If you are trying to get rid of your computer, chances are that it will contain some sensitive information on it.
For example:
What you want to do is wipe your hard drive clean, and this tutorial will show you how to do it.
Right click on the hard drive partition you want to wipe and select the Format... option.
You don't want to wipe the partition with Windows installed on, because that would delete windows as well. Nor would Windows allow you to format that partition. So choose a partition that Windows is not installed on.
For the Windows partition, we'll reset it later.
Select NTFS file system and make sure the checkbox for Quick Format is deselected. Then click Start to start formatting. This will take a while.
After you are done, everything on the partition will be wiped clean. Do this for every partition you want to wipe.
To be certain, format the partitions 3 times each.
Select the Recovery menu item from the side bar menu and click the Get started button under the Reset this PC section.
In the Reset this PC wizard, choose Remove everything.
In the next screen, choose Remove files and clean the drive.
After that, just follow the wizard if the process doesn't start. If the process starts, you would be logged off, and Windows would start to reset the hard drive. It will take a while to finish.
After it's finished, you would have a fresh Windows and your personal files would be wiped from the Windows partition.
But if you are really worried about the data, then I would suggest to puncture some holes in your hard drive rendering it unusable and then throw it away.
The same principle applies to smart phones: make sure you wipe the data clean before selling it!
For example:
- employment and payroll records
- family and holiday photos
- business documents
- visa applications
- resumes and job applications
- lists of passwords
- passport and driver's license scans
- tax documents
- bank statements
- sexualized content of you or someone you know
What you want to do is wipe your hard drive clean, and this tutorial will show you how to do it.
Note that this article only covers Windows 10.
How to Wipe HDD
Old fashioned HDDs can be easily wiped using Windows's own functionality. But you need to make sure to do a full format. Follow the steps below.Start the Format Tool
You don't want to wipe the partition with Windows installed on, because that would delete windows as well. Nor would Windows allow you to format that partition. So choose a partition that Windows is not installed on.
For the Windows partition, we'll reset it later.
Do a Full Format
After you are done, everything on the partition will be wiped clean. Do this for every partition you want to wipe.
To be certain, format the partitions 3 times each.
How to Wipe SSD
SSDs are more complicated. So you might want to to use a disk-management software made by the SSD's manufacturer. Find out which manufacturer your SSD is from and follow their instructions.How to Reset the Windows Partition
As said earlier, Windows won't allow you to format the hard drive partition that Windows is installed on. Instead, what you want to do is reset your windows.Start the Reset This PC Tool
Click the Windows start button and go to Settings > Update & Security.Remove Everything and Clean the Drive
After that, just follow the wizard if the process doesn't start. If the process starts, you would be logged off, and Windows would start to reset the hard drive. It will take a while to finish.
After it's finished, you would have a fresh Windows and your personal files would be wiped from the Windows partition.
End
By doing all of this you would have wiped your computer clean and you can give away / throw away / sell your computer without worrying about your data.But if you are really worried about the data, then I would suggest to puncture some holes in your hard drive rendering it unusable and then throw it away.
The same principle applies to smart phones: make sure you wipe the data clean before selling it!
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