[SOLVED] How do I COMPLETELY delete Windows from my SSD?

[Seretical]

So my brother gave me his old SSD and I would like to use this in addition to my current hard drive. However, this SSD still has windows on it and I would like to get rid of it because it's already on my hard drive (basically, there would be two Windows OS's so I need to remove it from the SSD). I have also thought about moving my windows from my hard drive to the SSD but I don't know how to do that and keep all of my data. I have tried looking this up online and none of the instructions are very clear, and I would just like to make sure I am getting things absolutely right because I don't want to screw something up.

Is there a way to do this without downloading some third party program? Preferably I want to just move my hard drive's Windows to the SSD, but if it's easier to delete it from the SSD then I will do that. Answers for both solutions would be appreciated.

Edit: I've already tried formatting and all of that, and it doesn't let me BECAUSE windows is on the SSD. I don't just want to wipe the SSD, I have already done that. I need to remove windows from it. Thanks

 

[mamasan2000]

I've used this to migrate OS a couple times https://www.disk-partition.com/download-home.html
Caveats: Partitions need to be MBR and the OS partition you are migrating to SSD CANNOT be larger than size of SSD. It doesn't matter if the OS doesn't fill up the whole partition, only partition size matters.

How to wipe? I would try Disk Management in Windows, delete volumes and partitions of SSD. If that fails, Diskpart(Windows commandline utility) or Linux and Gparted. Shouldn't be hard to find an USB image for that. Practically every distro install should have Gparted. Just do the thing with Gparted and cancel install. There should be a dedicated distro for troubleshooting, name evades me but I just boot into my linux-partition when Windows acts up.

 

[Calvin7]

At 3:45 into this video, the screen shows where you can Delete the existing partitions by pressing one of the choices on the bottom. This will leave you an empty drive.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9b6VqwA7vk&app=desktop

 

[TerryLaze]

Is there a way to do this without downloading some third party program? Preferably I want to just move my hard drive's Windows to the SSD, but if it's easier to delete it from the SSD then I will do that. Answers for both solutions would be appreciated.

Look at the SSDs webpage they should have a tool to migrate windows to the ssd, unless it's a really cheap ssd.
Otherwise what calvin said is the most straightforward way.

 

[SgtScream]

You can format the drive from the bios. What motherboard do you have?

 

[Deleted member 14196]

edit... sorry... you can format the drive when you Clean install windows 10 on it. Do Advanced install option, choose that drive, click Format and let it do it's thing, choose all defaults after Format, let it create it's needed RECOVERY partition., then let the installer install windows. DO NOT have any other drives connected when installing Windows10. just the SSD connected and powered on .

 

[SkyNetRising]

You can format the drive from the bios. What motherboard do you have?

No, you can't. Secure erase feature in BIOS is rather rare. Most motherboards don't have it.

 

[SgtScream]

No, you can't. Secure erase feature in BIOS is rather rare. Most motherboards don't have it.

Yes you can if the feature exists. You don't know what motherboard he has which is why i'm asking him.

 

[geofelt]

What is the make/model and size of the ssd?
How much space is actually used on your HDD?

If possible, you want to use a ssd as your C drive.

There may be several options available to you.
If the ssd can hold what you have on the HDD you may be able to clone windows to the SSD.

Or, you can do a clean install of windows on the ssd.
Any apps that used the registry will need to be reinstalled. Steam games may be the exception.

All of your data files will remain on the HDD and will be available.

 

[Internet11x]

If you plug in your SSD, yet still boot from your main Drive, you can go to "Disk Management". An SSD should have multiple partions. Select the Windows Partition and I'm pretty sure you can delete it.

 

[King_V]

If you plug in your SSD, yet still boot from your main Drive, you can go to "Disk Management". An SSD should have multiple partions. Select the Windows Partition and I'm pretty sure you can delete it.

But you can't delete some of the other partitions that are initially created for a Windows install. That requires a 3rd party tool, unfortunately.

 

[USAFRet]

Edit: I've already tried formatting and all of that, and it doesn't let me BECAUSE windows is on the SSD. I don't just want to wipe the SSD, I have already done that. I need to remove windows from it. Thanks

commandline
diskpart
clean

Done.

Specifically, here:
https://www.seagate.com/support/kb/...-a-drive-through-the-command-prompt-005929en/
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/85819-erase-disk-using-diskpart-clean-command-windows-10-a.html