Forum Discussion
How to completely wipe a laptop with Windows 11/10?
I've been in a similar situation before, selling an old Dell XPS 13 with an SSD system drive and a large HDD. I was also concerned that simply formatting the drive wouldn't be safe, as recovery software could still retrieve the files. In the end, I used a tool like Dr.Wiper to perform a full drive wipe, which overwrites both the SSD and HDD multiple times, completely erasing any remaining data.
I followed this tutorial: Worked for me
https://www.gicmodo.com/how-to-permanently-wipe-a-drive
If you really plan to sell or recycle your laptop, simply formatting it isn't a guarantee; data recovery software can still retrieve it. Let me briefly share my experience and offer two options:
1. Use the system's built-in features (suitable for most people)
In Windows 10/11, there's a "Reset this PC" function with an option called "Erase everything." Remember to go to "Change settings" and enable "Clean data." This will overwrite the drive, not just delete the files. SSDs are also faster, making recovery virtually impossible for the average buyer.
2. A more thorough method (suitable for sensitive files)
For a 1TB mechanical hard drive (HDD), you can use the command "clean all" in the diskpart command line. This will write zeros to every sector of the drive, completely erasing the data. The downside is that it's time-consuming.
For a 256GB SSD, repeatedly writing zeros is not recommended, as it can damage the drive. A safer approach is to use the Secure Erase feature in the BIOS or manufacturer's tools (Dell models generally have this feature in the BIOS). This step directly calls hardware instructions to clear the flash memory, which is more reliable than software.
3. Should I remove the hard drive?
If you're extremely concerned about privacy (for example, if it involves financial or company secrets), it's safest to remove the hard drive and store it, or physically destroy it. Otherwise, cleaning it using the above method before selling it is sufficiently safe.
On my Dell, I ran an SSD Secure Erase in the BIOS, then ran a clean all on the mechanical drive in the system. I used it overnight, then reinstalled a clean Windows system. I felt very confident when I sold it.