[SOLVED] Wiping a drive clean (M.2 SSD)

[theoneandonlyfoohyking]

Hi all,

I have a school laptop that I will be returning soon. I've had it for a few years, & I have had a buddy install a custom image into the drive. As I'm returning it soon, I will need to wipe it clean & make it untraceable. Is there any software that can do that?

 

[Colif]

How wiped do you want it?

You could do a full reset inside windows and remove everything of yours off PC
go to settings/update & security/recovery
under reset this PC click get started
Should be an option to wipe all. That would reinstall win 10 on C drive, wiping all other things

But that only touches C partition, if there is anything on other partitions it would be left as is

You could clean install win 10 - clean installs include wiping entire drive - follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

if you just want a blank drive with no os on it
go to settings/update & security/recovery
under advanced startup, click restart now

Pick troubleshoot
Pick advanced
Pick Command Prompt
Type diskpart and press enter
Type list disk and press enter
This will show the list of drives currently attached to PC, make note of the drive number of the drive you want to wipe

If Disk 1 is the drive you want to clear, type select 1) and press enter. A message will confirm it is selected

Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

Once you sure its right disk, type Clean and press enter

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.

 

[kaehligj]

The clean command is a very effective partition remover.
The drive will appear completely blank and numb, requiring a re-install of windows from an external drive, like a USB stick.

Advanced software may still detect and read what was on the disk if you dont re-install windows.
This method is used by disk repair services to rescue important data on a "dead" disk.

This can only be avoided by writing a repetetive pattern to the harddisk - also from advanced software booted from a usb stick.

 

[howtobeironic]

If you want absolutely nothing left (the DBAN way or zero-nuke way, as we call it) normal wiping won't cut. You should grab a tool specific for the work. Your drive manufacturer most likely has a program for the work. Or, grab a Parted Magic ISO or HDDErase (yeah, it works for SSD's) and choose Internal: Secure Erase command. (Unlike HDD's, SSD's actually are deleted by invoking ATA Secure Erase command built-in. All these programs trigger that.)

 

[geofelt]

Some laptops have a hardware recovery option to reset the laptop to the as delivered condition.
In the case that your "custom image" has erased that factory option, you could remove the drive and replace it with a new drive, making whatever you did/had on it completely untraceable.