flick this scenario: you're selling your computer, so you want to wipe all your personal information---just y'all likewise desire to leave Windows intact.

Merely deleting your personal files isn't enough, unfortunately. With the right tools, someone could recover your data. Y'all need to securely wipe the hard drive to brand sure no personal data traces remain.

So, how practice you wipe a hard bulldoze clean while leaving the operating system intact?

Always Securely Wipe Your Drives Earlier Selling

You should ever wipe your drives before giving abroad hardware, also. If yous don't wipe your drives, you're handing personal data to the person purchasing your estimator.

The difficulty is that fifty-fifty if yous delete your personal data, information technology nevertheless lingers on the difficult bulldoze considering of how file deletion works in Windows.

You meet, when you lot delete a file, it doesn't disappear into the ether. The computer marks the area the file occupied equally usable, meaning it is available for some other file to overwrite it in the future. In turn, this means files you delete using regular methods may remain accessible even if they don't appear in the File Explorer or otherwise.

If y'all're getting rid of a PC and don't want people to admission your sensitive data, you must deeply wipe your drive.

The procedure of "wiping" refers to overwriting all sectors on your difficult drive, replacing the content of the bulldoze with zeroes or gibberish information. The process removes any data waiting for deletion, including that which tertiary-party software could recover.

Can You Securely Wipe an SSD?

Before you lot start obliterating your hard drive, consider what type of drive you have. If you take a magnetic spinning disk hard drive, yous can proceed to the secure wipe methods below.

However, if you accept an SSD, you need to read our short guide on how to erase an SSD deeply.

That is because of the difference in how a magnetic hard bulldoze and a solid-state drive shop data. If you utilise a solid-country drive, Windows will turn on the TRIM feature automatically.

TRIM manages your SSD, making certain files delete properly, ensuring the flash memory wears in an efficient and consistent manner.

Using a bulldoze-wiping tool on an SSD isn't a great thought. Wiping an SSD will reduce the lifespan of the drive due to the additional article of clothing and tear.

How to Wipe a Hard Drive Without Deleting Windows

There are a few methods you can use to erase your data from the drive while leaving the operating system intact.

1. Use Windows 10 Reset This PC

One of the easiest options for wiping a drive clean and leaving your operating arrangement intact is congenital into Windows. The Windows Reset this PC option will reinstall Windows 10, deleting your personal data in the process.

Once the procedure completes, you'll have a fresh Windows to installation, without whatever personal data on the bulldoze.

windows 10 reset this pc

Please notation: This process will wipe your data. Brand sure to dorsum up any important data to a separate location.

How to Reset Windows 10

Get-go upwards, you need to reset Windows ten.

Press Windows Key + I, type recovery in the search bar, and select Reset this PC.

Next, select Remove everything, then Remove files and clean the bulldoze. The Windows 10 reset function tin take a while to consummate, but it will make sure in that location is no chance for anyone to recover data from your drive.

When the alert appears, select Reset and let the process complete.

2. Completely Wipe the Drive, then Reinstall Windows

The 2d selection is to completely wipe your drive of all data, including the operating system, then reinstall Windows. The process is less than ideal and takes some time, but it does get out you with an entirely personal data gratuitous-drive, and a fresh installation of Windows x.

Y'all need ii things to consummate this process: a re-create of DBAN (Darik'southward Boot and Nuke), and a copy of Windows 10 to install after wiping the drive.

Choose a method to securely wipe your HDD

Please note: This process will delete all data on your drive. It will not be recoverable.

  1. Create Windows Installation Media. Commencement, check out how to create Windows 10 installation media. It covers how to download and employ the Windows Media Creation tool, also equally how to install Windows 10 to a bootable USB or DVD.
  2. Burn DBAN to Bootable Media. One time yous finish creating your Windows 10 installation media, check out how to completely wipe a drive. The third section covers "How to Totally Wipe a Hard Bulldoze with DBAN," and will guide you through the media creation process and how to apply DBAN to wipe your drive deeply.
  3. Reinstall Windows x. Once the DBAN process completes and your bulldoze is sparkly clean, you can reinstall Windows 10. Follow our guide on how to install Windows 10 from a bootable drive, and y'all'll take a fresh installation in no time at all.

As mentioned, this is a lengthy process. It does, however, ensure that there is absolutely no chance of anyone retrieving private data from your old hard drive.

3. Use CCleaner Drive Wipe to Erase Blank Infinite

Your tertiary option is to utilize CCleaner's Drive Wipe pick to zero out blank space on your drive. Bulldoze Wipe will permanently delete the links to erstwhile file locations on your drive but just runs in free areas. You can copy your data to another drive (or delete it), and then delete your information.

  1. Download and install CCleaner.
  2. Once installed, head to Tools > Bulldoze Wiper.
  3. Select Free Space Just, how many passes y'all want (how many times you want to overwrite the data), and the drive on which you want the process to run.
  4. When you're set up, printing Wipe. The process can have a few minutes.

Using CCleaner is the least constructive method for cleaning your bulldoze. The process will sever whatever links to your erstwhile information. Nevertheless, if you haven't uninstalled existing programs, application files, program files, and then on, links could remain.

Download: CCleaner for Windows ten (Gratuitous)

Deeply Wipe Your Drive Earlier Selling

You should always wipe your data before you sell or give away your estimator. Even if you know the person you're giving the hardware to, you don't know what they will practise with the computer when they stop using it. Your data could still lurk on the drive for a long time.

Of course, if y'all are not worried about the operating system remaining intact, you lot can follow the guide on how to use DBAN without reinstalling the operating system afterwards.

Are you wondering virtually how to clean upward your Mac rather than a Windows arrangement? Check out how to erase and restore a Mac to mill settings.

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Gavin Phillips (1047 Articles Published)

Gavin is the Inferior Editor for Technology Explained, a regular contributor to the Really Useful Podcast, and a frequent product reviewer. He has a caste in Contemporary Writing pillaged from the hills of Devon, and more than than a decade of professional person writing experience. He enjoys copious amounts of tea, lath games, and football.

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