Do you want to remove Windows 10? Remove Windows 10 and install Ubuntu? or simply want to remove everything from the hard drive including the operating system and give away the hard drive? You're in the right place
This page will guide through how to empty and clean a hard drive with Windows 10 installed. We'll use different methods to empty the disk, methods are listed below:
Tip: The Go back to Windows 7 option is a temporary setting only available for a month after upgrading to Windows 10, after when we'll have to seek another solution. This option is easy to find if you just upgraded Windows: press the Start button and click the Gear icon and click Update and Security and click the Recovery option and then click the Go back to Windows 7 option to remove Windows 10
Insert the boot disk into a USB port and reboot the machine. Wipe the hard drive. When the boot screen loads up, press Enter and choose M to get to the method screen. From here you can choose the type of wipe to perform. Nov 20, 2020 Erasing Data From Your Hard Drive. To erase data, it must be overwritten. This is commonly called wiping or shredding. The method used to erase data securely must be measured against the sensitivity of the data and the likelihood of an attempt to recover the data.
We can't remove Windows with Windows, neither in the Disk Management tool nor the diskpart command prompt tool, neither the delete operation nor the format command, but we can remove the system when it's not running (actually, we can remove it even when it's running, will talk about that later)
Remove Windows with the installation media
Windows 10 installation media is not only capable of installing the system, but also came with the format and delete operations, which are good enough to ensure data empty, but not clean, formatted / deleted drive still have residue for data recovery programs, but if all we want is to remove Windows and reinstall another operating system, it's Fine.
In the screenshot above you can see there are many options available:
- Refresh
- Delete
- Format
- New
- Load driver
- Extend
The Delete and Format options are grayed out right now, that's because the disk is now unallocated space, which the status the disk should be after deleting, so if the disk is showing as 'Disk 0' and both the format, delete options are active, you can use this method to remove previous installed Windows 10
Alternatively, you can use the diskpart command prompt method to remove C Drive, just press Shift+F10 to bring diskpart up and type
- - list volume
- - select volume c
- - delete
Directly Wipe out Windows 10
The delete method requires to shut down the computer and insert the installation media, is useful when the disk would be reinstalled to a new system. Sometimes there are situations that we'd like to replace the old hard drive with a new one, we'd like to upgrade the hard drive, then give away the old one after it's clean.
Deleted drive can be recovered but wiped drive can't be, although there's nothing sensitive info in the system drive and people normally don't store personal files on system partition, system drive will still have traces left, to prevent data leakage and ensure data safe, Wipe Windows 10, wipe the entire hard drive is essential.
Data Wiper is the program we're about to use for this task, although we have alternative solutions to remove Windows clean, this is indeed the most convenient one - it can directly wipe system drive without any bootable media, you don't have to reboot and change the BIOS settings either, here are the steps:
- Run Data Wiper (the installation edition or the portable edition, both are in the same package)
- In the first section (marked as ‘1') click the Entire drive/disk option
- In the second section (marked as ‘2') choose a wiping method (from the listed 6 kinds of schemes)
- In the third section (you guessed it, marked as ‘3') click on the system drive to activate the Wipe Now button
- Then click the Wipe Now and confirm
Remove Windows 10 from dual boot
Data Wiper can also be used on dual boot system, say if you have Windows 7 and Windows 10 dual boot on different disks, download Data Wiper to the Windows 7 disk and run the program, we can simply remove the Windows 10 disk with the following steps:
- Click on the option Entire disk / drive option
- Click on the disk (the disk icon) and click Wipe Now
- Confirm and type the keyword
wipeto wipe the Windows 10 disk
This time we applied the default Fill will zero method, you can switch it to others, but using one-pass overwriting is enough to make sure data clean if you don't have data cleaning policy to follow
This method is also used you wipe another disk, the disk you plug out from the computer you'd like to donate or give away, normally Windows won't allow us to remove itself if we don't use a bootable CD/DVD, but we can plug out the hard drive and connect it to another computer, using its OS to wipe out another.
Related:
Do you really need to remove Windows 10?
Windows 10 now, to be honest, has more features than Windows 7, if you're a heavy office worker (developers, designers, etc), Windows 10 will speed up the work efficiency and productivity, with the following settings you can:
- Customize your Start menu
- Learn keyboard shortcuts
- Spend time getting to know Cortana
- Automatically free up space (storage sense)
- Make use of virtual desktops
- Easily save and print PDFs
- Snap many APPs
- Use your PC as a tablet
Read more Windows 10 tips here
BTW, Windows 10 1809 is now rolling out, you can either click the Check for updates button or use the official update assistant, which has more features and practical functions
When the hard drive is in use, it is home to a wide variety of information including your credit card numbers, personal details, confidential files and a lot more. When the hard drive is no longer needed, most people simply put it away after formatting thinking their data is safe. But, even when you format the drive, it continues to keep the data in its sectors. This data cannot be read normally by a computer, but there are special recovery tools to recover it. This is why it is extremely important to destroy the hard disk (or the data) completely. In this guide we will learn how to destroy a hard drive.
This method is also used you wipe another disk, the disk you plug out from the computer you'd like to donate or give away, normally Windows won't allow us to remove itself if we don't use a bootable CD/DVD, but we can plug out the hard drive and connect it to another computer, using its OS to wipe out another.
Related:
Do you really need to remove Windows 10?
Windows 10 now, to be honest, has more features than Windows 7, if you're a heavy office worker (developers, designers, etc), Windows 10 will speed up the work efficiency and productivity, with the following settings you can:
- Customize your Start menu
- Learn keyboard shortcuts
- Spend time getting to know Cortana
- Automatically free up space (storage sense)
- Make use of virtual desktops
- Easily save and print PDFs
- Snap many APPs
- Use your PC as a tablet
Read more Windows 10 tips here
BTW, Windows 10 1809 is now rolling out, you can either click the Check for updates button or use the official update assistant, which has more features and practical functions
When the hard drive is in use, it is home to a wide variety of information including your credit card numbers, personal details, confidential files and a lot more. When the hard drive is no longer needed, most people simply put it away after formatting thinking their data is safe. But, even when you format the drive, it continues to keep the data in its sectors. This data cannot be read normally by a computer, but there are special recovery tools to recover it. This is why it is extremely important to destroy the hard disk (or the data) completely. In this guide we will learn how to destroy a hard drive.
Method 1: Destroy the Hard Drive Physically
If you want to destroy the hard drive completely, you could use the physical force to achieve your goal. This simply means you can obliterate the hard disk literally. Now, there are several ways to do it. But, not all the options are favourable to the environment or your health.
1. Burn Your Hard Drive
One of the ways is to burn the hard drive completely. This will ensure that every form of data saved on it is removed. No one will be able to recover it. But, the problem is that when hard drive burns it releases toxins in the air. You will not want to breathe the toxins or diffuse them in the environment.
2. Hammer The Hard Disk
The other option is to hammer the hard disk to the point where it is completely crushed and cannot be recovered. But, that's not exactly a very foolproof plan. If someone really wants to retrieve the data and they are able to lay the hands on the pieces, they might be able to put some of them back together and pull out the information.
How old is call of duty modern warfare. 3. You can immerse the drive in hydrochloric acid but that would also release many toxins. These toxins are not good for your health and environment.
If you don't like this method, here is what you can do.
Method 2: Make Sure Drive's Platter Doesn't Spin Physically
If you want to make sure that your hard drive is completely unrecoverable once it is out of use, you need to make sure that the platter doesn't spin any more. Magnetic platter inside the hard drive must be destroyed for this purpose. What you need is a T7 marked screwdriver to open all the screws you can. You should be able to detach the primary circuit board from the drive.
But, to open the enclosure the use of screwdriver will not be sufficient. You will need a hammer. Use the hammer to strike on the enclosure on all sides one by one. Make sure you wear an eye protection as small pieces may jump out of the enclosure as you strike them.
When the enclosure starts to come out, pull it out with your hands. It should be easy to get it out. Now, remove the round, silver platter from the enclosure. Beat up the platter so that it is completely destroyed.
Warning: Be very careful during this process and do not forget to wear eye protection.
Method 3: Destroy Your Hard Drive with SafeWiper for Disk (Zero Recovery)
You can destroy the hard drive physically and make sure the data is irretrievable. But, physical process requires plenty of effort and there is considerable risk. Various parts of the drive can go flying when you hit it with hammer. Some older drives even contain glass components. what about formatting? Unfortunately, formatting a hard drive won't erase the data sectors, it just remove the data storage position, it does not actually overwrite the data.
So, what are your choices?
Thankfully, there is SafeWiper for Disk, which takes all the hassles away. You no longer need to destroy the hard drive physically. How does this program work work? Well, on the outside the process looks very simple. This incredible tool overwrites your hard drive multiple times so that all the existing data is completely untraceable and unrecoverable. The old data is overwritten with garbage data. While it looks very simple, it has taken lots of efforts to write the effective algorithm for this program. It follows the same standards as the U.S. Defence to completely wipe the data and make the deleted files unrecoverable.
Safewiper for Disk - Permanently Wipe Your Data
- Completely erase everything from hard drive, external hard drive, USB, memory card, files and folders.
- Permanently wipes data on partitions and disk volumes with advanced wiping algorithm which overwrites your data up to 35 times.
- Uses advanced algorithms (Dod 5220-22.M, US Army, Peter Guttman) to 100% completely wipe data.
- Supports all popular Windows file systems, NTFS, Fat, Fat32.
Step 1 Download and Install the Program on Your Computer, Run It.
First of all, download the SafeWiper for Disk on your computer, install. Connect your hard drive to computer and run the program. You will see the main windows like below.
Step 2 Select Wiping Method
In the program, there are four options for your choice, each option is targeted for different wiping demand. Here, to destroy your hard drive, you should select the second one - 'Wipe Partition/Device'. Then click the 'Settings' button to select the right wiping method, the more wiping times you choose, the more time it will take.
Wipe My Hard Drive Clean
Step 3 Start to Destroy Your Hard Disk
When everything is OK, click the 'Erase' button, you will be asked to confirm the wiping operation. If you click 'Continue', then the wiping process will be performed and will take some time.
How To I Wipe My Hard Drive Without
While it is true that you can destroy the hard drive physically, it is not always a safe choice. Not only it can affect your health directly, pollute the environment, but also still get the risks of data recovery. This is why it is best to use SafeWiper Drive Wipe, which removes every bit of data from the old hard drive.
