5 Best Free Programs to Wipe Hard Drive Securely in Windows 11/10

Anne

Updated on Aug. 15, 2024


Position: Resource - Disk Utilities - 5 Best Free Programs to Wipe Hard Drive Securely in Windows 11/10

Wiping a hard drive is an essential process for anyone looking to ensure their data is completely erased, either for privacy reasons or to prepare the drive for reuse. Whether you're donating your old computer, selling it, or just want to start fresh, using reliable tools to wipe your hard drive can give you peace of mind that your personal information won't be recoverable. In this article, we'll explore hard drive wipe software to help you with this task.

What does wiping a hard drive mean? Wiping a hard drive goes beyond simply deleting files. When you delete a file from computer hard drive or other storage devices, the deleted file is not truly erased. The operating system just marks the disk space occupied by the deleted file as available for storing new data. The deleted file can be recovered using various data recovery tools before the disk space is taken by other data (the deleted file is overwritten). Wiping a hard drive involves the overwriting the hard drive space with zeros or random characters, ensuring existing data and deleted data cannot be recovered, and thus protecting privacy and data security.

When and why do we need hard drive eraser software? Wiping a hard drive has several advantages and is useful in various scenarios:

  • To ensure that personal or sensitive data is completely erased and prevent unauthorized data recovery.
  • To prepare a hard drive or computer for resale or donation, permanently wiping the hard drive data protects your personal information from being accessed by future users.
  • To remove virus and malware. A thorough disk wiping can help permanently remove viruses and malware that regular antivirus software can't eliminate.
  • To remove bad sectors. The hard drive erasing process writes zeros to every sector on the drive, which can remove logical bad sectors on the drive.
  • To start fresh. The disk wiping can also give you a clean drive, after which you can reinstall the operating system without any leftover files or settings from the past.

Next, we'll list 5 best free programs to securely erase hard drive data in Windows 11/10:


Disk wiping software #1: Windows File Explorer

File Explorer is a built-in file management application in Windows. While it doesn't offer advanced wiping features, it can be used to securely erase files by performing a slow format.



Pros:

Cons:
  • Pre-installed on all Windows operating systems.
  • Easy to use with a familiar interface.
  • Wipe a single partition each time.
  • Cannot wipe the system drive while Windows is running.


How to securely wipe data in Windows File Explorer:

Step 1. Open Windows File Explorer, right-click on the drive you want to wipe and choose "Format" from the context menu.

Step 2. Select a proper file system for the drive and uncheck the "Quick Format" option.

Step 3. Click "Start" to begin the formatting process. This will overwrite the data on the drive, making it much harder to recover.

program to wipe hard drive


Disk wiping software #2: Windows Disk Management

Disk Management is a Windows utility that allows users to manage disk drives and partitions. It can format drives, which is a basic form of wiping.


Pros:

Cons:
  • Integrated into Windows, no need for additional software.
  • Simple interface for basic tasks.
  • Wipe a single partition each time.
  • Lacks advanced wiping options.


Wipe a hard drive via slow formatting it in Disk Management:

Step 1. Open Disk Management by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Disk Management."

Step 2. Right-click the drive you want to format and select "Format."

Step 3. Choose the file system and uncheck the "Perform a quick format" option to perform a full format.

program to wipe hard drive

Step 4. Click "OK" to start the formatting process.

program to wipe hard drive

Disk wiping software #3: DiskGenius Free Edition

DiskGenius is a comprehensive disk management software that provides a range of features including partition management, data recovery, and disk cloning. One of its key features is its ability to securely wipe data from hard drives.


Pros:

Cons:
  • It can wipe an entire hard drive, SSD, memory card, or USB drive.
  • It can wipe a specified partition.
  • It can wipe free space only without affecting existing data.
  • It can permanently specified files.
  • It does not have a Mac version.








Here's the step-by-step guide to wipe an entire disk using DiskGenius Free Edition.

Step 1. Launch the program and select the drive you want to wipe. Then click "Tools" – "Erase Sectors".

program to wipe hard drive

Step 2. Select the wiping method and click the "Erase" button to start the process.

You can choose characters to overwrite data on the drive, such as zeros, hex data, random data, etc. Every sector on the selected disk will be overwritten by the specified character, and everything, including the partition table, will be permanently erased. This means that after the disk wiping process is complete, the disk will contain only unallocated space.

program to wipe hard drive

How to completely wipe a hard drive including OS? If you want to wipe the system hard drive/ SSD including the operating system, you can run the WinPE version of DiskGenius on a USB drive, after which the "Erase Sectors" feature can be executed on the system disk.

The video guide to wipe a hard drive completely in Windows:




Disk wiping software #4: Diskpart Commands

DiskPart is a command-line utility in Windows for disk partitioning and management. It can be used to clean and wipe drives.


Pros:

Cons:
  • More powerful and flexible than Disk Management.
  • Can perform complete wipes.
  • Command-line interface can be intimidating for beginners.
  • Risk of data loss if commands are used incorrectly.


Steps to wipe a disk using DiskPart commands:

Step 1. Launch Command Prompt as an administrator. Then type diskpart and press Enter.

Step 2. Execute following commands and press Enter key after each command.

List disk (This command will list all disks on the drive and each disk is marked with a number)
Select disk # (replace # with the number of the disk you want to erase)
Clean


Disk wiping software #5: Factory reset

Factory Reset is a feature available on many devices that restores the system to its original state. Moreover, this can effectively wipe the drive.


Pros:

Cons:
  • Easy to use and often automated.
  • Resets all system settings and removes all personal data.
  • Entire system is reset, which may not be desirable in all situations.




Here are steps to reset a Windows 10 PC:

Step 1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. Under "Reset this PC," click "Get started."

Step 2. Choose "Remove everything" for a complete wipe.

program to wipe hard drive

Step 3. Select "Remove files and clean the drive" if you want to wipe everything on the computer. After this, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

program to wipe hard drive

Conclusion

Wiping a hard drive is crucial for protecting your data and preparing your device for a new user. Each tool discussed offers different levels of functionality, from basic file deletion to thorough wiping. By choosing the right tool for your needs and following the steps outlined, you can ensure your data is securely and permanently erased.


FAQs

1. What is the best way to completely wipe a hard drive?

The best way to completely wipe a hard drive is to use a dedicated disk wiping tool that overwrites the data multiple times. Programs like DiskGenius, DBAN, and DiskPart (using the clean all command) are excellent choices as they offer multiple passes, making it extremely difficult to recover any data.

2. How to completely erase an SSD?

To completely erase an SSD, you should use tools that support secure erase or similar functionality, which is specifically designed for SSDs. Many SSD manufacturers provide their own utilities for this purpose, but third-party tools like DiskGenius or the built-in clean all command in DiskPart can also be effective.

3. Is there a way to completely wipe a hard drive?

Yes, there are several ways to completely wipe a hard drive. Using built-in tools like DiskPart or third-party software like DiskGenius and DBAN can effectively wipe a hard drive by overwriting all the data multiple times, ensuring it cannot be recovered.

4. Is DBAN still free?

DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) free. It is a popular tool for securely wiping hard drives by overwriting data multiple times. However, it's important to note that DBAN is no longer actively maintained, so newer alternatives like DiskGenius might offer better compatibility and features.

5. What is the best tool to erase a hard drive?

The best tool to erase a hard drive depends on your specific needs. For most users, DiskGenius is an excellent choice due to its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface. For those comfortable with command-line tools, DiskPart is very powerful.


Featured articles



Was This Page Helpful?

10

DiskGenius

DiskGenius Standard Edition

DiskGenius is a one-stop solution to recover lost data, manage partitions, and back up data in Windows.

Download
Copyright © 2010-2024 Eassos Ltd. All Rights Reserved.