Look for the best disk wipe software for Windows

If you're looking for disk wipe software without relying on third-party tools, Windows actually has a built-in method that can handle this, though it’s not as advanced as dedicated software.

Here's what you can use:

Reset this PC (Windows Built-in)

Steps: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC. Choose Remove everything.

This will wipe all your data, but it may not offer multiple wiping algorithms or handle SSDs in a way that ensures complete irrecoverable data. It’s a good option if you want a quick reset of your machine before selling or giving it away.

DiskPart (Command Line Tool)

Steps: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and type:

diskpart
list disk
select disk # (replace "#" with the number of the disk you want to wipe)
clean all

The clean all command will overwrite the disk with zeroes, making data recovery extremely difficult. However, this method works well with HDDs and isn’t recommended for SSDs because of the way they handle data storage.

For SSDs, Windows has a built-in Optimize Drives tool, which includes a feature for TRIM, helping to ensure that deleted data on SSDs can’t be recovered. To use this:

Go to Settings > System > Storage > Optimize Drives and select the SSD, then choose Optimize.

These are your built-in options, and while they may not be as advanced as third-party tools, they can handle most of the basic disk wiping needs.