How Do You Erase Everything on a Computer?

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do you erase everything on a computer?” you’re not alone. Whether you’re selling your device, recycling it, or passing it on, simply deleting files or formatting the drive isn’t enough. Even after being removed, your data still remains on the hard drive and can be restored with specialized recovery tools.

So, how can you ensure that your sensitive information is permanently destroyed? To erase it, you need to use secure data erasure methods. This guide will show you how to erase everything on a computer using three proven methods. Let’s explore them step by step.

How Do You Erase Everything on a Computer?

This section outlines three practical ways to erase everything on a computer. Select the one that best suits your needs.

Method 1. Wipe Hard Drives Using Professional Software

When asking, “How do I wipe everything off my computer?” the safest and most efficient solution is to use professional software like AOMEI Partition Assistant. This professional tool provides highly secure wiping methods to erase your data on Windows PCs or Server versions, ensuring no recovery is possible. Apart from wiping data, it also provides multiple practical features to manage disks, including formatting partitions, deleting partitions, and resizing/moving partitions.

Here’s how to erase everything on a computer using this tool:

➤ For HDD:

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Then, click the "Wipe" main tab and select the "Wipe Hard Drive" option. 

Step 2. Select the disk you want to wipe and click "OK" to continue.

Here, you can choose a wiping method according to your needs:
👉 Fill in 0 (by default): Overwrites the partition with zeros.
👉 Fill in Random Information: A more secure method that overwrites the partition with random data.
👉 DoD 5220.22-M: A highly secure method that overwrites addressable locations on the hard disk with binary 0's, binary 1's, and a random bit pattern from once to seven times. 
👉 Gutmann: The safest one that overwrites a hard drive with 35 passes, but it also takes the longest time.

Step 3. To commit the "Pending Operations", please click "Apply" and "Proceed".

➤ For SSD:

SSD has different reading and writing ways to traditional hard drives, which makes its wipe-out measures different. If you want to erase data on an SSD, consider using the SSD Secure Erase feature (only works in Windows 7) within AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Step 1. First, connect your SSD via SATA port to a Windows 7 PC.

Step 2. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, click “Wipe”, and choose “SSD Secure Erase”.

Step 3. Select the SSD that you want to erase and click “Next”.

Step 4. In the pop-up window, you may find the SSD is in a frozen state and no one can modify it. Follow the steps below to release this restriction.

• Open the computer case, rear cover, or drive shell and find out the SSD you'll erase.
• Unplug the power cable and then disconnect the SATA data cable from the SSD.
• Reconnect the SATA cable to the SATA port and then plug the power cable back to complete the hot-swap.

Step 5. Click “Next” to start the wiping process and wait for it to complete.

Method 2. Erase Everything via CMD

Additionally, the Command Prompt provides a method to erase all data on a computer. However, this approach is less intuitive and carries the risk of accidentally wiping the wrong drive. Here’s how to erase everything on a computer via CMD:

Step 1. Press Windows + S, type “cmd,” then select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type the following commands and press Enter after each one.

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk X (replace “X” with your disk number)
• clean all (avoid using for SSDs)

Step 3. Wait for the process to finish. This command overwrites the disk with zeros, making data recovery difficult.

Step 4. Type exit and press Enter to close the window.

Method 3. Remove Everything Using Disk Management

Windows Disk Management is another built-in tool to erase everything on a computer. While simpler than CMD, it only performs basic disk formatting, leaving data recoverable. Here’s how to erase everything on a computer via Disk Management:

Step 1. Right-click the Start Menu and select Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click the disk you want to wipe and choose “Format.”

Step 3. Check the "Volume label", "File system" and "Allocation unit size". Then, click OK to remove all data on this disk.

Final Words

So, how do you erase everything on a computer? The answer depends on your needs. While tools like Disk Management and CMD can remove data, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers more secure wiping options, ensuring that no traces of your personal or professional data remain.

Additionally, it is a good idea to migrate your OS to a new drive before wiping your computer. This is especially useful if you plan to continue using your current operating system, files, and applications on a new device.

FAQs

Q1: Can I factory reset my computer to erase all data?

Yes, a factory reset erases all data and restores the computer to its original state. However, it does not guarantee that your data is irrecoverable

Q2: Can I recover data after wiping a drive?

No. The tool overwrites data permanently, making recovery impossible.

Q3: What should you do before erasing everything on a computer?

• Backup important files to another device or cloud.
• Sign out of accounts and remove the device’s authorization from software or services.
• Gather installation media and product keys for the OS and apps.