What is the best software to erase a hard drive?

6 Best Free Tools To Wipe Hard Drive on Windows and macOS

  1. Windows 10 built-in hard drive wiper. Platform: Windows.
  2. Disk Utility for macOS. Platform: macOS.
  3. DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) Platform: Bootable USB (Windows PC)
  4. Eraser. Platform: Windows.
  5. Disk Wipe. Platform: Windows.
  6. CCleaner Drive Wiper. Platform: Windows.

How do I wipe my hard drive software?

Wipe Your Drive in Windows 11 Open Settings > System > Recovery and click Reset PC. When prompted, choose Remove everything, just like in Windows 10. Choose Local reinstall to reinstall Windows from this device, since it will run faster than the cloud download. If that doesn’t work, choose Cloud download.

What is the fastest way to wipe a hard drive?

By far, the easiest way to completely erase a hard drive is to use free data destruction software, sometimes called hard drive eraser software or disk wipe software.

How do I wipe my hard drive for sale?

To wipe HDDs in Windows, use Disk Manager (right-click the Windows icon at bottom left and scroll up to Disk Manager) and select the drive to be formatted. Make sure that “Perform a quick format” is unchecked and select NTFS as the file system. Format the drive three times to make sure you get everything.

How many times should you wipe a drive?

Conclusion: Only 1 Overwriting Pass is Needed to Erase HDDs Multiple overwriting passes for hard disk drives is not an absolute necessity anymore. So, how many times should you overwrite a hard disk for complete data erasure? The answer: One pass is enough.

Is active KillDisk legit?

Active@ KillDisk is very effective as far as it goes, but most users will be just as well off with the free Eraser 6—or better off by paying less for a program that automatically selects and deletes sensitive data and wipes free space.