Written by
Sherry SongSummary: Have you considered disposing of your HDD for it is useless? Simple deletion or formatting is not enough. To avoid data leaking, wiping/shredding is important, and it's highly recommended to use iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows.
Disposing of an old hard drive without proper precautions can expose your sensitive data to theft or misuse. Even after deleting files or formatting the drive, remnants of your data can often be recovered.
Need a hard drive destroyed, I don't wanna others recover any data of my drive. What is the best and most secure way? -reddit.com
My PC no more recognizes my HDD, but it has my private information. So does someone know how to dispose of it? -answers.microsoft.com
So how do you securely dispose of a hard drive on a PC? This article will guide you through secure detailed process for secure hard drive destruction.
- Make a backup
- Use a professional shredding tool
- Do an encryption
- Format the drive
- Physical destruction
How to do a secure hard drive destruction on Windows?
As many forums discuss, the best way how to securely dispose of a hard drive is by combining professional-grade tools and physical destruction methods. Let's see~
Step 1: Back up important files
Before wiping your HDD, ensure you've backed up any data you want to keep because the steps below will lose all data completely. Here are some choices:
- Use an external hard drive.
- Upload the data to your cloud storage.
- Apply a Network Attached Storage(NAS) device.
- Utilize some optical media.
Step 2: Use a secure wiping tool
After deleting the files to the Recycle Bin, you have to know that it is insufficient for preventing data recovery. Especially if the data is related to some secrets or privacy, secure wiping or shredding is necessary, which can overwrite all the data on the drive, rendering them irrecoverable.
Among various tools, iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows is a professional and safe tool for secure HDD disposal. The function "Wipe disk" even can erase all HDD as quickly as possible. (If you wanna shred specific files, choose "File shredder")
The seven algorithms of wiping adopted in iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows follow the advanced clearing formulas so your disk can impossibly be recovered~
Let's securely destroy the HDD with iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows:
- Free download, install, and open it.
- Click Secure data wipe then choose Wipe disk.
- Select your HDD and click Next, then confirm the HDD and click Next.
- Choose your preferred wiping method of the seven and click Next.
- Click Wipe on the popup confirmation window, then wait.
Easy and totally clean! You can share this tool to help more Windows users. Moreover, iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows can analyze your space, clone Windows OS disk to another drive, test your disk speed, and so on...
Step 3: Encrypt the HDD
Knowing how to shred a hard drive is not an end. Encryption makes data unreadable without the correct decryption key. Even if traces of data remain after wiping, encryption with BitLocker ensures that the data cannot be accessed.
One more measure to take, earlier to nip leaking in the bud.
- Start menu > Type Control Panel > Open Control Panel.
- Choose Privacyand Security > BitLocker drive Encryption.
- Enable BitLocker and follow the instructions to encrypt the drive.
(Or you can type BitLocker in the search box, then click Turn on BitLocker, and enter the password to encrypt the HDD)
Once encrypted, proceed to wipe the drive for added security in Step 2 with iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows. Besides, it can encrypt the drive at the same time.
Step 4: Format the drive
After wiping and encrypting during secure destruction of hard drives, format the hard drive on Windows to reset its file system. While this step alone is not secure, it complements the earlier processes by preparing the drive for recycling or reuse.
- Right-click the Start menu and select Disk Management.
- Find the HDD and right-click it, choose Format.
- Set the Volume label, File System, and Allocation unit size, then tick Perform a quick format and click OK.
You can also format the HDD with Diskpart, follow your needs.
Step 5: Physically dispose of the HDD
For the highest level of security, physically destroying the drive is essential. You can:
- Drill holes through the platter inside the drive.
- Use a hammer to smash the platter into pieces.
- For large-scale disposal, consult a certified data destruction service.
Now you must know the secure hard drive destruction, please share our article.
Bonus: Secure SSD disposal
Maybe you wanna dispose of your external hard drive or an SSD, SSDs require a different approach as they use flash memory instead of spinning platters. Use tools like iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows or the secure erase utility in the SSD's firmware to ensure complete erasure.
If the drive contains sensitive data governed by laws like GDPR, HIPAA, or NIST standards, ensure your disposal process complies with the required guidelines. This is especially important for businesses handling customer or medical data.
Final words
Proper and secure hard drive destruction protects your privacy and ensures you're not at risk of data breaches. By following these steps in our post, you can rest assured that your old hard drive is secure, whether you plan to recycle it or throw it away. And you'd better use iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows for a professional and complete wipe~
