Two Easy Ways to Wipe Data from Hard Drive in Windows 11/10

There are many situations when people need to erase things from their computers and hard drives completely. When you think of wiping a hard drive, you probably think of criminals trying to hide data from the police, but that is not the only reason. Many other cases, like when you want to sell your computer or laptop, receive a new computer from work, or plain have no need for your old files.

It is also common for companies to send out spyware, worms, and trojans without your knowledge. These types of attacks often go unnoticed until it is too late. In such cases, our only option is to wipe the hard drive, which gives us a fresh start.

How to Wipe Data From Hard Drive - 2 Ways

There are mainly two ways to wipe data from your computer or laptop:

1. 1. Using a third-party data wipe software - EaseUS Partition Master
2. 2. Or, by resetting Windows PC and using the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to wipe all the data from the system.

🚀 Workable Solutions	Fix 1. Hard Drive Data Wipe Program	Fix 2. Resetting Windows PC
👩🏼‍💻 Target Users	Windows Beginners, Professionals, etc.	Advanced Windows users only
🔢 Complex Level	Easy	Medium
⏱️ Duration	10 - 30 minutes	20 - 35 minutes

The first solution allows you to wipe all the data on your computer securely so no one can restore data. This is the best way to erase sensitive information from a computer's hard drive completely. 

Wiping a hard drive is not an easy task. However, it can be done with the proper guidance and tools. For instance, you can use a data wipe program like EaseUS Partition Master to wipe a computer's hard drive. Or, you can employ the hidden power of the Windows operating system in wiping a drive.

Note: Be aware that erasing your hard drive will destroy all data stored on it, so make sure you've made a backup before you start. 

Method 1. Run Professional Data Wipe Program

EaseUS Partition Master is a multiple-use partition tool with a powerful data erase function. This program can help you get rid of all your disk data permanently by setting the number of times to wipe the hard disk. If you set the number of times to wipe the partition to 10, it will be impossible for any software to recover the data from that drive. This powerful feature also makes this tool one of the best choices for wiping out sensitive data from disks such as government databases, personal files, and so on. 

With its easy-to-use graphical user interface, it is possible to carry out various wipe operations, including volume wiping, folder wiping, file destruction, and more. Check the details here:

We've set two options for you to wipe data. Choose the one you need.

Option 1.  Wipe Partition

• Right-click the partition you want to erase data from, and choose "Wipe".
• In the new window, set the time for which you want to wipe your partition, then click "OK".
• Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the lower right corner, check the changes, then click "Apply".

Option 2. Wipe Disk

• Select the HDD/SSD. And right-click to choose "Wipe Disk".
• Set the number of times to wipe data. (You can set to 10 at most.) Then Click "OK".
• Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" and then click "Apply".

This software can reset your computer to its original factory settings by disk wiping. Besides, you can also create a new partition table on your hard drive or wipe out the partition entirely if there is no need for it. This program is made to assist users in managing their hard drives and disks.

BONUS Features You May Also Like:

Aside from supporting wiping the hard disk, you can also apply EaseUS Partition Master to fulfill more tasks, such as:

• Split large disks into smaller ones
• Repartition the hard drive to expand existing partitions.
• Migrate OS to SSD/HDD to transfer all data, including OS and applications to a new SSD or HDD without reinstalling Windows OS and apps. 

After wiping your disk, you can then use it for new purposes, such as gaming, storing data, or selling. So if you think this method is efficient and applicable, share it to help more friends around you now:

Method 2. Reset Windows PC 

Wiping a hard drive may seem unnecessary, but you should consider it before giving away, selling, or recycling an old PC. Having your personal and private information stored on a vulnerable computer can be embarrassing, as many risks are associated with leaving the data unsecured. A secure wipe of the hard drive ensures there's nothing to retrieve once the computer is disposed of. 

To Completely wipe computer by resetting Windows PC:

STEP 1.  Open the Start menu and click the "Settings" on your Windows PC. 

STEP 2.   Now from the Settings menu, Select "Update and recovery".

STEP 3.  In the left hand Windows pane, click on "Recovery." 

STEP 4.  Under the “Reset this PC “ option, Click on the "Get Started" button.

STEP 5.  A new window will appear, Click on "Remove everything."

STEP 6.  In the next step, Choose Local reinstall for faster installation.

STEP 7.  Click Next to start the resetting Windows.

How to Choose: Wipe vs. Erase vs. Shred vs. Format vs. Delete Hard Drive

Before start, do you really want to wipe a hard drive data clean, permanently, without recovery? Wiping is a commonly used word that refers to four different methods of removing data from storage devices. To wipe, shred, delete or erase a file is not the same thing at all. This is often confusing for newbies and even some experts, so I will clear this up in this post.

Wipe/ Erase: Everything Will Be Erased and Data Cannot Be Recovered

Wipe allows you to remove all traces of data from a hard drive. This completely erases sensitive information that needs to be kept private. Whether you are looking to delete cookies, clear internet history, or resetting a computer back to factory settings, wiping a hard drive will allow you to do so safely and efficiently. In other words, there's no going back once you wipe/erase. When you erase a hard drive all information on that drive is permanently deleted.

Wipe data from a hard drive removes all traces of files so that no one can recover them. This is different from simply deleting the file. In today's digital world, deleted files are easily retrieved and sometimes, they might not even appear to be deleted. Wiping hard drive data is the only method for making sure that your confidential information or any other type of important file is completely destroyed from your hard drive.

Shred: Handy for Erasing Individual Files Permanently

If you have sensitive information in files or on a hard drive, it needs to be shredded. Regardless of what you call it, shredding hard drives involves creating a unique pattern of 1's and 0's that makes the data unreadable to anyone trying to recover it with current technology. Do not attempt to destroy your data with hammer blows or bleach solutions. Using this process, we can ensure that sensitive information is deleted forever and protected against unauthorized access.

Delete/Format: Hard to Find But Removed Data Are Easy to Restore

While a hard drive can only store data, deleting/formatting a drive removes the physical space for that data. The information still exists on the hard drive, but it's hidden from the computer and cannot be accessed. However, some data recovery programs can retrieve deleted files if new data have not overwritten them.

A hard drive format deletes all data and reinitializes the drive, making it ready for use. Compare this with deleting, which only removes selected files from a hard drive. The process of formatting can be done from within most operating systems or Command Prompt in Windows. 

When you delete a file, you don't erase it. Instead, the computer automatically marks the space where the file was once located as available for use. The operating system will continue to manage this space until it is fully transparent or the file has been permanently removed from the system. The deleted file isn't actually gone—it's just not visible to you in Windows Explorer. A data recovery software can recover deleted files if necessary.

Conclusion

When it comes to secure deletion of data from a computer or laptop, there's no such thing as a standard process. The best program, in my opinion, is the one that gives you the most control over how and when you want your data erased.

EaseUS partition tool is exceptional if you want to wipe data from a computer/laptop's hard drive. Data wiping from a computer/laptop is imperative for many reasons like security, removal of important information, and unused files. EaseUS partition software helps you to carry out the process in an effortless manner. After erasing the hard drive, you can use the software to create as many partitions as possible on your computer or laptop. The software makes it very easy for users to create, delete or resize drives easily. When talking about EaseUS Partition Master, you must note that: there are not many other tools that can erase hard drive data as reliably as this one.

FAQs About Wiping Hard Drive Windows 11

Here we also collected some hot topics that are related to this issue, and if you have same doubts, follow and find answers below:

1. Will wiping a hard drive remove the Windows 11 system?

Well, it depends. If you wipe the system disk that you installed Windows 11, yes, you'll surely remove Windows 11 system with the hard drive content. However, if you wipe a second hard drive where Windows 11 is not installed, the answer will be no. Your system will be safe when you wipe a secondary hard drive with only data saved on it. 

2. Will reinstalling Windows 11 wipe everything?

No, reinstalling the Windows system will only overwrite the content on the system C drive, including your personal profile, installed programs, and settings. If you only reinstall Windows 11 on the same system partition, data saved on the non-system partitions will safe and intact. And you can continue opening and reusing the files after you reinstall Windows 11.

3. How do I wipe a computer clean and sell it?

To wipe a computer clean, you can try the following tips:

• To keep the system, you can use a data wipe software like EaseUS Partition Master to wipe data on non-system volumes and shred personal files in the C drive.
• To wipe the entire computer with OS, you can directly run EaseUS Partition Master or CMD to wipe the entire disk with simple clicks.