How To Wipe A SSD Clean In 2023
Step 1: Back Up Your Data
Before wiping your solid-state drive clean, it is important to back up all of your important files and data to an external storage device or cloud storage. This will ensure that your data is safe and secure in case of any data loss during the wiping process.
Step 2: Securely Erase Your Data
Once your data is backed up, you can securely erase your data from the solid-state drive. To do this, you can use a secure erase tool such as DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke), or you can use the built-in secure erase tool in your operating system. This will ensure that all of your personal data is securely erased and cannot be recovered.
Step 3: Wipe Free Space
Once you have securely erased all of your data, it is important to wipe the free space on the drive. This will ensure that any residual data that was left behind is securely erased and cannot be recovered. To do this, you can use a tool such as Eraser or Ccleaner.
Step 4: Format The SSD
Once the free space has been wiped, you can format the solid-state drive. This will ensure that the drive is clean and ready to be used again. To do this, you can use the built-in formatting tool in your operating system or you can use a third-party formatting tool such as EaseUS Partition Master.
Step 5: Overwrite The Entire Drive
The final step in wiping a solid-state drive is to overwrite the entire drive with random data. This will ensure that all of the data on the drive is completely wiped and cannot be recovered. To do this, you can use a tool such as Hard Disk Wipe or [email protected]
As CNET states, “The best way to securely wipe a solid-state drive is to use a tool such as DBAN to erase all of the data, then use a tool such as Eraser or Ccleaner to wipe the free space, then use a tool such as EaseUS Partition Master to format the drive, and then use a tool such as Hard Disk Wipe or [email protected] to overwrite the entire drive with random data.”
Conclusion
Wiping a solid-state drive clean is a necessary process to ensure that all of your personal data and files are securely erased and cannot be recovered. To do this, you must back up your data, securely erase your data, wipe the free space, format the drive, and then overwrite the entire drive.