Solved Secure erase ssd drive


JAK

JAK

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Want to secure erase an SSD before sale

Terms secure erase, format & wipe are mentioned in my research, but some class format as erase, which I don't think is correct.

Would it be the same to secure erase a conventional hard drive

Is there a free way to secure erase an SSD, with no possibility of recovering any data

Thank you
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Ryzen 7
    Memory
    8+16 total 24GB
    Other Info
    Asus Vivobook 15 M513U
JAK said:
Want to secure erase an SSD before sale

Terms secure erase, format & wipe are mentioned in my research, but some class format as erase, which I don't think is correct.

Would it be the same to secure erase a conventional hard drive

Is there a free way to secure erase an SSD, with no possibility of recovering any data

Thank you
Click to expand...
It would not be the same as securely wiping an HDD. Because of the way SSDs store data, a generic utility that overwrites the drive can miss some.

By courtesy of our friends at Google:

 

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    Windows 11 26200.8728
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    homebuilt
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    Amd Threadripper 7970X
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    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
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    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
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    xFinity gateway
  • Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
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    homebuilt
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    Intel I9-13900K
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    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
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    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
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    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
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    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
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    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
JAK said:
Is there a free way to secure erase an SSD, with no possibility of recovering any data
Click to expand...
If you read the article quoted by @bobkn, one of the methods suggested is that you boot to your device's BIOS, and there may a feature there to do it from there.

I've checked on my machine, and the feature is in my BIOS.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (Build 26200.8728)
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    Dell Pro Max Tower T2 FCT2250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285 5.6 GHz
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    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
    Memory
    32.00 GB
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    Intel Integrated Graphics (128 MB)
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    Realtek Audio
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    Dell P2714H Monitor
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    1920 x 1080
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    1 x 512GB M.2 XG10d SED KIOXIA PCIe solid state drive (Internal)
    1 x 2TB Seagate ST2000DM008-2UB102 HDD (Internal)
    1 x 1TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 4TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 6TB WD Elements AE 2689 External HDD
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    Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600
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Found macrorit, could this be my answer
Thanks
 

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    Asus
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    Ryzen 7
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    8+16 total 24GB
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    Asus Vivobook 15 M513U
The firmware (UEFI/BIOS) suggestion is a good one. Also check with the manufacturer. Most of the bigger companies offer free secure erase utilities.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Intel NUC12WSHi7
    CPU
    12th Gen Core i7-1260P
    Motherboard
    NUC12WSBi7
    Memory
    64 GB Micron PC4-25600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    on-board Realtek HD Audio
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    Dell U3219Q
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    Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
    Crucial MX500 2 TB
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    HP
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    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
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    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
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Thank you 👍
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Ryzen 7
    Memory
    8+16 total 24GB
    Other Info
    Asus Vivobook 15 M513U
Both my current motherboard and my previous one (ASROCK B450/mc) have an option in the UEFI to Secure Erase my SSD or NVME drive.

There is also a good Linux ISO I have used many times called Parted Magic (purchase required - no free version) that includes Partition editing, Cloning, Data Rescue, Disk Erasing (including Secure Erase for SSD/NVME), and Benchmarking.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8457)
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    PC/Desktop
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    Pre-built
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    AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
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    MSI Pro B650-VC WiFi
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    32gb Team Group (T-Force) DDR5-6000
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    Koorui G2421V and ViewSonic VX2453
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    P:2560x1440 S:1920x1080
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    WD Blue SN5000 - 500gb NVME
    WD Blue SN580 - 2TB NVME
    Seagate 4TB HDD - ST4000VN008-2DR166
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    Mountain Everest
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    Logitech G502 Hero
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Don't want to erase my boot SSD, so will try macrorit, looks very powerful and free

Thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Ryzen 7
    Memory
    8+16 total 24GB
    Other Info
    Asus Vivobook 15 M513U
I'd be nice if there were a tutorial here on SSD erasure. Brink could show everybody some options.

Just a thought...
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 build: (26200.7623)
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    Microsoft Surface Pro
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    32GB
  • Operating System
    Microsoft 25H2 Pro
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    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro 14 - PC14250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7
    Memory
    64GB
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    Intel Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Micron 1TB SSD
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What an excellent idea, be good if he could evaluate the app I found
👌
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
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    Asus
    CPU
    Ryzen 7
    Memory
    8+16 total 24GB
    Other Info
    Asus Vivobook 15 M513U
I am selling my old HP laptop. I've already done the HP Factory Reset and installed Windows 11. The laptop has a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD drive and also a 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA HDD. Is there one tool I can use to wipe the free space and remove any trace of my personal files? Would CCLeaner work for both? Anyone have experience using it?
 

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  • OS
    Windows 11 Home, Ver 24H2, Build 26100.4946
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    HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-dk1082nr
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10300H CPU @ 2.50GHz (2.50 GHz)
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch diagonal FHD, 144 Hz, IPS, anti-glare, micro-edge, WLED-backlit
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB
    Keyboard
    Full-size, island-style, acid green backlit, shadow black keyboard with numeric keypad
    Internet Speed
    571.84 Mbps
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    Firefox, DuckDuckGo, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
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    Windows 11 Home, Ver 24H2, Build 26100.4946
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    Dell Alienware 16X Aurora AC16251
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    Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 255HX (30MB cache, 20 cores, 1.8 to 5.2 GHz P-Core)
    Memory
    16GB, 2x8GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060, 8 GB GDDR7
    Sound Card
    Stereo speakers, Realtek AL3204 Audio Controller, 2 W x 2 = 4 W total
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16", WQXGA, 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3, ComfortView Plus, G-SYNC
    Hard Drives
    NVMe P0527 Phison 1024GB
    Keyboard
    1-Zone AlienFX RGB Keyboard, English US and external wireless Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    571.84 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox, DuckDuckGo, and Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
Wipe free space is typically performed a reinstallation.

One option may be to make a free backup image (not a clone) then perform a secure erase then restore an image.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
zbook said:
Wipe free space is typically performed a reinstallation.

One option may be to make a free backup image (not a clone) then perform a secure erase then restore an image.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home, Ver 24H2, Build 26100.4946
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15-dk1082nr
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10300H CPU @ 2.50GHz (2.50 GHz)
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q Design
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch diagonal FHD, 144 Hz, IPS, anti-glare, micro-edge, WLED-backlit
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB
    Keyboard
    Full-size, island-style, acid green backlit, shadow black keyboard with numeric keypad
    Internet Speed
    571.84 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox, DuckDuckGo, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home, Ver 24H2, Build 26100.4946
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Alienware 16X Aurora AC16251
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 255HX (30MB cache, 20 cores, 1.8 to 5.2 GHz P-Core)
    Memory
    16GB, 2x8GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5060, 8 GB GDDR7
    Sound Card
    Stereo speakers, Realtek AL3204 Audio Controller, 2 W x 2 = 4 W total
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16", WQXGA, 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3, ComfortView Plus, G-SYNC
    Hard Drives
    NVMe P0527 Phison 1024GB
    Keyboard
    1-Zone AlienFX RGB Keyboard, English US and external wireless Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    571.84 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox, DuckDuckGo, and Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
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