#Format external hard drive windows ssd full#
#Format external hard drive windows ssd windows 10#
#Format external hard drive windows ssd code#
#Format external hard drive windows ssd Pc#
#Format external hard drive windows ssd free#

Windows 11 users can also use Reset PC to fix any issues they might be having and start a new Windows desktop experience.

If you have a laptop or PC that only has one hard drive, your best bet is to use Reset PC to factory reset Windows 10. You can use SDelete to securely delete existing files and securely erase any file data that exists in the unallocated parts of a disk (including files that you have already deleted or encrypted). SDelete (Secure Delete) is another command line utility that can be downloaded to clean your hard drives securely.

#Format external hard drive windows ssd free#

One issue with using cipher is that you need to close as many applications running in the background as possible for cipher to overwrite the maximum amount of free space possible.

#Format external hard drive windows ssd code#

Here is a code example for your reference with cipher cleaning the C:/ drive. You may need to press Enter a second time after the ' Insert new disk for drive Here's a PowerShell example for reference:įormat-Volume -DriveLetter E: -FileSystem exFAT -Full -Forceģ.

#Format external hard drive windows ssd full#

The '-Full' option tells Windows to perform a full format and the '-Force' indicates that you want to override the default Windows setting currently in place. If you do not know and are using Windows 10, NTFS could be an option. In the PowerShell command, replace DRIVE-LETTER with your hard drive's drive letter, and FILE-SYSTEM for FAT-32, exFAT, or NTFS, depending on what file system you want to use. For PowerShell, copy and paste the following: Format-Volume -DriveLetter DRIVELETTER -FileSystem FILESYSTEM -NewFileSystemLabel NewFileSystemName -Full -Force Here's a Command Prompt example for reference: format E: /v:WorkUSBDrive /fs:exFATĢb. In the Command Prompt command, replace VOLUME with your hard drive's letter, and FLASHDRIVE-LABEL with the name you want for the drive to appear in File Explorer, FILE-SYSTEM with one of the available file systems, FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS, depending on what type you want to use. For Command Prompt, copy and paste the following: format VOLUME: /v:FLASHDRIVE-LABEL /fs:FILE-SYSTEM Open Command Prompt or PowerShell with Administrator privileges.Ģa.

#Format external hard drive windows ssd windows 10#

You can use either program to perform a full format of any drive connected to your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. Method 2: Wipe your drive using Command Prompt or PowerShellĪnother method that might not be known to everyone is that you can use Command Prompt or PowerShell. In Windows XP and earlier, the format command didn't write zeros to the whole disk when performing a full format. Click OK to confirm that you know you will be completely erasing everything on the drive.Īccording to Microsoft's documentation, since Windows Vista, Windows always writes zeros to the whole disk when performing a full format. Be sure to uncheck Quick Format under Format Options, so that Windows 10 and Windows 11 perform a full format and click Start.ĥ. Right click the drive you want to eraseĤ. This method is ideal for internal drives where you do not have your operating system installed, USB flash drives, and other external storage devices. Of course, there are other available methods to securely wipe your data from your internal, external and USB hard drives. Method 1: Wipe your hard drive using File Explorer If you want to completely wipe your hard drive, whether it be an internal, external, or USB flash drive, follow this guide to several methods to wipe your hard drive. Without the key, files on the drive will look like complete nonsense. When you encrypt your hard drive, a mathematical process is used to muddle up the data using a passkey that only you have. If you purchased a new Windows PC in the last few years, you likely have a solid-state hard drive. SSDs are faster than traditional mechanical hard drives and use flash memory instead of magnetic platters to store data. If you have a solid-state drive (SSD), it's best to start with encryption. When you delete content anywhere, you want to make sure that no one can ever recover it. Traditionally, if you ever wanted to quickly erase a USB flash drive, there is the trusty, built-in Windows tool to quickly format a hard drive. Windows 10 and Windows 11 have built-in tools to help create, copy, and securely wipe your hard drive, USB devices, external hard drives, and SD cards.