How Do You Remove All the Data from Your SSD Safely

How Do You Remove All the Data from Your SSD Safely?

SSDs are more reliable than HDDs in various ways. Yet, when it comes to deleting data
completely, you need to be careful. After all, SSDs aren’t free from damage due to the
deletion of files. So, you must look for a safe way to clear all the data in it.

Does the device contain a large volume of data? Then, it’s inconvenient to delete all
files on it individually. Moreover, some data would remain if you apply that method.

Looking for a simple and safe way to clear all your SSD data? Then, go through the
methods given below properly.

Why Clean the Data in Your SSD?

There are many situations where you’ll have to clean your SSD completely. So, here
are some of the major ones among them, and where it’s necessary to do that:

1. To download a software

This is one of the most common reasons why users clear their SSD data. After all, a
complete software version usually needs quite a lot of space on your storage. So, you’d
usually have to clear some space for it. Not only that, but you have to format it as well.
But, if you end up deleting something important, approach an expert data recovery Dubai immediately.

2. You’re selling or giving it away

You should remove all data before you hand over the SSD to someone else. Especially
if it contains your private data. Also, in this case, as well, you need to consider
formatting it. That’s not necessary, but you might want to transform it to something good
as new again.

3. To start using it after purchase

Have you bought the device lately? In that case, you need to format it before you can
start using it. How you proceed with that completely depends on the system you want to run it on. Also, Mac and Windows versions may not support the same SSD formats. So, you must keep that in mind as well.

How to clear data from your SSD in Windows 10?

If you’re using the latest Windows version, clearing the data is quite simple. Moreover,
there are multiple ways you can proceed with it. Which one of them is the best? That’s
entirely for you to decide, so choose the one that suits you the most.
So, here are the ways you can perform this task in Windows 10:

1. With the help of a formatting software

You can find many third-party tools for performing various computer tasks. And, that
includes things like automatic updates and storage formatting as well. Now, that’s a
good thing as they provide you with more alternatives than your device does. So, you
might want to try them out to make formatting your SSD easier.

But, make sure to use reliable tools only, such as EaseUS, MiniTool, Gparted, AOMEI,
etc. So, download the one you prefer and follow the instructions to proceed. It’ll take you
a very short time to learn how to use these tools.

Perform a backup

You wouldn’t want to remove certain important files and data from your device. In such
a case, you need to back them up. That way, you can retrieve them if and whenever
something goes wrong. Also, you must perform backups whenever you’re going to
perform tasks, like formatting on your PC.

2. Using Disk Management

Don’t want to use third-party software for clearing your SSD? Then, you can use the
pre-installed one named Disk Management. Pretty much all Windows systems have this
tool or a similar one for the purpose of formatting. Apart from that, you can also use it to
create partitions on the storage device.

Bring up Disk Management

Have you never used this tool before? In case you’re wondering where to find it, simply
use the Start menu search box. Opt for the right result, and it’ll open the tool on your screen. You should see all the storage devices connected to your PC on this page. If you don’t see the SSD, there's an issue with it, and you must contact a professional.

Opt for formatting the SSD

Right-click the drive when you see it to bring up the options. Then, click on Format to
proceed with the next step. This will take you to a page where you have to input various
information regarding the formatting.

Configure the format

You’ll see the volume label, file system, and the allocation size given on the Format
page. You can change all of these three settings if you prefer. But first, changing the
volume name isn’t necessary, so you can look over it. As for the file system, you need
to choose the format you want in your SSD. Now, this is quite important, and you must
select it as per your requirements.

What if you select the wrong format? You need not worry in such a case as you can
reformat the SSD. Apart from that, you need to change the unit size as it's relevant only
for HDDs.

Select quick format

In the case of SSDs, you’ll see a quick format option on the page. As opposed to full
format, it lets you complete the process without scanning for bad disk partitions. But,
why should you do that? In case you didn't know, full formats can harm your SSD.
However, you can prevent that with the quick format option.

Once you’re done, click on OK to start the process. This may take a while, so you might
have to wait while it completes.

3. With the Command Prompt

This method is suitable for you if you have some experience in using command lines.
After all, inputting an incorrect command can cause data loss on your device. So, if
you’re more comfortable with the previous methods, stick to them. Also, you can use
this method only if you have admin rights. Open the Command Prompt using the Start
menu search bar. Opt for running it as admin when it shows the option.

Bring up the list of drives

To select your SSD, you need to bring up the list of drives. And, to do that, enter the
command “list disk”.

Select and Clean the SSD

The CMD will list the drives as disks 1, 2, and so on. Identify the one you want to format
and enter its name after “select disk”. So, if you choose the third one, you have to enter
“select disk 3”. After selecting the disk, you have to clean it first. For that, simply enter
the command “clean” and proceed with the next step.

Make a primary partition

Every storage device must have one partition at the beginning. But, in this case, you
removed it by cleaning the disk. So, you must create it again by entering “create
partition primary” in the prompt. Once you complete this step, you’re ready to assign the
disk a format.

Quick format the disk

Have you decided which format you want in your SSD? Then, you must choose NTFS
since it’s the best option for Windows. Also, you must remember to perform a quick
format instead of a full one. So, enter “format fs= ntfs quick” to do that.
Assign it a letter

Lastly, you have to assign the disk a letter to identify it. For that, simply enter “assign” in
the prompt, and you’re done.

Wrapping up……

Apply any of the methods mentioned above to format your SSD safely. All of them are
quite easy to follow and let you finish the task quite easily. Hopefully, you found this
guide helpful in formatting your SSD. In case all other methods fail, try force formatting it
from the Control Panel.