Select the File System in which you want to format it and follow the instructions.Under This PC, look for the connected USB drive.Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.Must Read: How To Perform Automatic PC Cleaning? How To Format An External Drive – Windows 11, 10 & 7įormatting external storage wipes all the data saved on it. Follow the steps below to wipe the hard drive.

Once the Windows recovery drive is created, and the backup of important data is done, you are ready to wipe the hard drive.

Connect the USB drive with a minimum of 8GB of free space > click Next > Create.

Select the box next to the Backup system to the recovery drive> click Next.

Select the best search results to open the Recovery Drive menu.

In Windows search, type recovery drive.

Steps to Create a Windows Recovery Drive in Windows 11 or 10 Note : The steps to create a recovery drive are the same in Windows 11 and 10. To reinstall Windows on a new machine, create a recovery drive. External hard disk and cloud storage are the best suited to save data and keep it safe. Before you follow these steps, back up your data. Windows provides different options to wipe hard drives.

When throwing away a damaged hard drive.

When discarding a computer or exchanging it for a new one.

Scenarios when you should wipe the hard drive – Windows 10 To learn how to use it, check the section – How to Wipe Hard Drive permanently. Whether running Windows 11,10,8 or 7, using the Secure Delete feature of Advanced System Optimizer, you can easily wipe deleted data and hard drive. Here, we will explain how to wipe the hard drive and delete data forever. This is why instead of just deleting files, wipe the hard drive when you plan to sell a PC or give it to someone. It’s because a deleted file is recoverable while a permanently deleted file is unrecoverable. Permanently wiping a hard drive is not the same as deleting everything on it.

How to wipe a hard drive windows 10