How to Wipe SSD with Windows on It Securely and Completely

Scenario: How to Completely Wipe A Hard Drive Including OS

“I am about to sell my old computer which has a solid state drive (Windows boot drive) and a hard drive for other stuff. The SSD has Windows 10 on it and is most likely a personal item that I downloaded that I don't remember and I want to remove from it. I would like to completely wipe it to almost new condition if I can. I know next to nothing about SSD's so if anyone can help me out I would greatly appreciate it.”

When you have the idea of selling or replacing your SSD, the first thing you need to be aware of is the personal data files on that disk. If the one you want to replace or sell comes with an OS on it, you need to consider deleting all data and the OS. This may not be an easy task for some users.

Why Do You Need A Secure Erase SSD on Windows 10?

SSDs or solid state drives are becoming a more common choice for data storage due to the increased demand for faster, smaller technology. SSDs operate without any of the mechanical components required by hard disk drives (HDDs) to access data. While SSDs are typically more expensive than HDDs for the same number of gigabytes, they offer powerful advantages such as greater efficiency, no whirring disk drives, and low sensitivity to damage or shock.

At the same time, there is a growing awareness of the need to securely wipe these drives to protect data. Solid state drives, like many other data storage devices, are a double-edged sword. While they are a great way to store large amounts of data, it can be very difficult to ensure that all data is securely removed.

When considering the differences between SSDs and HDDs, the main issue relates to how data is stored and deleted. In particular, data stored on an SSD is more difficult for some programs to find and delete than on a traditional HDD. Because most software is more difficult to find all the information needed to completely delete, deleting an SSD can be more sensitive. If you are using old software and an aging SSD, the erasing process may begin to cause damage.

How to Wipe SSD with Windows 10 on It for Sale or Reuse

Your SSD is an important and valuable part of your computer, and if you want to know how to wipe it with your operating system on it, you may need to put some thought into it. That's because if you do it wrong, you risk damaging your drive. Generally speaking, you have two ways to erase an SSD with Windows. One is to wipe the SSD in the BIOS and the other is to clear it with the help of third-party software. Continue reading for more information.

#1. Wipe SSD with Windows from BIOS

If your SSD is the boot drive in the computer you want to wipe, the easiest way to securely erase it is through your motherboard UEFI BIOS. Here I'll use ASUS as an example to show you how to wipe an SSD from BIOS.

1. ASUS Secure Erase is only available in AHCI mode. Ensure to set the SATA mode to AHCI. Click Advanced > SATA Configuration > SATA Mode > AHCI.
2. Restart your computer. When you see the ASUS Logo appears on the screen, press Del button to enter BIOS, and click Tool > ASUS Secure Erase on the Advanced Mode menu.

3. After entering, the installed SSD (both SATA and NVME SSDs are supported) is displayed in the interface.

4. Select the SSD you want to erase with the cursor, enter and then a pop-up prompt will appear to select the format unit size, the default is fine.

5. Then a warning message appears informing that “Secure Erase will delete all partitions in your selected SSD”, click OK to continue.

6. Confirm that all the data will be deleted and will not be recoverable, click OK to continue the process. Then machine will automatically reboot after completion.

It may take a while to erase the SSD contents, depending on its size. Do not shut down the system during this process.

#2. Wipe a Hard Drive Including OS via Reliable Software

If you have a good SSD secure erase tool, you can easily do the SSD erase job as well. A professional tool can overwrite your data with meaningless data and then erase it all. Here, we recommend AOMEI Backupper Professional, a powerful disk wiping software for Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP systems. It has professional disk wiping features that can help users clean up all brands of SSDs quickly and safely.

As a professional disk erasing software, it provides 4 erasing methods, including Fill Sector with 0, Fill Sector with Random Data, DoD 52220.22-M and Gutmann. Whether you are wiping it for your own use, selling it, or disposing of it, you must make a backup and use the latest software to perform a safe wipe. Now you can follow the steps below to learn how to wipe hard drive with Windows on it.

1. Download and install this reliable disk eraser. Run AOMEI Backupper, click Tools and choose Disk Wipe.

2. On the Wiping Type page, choose Wipe Disk and click Next.

3. Select the SSD with Windows on it and click Next. You will be prompted the operation needs to be executed in reboot mode, click OK to confirm.

4. On the Wiping Method page, choose Fill sectors with Zero to wipe all data on the disk and click Start to proceed.

Final Words

This is all about how to wipe SSD with Windows on it. After wiping, you can resell or reuse this SSD. The data on it before will not be recovered, which can protect your data privacy. What's more, AOMEI Backupper is a professional hard drive transfer software that can help you transfer data from hard drive to SSD. Don't hesitate to try it out!