How do I erase a secondary SSD drive?

[i_am_jim]

I need to securely erase a Samsung SSD drive so I can sell it.

All the utilities I've found that do this aren't free and the cost would make it not worthwhile to sell the drive.

Samsung's Magician software provides a secure erase feature but it appears to only erase the primary (C) drive. I certainly don't want to erase my Windows 10.

Any suggestions?

 

[feelinfroggy777]

I am not a security expert, but I think you will be fine by erasing the data through disk management in Windows. Since it is not the "C" drive, there are no registry protections to really worry about.

 

[Snipergod87]

You can use Samsung Magician software to create a Secure Erase boot disk for your secondary drive and boot of that then wipe it, it will wipe your encryption keys for that drive rendering all the data inaccessible.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/support-software/Samsung-Secure-Erase-949/

 

[i_am_jim]

Thanks. That isn't made clear in the software.

You say I can make a disk. It only talks about thumb drives, will it make disk?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks. That isn't made clear in the software.

You say I can make a disk. It only talks about thumb drives, will it make disk?

Either USB or DVD will work.
Once created, power OFF.
Disconnect ALL other drives except the one you want wiped.
Power up, and boot from the Secure Erase thing you made.
Wipe it.

I say "disconnect ALL other drives" because we don't want you coming back with an "oops"

 

[i_am_jim]

I did it. It finished instantly and did absolutely nothing. All the folders and files are still there and accessible??????

 

[USAFRet]

I did it. It finished instantly and did absolutely nothing. All the folders and files are still there and accessible??????

Secure Erase, from Samsung, on the correct drive...did nothing?
Something is wrong in your procedures.

 

[i_am_jim]

I don't see how that's possible. Each step went logically. I booted to the thumb drive (BTW it would not create a disk), I selected the drive I want to erase, it gave more warnings (2 more I think) then it said it had completed.

 

[i_am_jim]

Just for you, my love. I did it again and took a picture.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't see how that's possible.

A screencap of your Disk Management window, showing this drive still has actual space consumed, please.

 

[i_am_jim]

 

[USAFRet]

Your Secure Erase commandline shows Disk 2 selected.
Your Disk Management window shows Disk 3 selected.

 

[i_am_jim]

Secure Erase only lists Samsung SSD drives. It was the second of my two listed.

Also, it's my only 250GB drive

 

[USAFRet]

And the other drive still has its data as well?
This is why I recommended to have only the one drive connected...to prevent any confusion.

Another option to wipe that drive is the clean function in the commandline or powershell.

But I cannot visualize why Secure Erase failed.

 

[i_am_jim]

And the other drive still has its data as well?

The other SSD drive is my Windows 10 drive. I could not be posting here if it had been erased.

This is why I recommended to have only the one drive connected...to prevent any confusion

It is far too complicated to disconnect my Windows drive. There was no confusion. As explained, my other SSD drive is my Windows drive and it is 500GB.

Another option to wipe that drive is the clean function in the commandline or powershell.

Do you mean the Windows DiskPart argument? It's been a while since I've done this sort of thing but last time, I remember just writing 0s isn't secure.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, diskpart.
clean or clean all

http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/005929en
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

Then, Initialize. Give it to the new owner.
It would take some serious forensics to get anything back after that.

 

[i_am_jim]

I'm not real swift about these things but all I thought "initializing" a drive does is give it a signature and an MBR

 

[USAFRet]

I'm not real swift about these things but all I thought "initializing" a drive does is give it a signature and an MBR

And after the clean command...nothing is left of "you".

I'm still curious as to how and why Secure Erase failed.

 

[timmoseus]

Dban is free and uses Department of Defense standards to securely wipe data from drives. As USAFRet pointed out, disconnect all other drives before attempting to erase one. I recommend a Hiren's boot disk as it comes with a lot of useful free tools.

https://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

 

[USAFRet]

Dban is free and uses Department of Defense standards to securely wipe data from drives. As USAFRet pointed out, disconnect all other drives before attempting to erase one. I recommend a Hiren's boot disk as it comes with a lot of useful free tools.

https://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

DBAN - Not for SSD's.
Big warning on their front page about that.

 

[i_am_jim]

I spoke to Samsung tech support. It wasn't a lot of help. He said try booting in Legacy mode. My MSI motherboard doesn't have a Legacy mode per se. I only has a "UEFI-Legacy" mode which is what I'm using. I asked "what if that doesn't work" He didn't have an answer.

 

[i_am_jim]

It's all gotten too involved. I think I'll just give it up.

 

[timmoseus]

DBAN - Not for SSD's.
Big warning on their front page about that.

I did not see that. Good eye. Thank you. I normally run it off Hiren's, but I have used it on SSDs in the past. And lots of them. I refurbish computers for a living and have never had a problem wiping SSDs with Dban, and re-imaging them after. I will have to look more into this.

 

[i_am_jim]

Just to follow up. DiskPart worked. I wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't said something. Thanks