Deleting files or emptying the Recycle Bin does not truly erase data. If you are selling, donating, recycling, or handing off a drive, use a real wipe so personal files cannot be easily recovered.
This guide covers internal and external hard drives and SSDs used with Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Does This Affect You?
Use Reset this PC when the drive stays inside the computer. Use DiskPart for a second internal drive, external drive, or USB drive. For SSDs, prefer the manufacturer’s secure erase tool when available.
Reset the PC and Remove Everything
- Open Settings > System > Recovery.
- Click Reset PC.
- Choose Remove everything.
- Choose Local reinstall or Cloud download.
- Open additional settings and turn on Clean data. This overwrites data instead of only deleting files.
- Confirm and let the process finish. A full clean can take hours.
Wipe a Non-System Drive with DiskPart
This erases the selected disk. Slow down and confirm the disk number before running the wipe.
- Connect the drive you want to wipe. Do not select the drive Windows is running from.
- Press Windows key + R, type
diskpart, and approve the prompt. - Run
list diskand identify the correct disk by size. - Run
select disk X, replacing X with the correct disk number. - Run
clean all. This overwrites the whole disk and can take several hours. - Close DiskPart. If you plan to reuse the drive, open Disk Management and create a new volume.
The shorter clean command is not a secure wipe. It removes partition information but can leave recoverable data behind.
Encrypt Before Wiping for Extra Protection
- Turn on BitLocker for the drive if available and let encryption finish.
- Then use Reset this PC or DiskPart as appropriate.
- If a wipe is interrupted, remaining data is still encrypted and much harder to recover.
Before You Hand It Over
Use SSD Secure Erase When Possible
SSDs handle data differently than hard drives. Use the SSD maker’s secure erase tool when available, such as tools from Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, and other drive brands.
Sign Out and Deauthorize
Before wiping, sign out of accounts, deactivate paid software licenses, and remove the PC from account.microsoft.com/devices if it is linked to you.
Physical Destruction
For extremely sensitive data on a drive you will recycle rather than sell, physical destruction is an option. For most home users, a proper secure wipe is enough.
Verify the Result
After wiping, boot once to confirm you see a clean Windows setup screen or unallocated space instead of your old account and files.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Reset your PC
- Microsoft Learn: DiskPart clean command reference
- Microsoft Support: Before you sell or give away your PC