To wipe hard drive data with Windows’ own reset feature, first, open Windows Settings by right-clicking the Start menu button and selecting Settings from the options shown.Wipe External Hard Drive or Format in Windows 10? Wiping your PC with windows’ own reset featureġ. In fact, even strong magnets will do the trick (though this is a highly discouraged method that may cause irreversible damage on the drive) The steps below will explain how to safely and permanently wipe a laptop hard drive. There are plenty of ways to completely wipe a hard drive. Step-by-step procedure to wipe a hard drive This can also be done by using third-party apps that will both delete the files and overwrite them. The files should be wiped completely to eliminate any chance the buyer has to recover them. If a user is planning to sell their laptop, the second scenario is the better choice. Hence, the old files will be impossible to recover. Once new files are saved onto the wiped drive, these new files will replace old ones. Overwriting is the process of saving new data over old deleted data. However, it is a completely different story once the deleted files are overwritten. With enough digging, the files can be retrieved. The computer merely erases the directories that let users access these files.

This is because when deleting a file, it is not entirely removed from the hard drive. If the user recently reformatted or wiped a hard drive, some deleted files can be recovered by using third-party programs. The answer to this question depends on the situation.

The laptop may also continue to receive personal notifications from other connected devices if it is left linked. Some software providers allow users to register their computers so that they can easily access their accounts without having to log in. A second precaution to take is unlinking the laptop from any software subscriptions.

Completely erase hard drive