I'm selling some of my old 10TB hard drives, and I want to ensure that all data on them is completely unrecoverable. Is there a fast and effective method to wipe the entire drive? If not, can I wipe just certain folders with sensitive information like databases, photos, and documents? I'm concerned that data could still be left on the drive in free space after a basic wipe. Also, if the only option is wiping the entire drive, how does that work on Windows, and how long should I expect it to take for these large drives?
1 Answer
A reliable method to deeply clean your hard drives is to use a tool like KillDisk. It might take several hours or even days, depending on the drive size, but it thoroughly wipes the data. For a quicker process, you can use Windows' built-in Diskpart command for a basic wipe, which is free and faster. Here's a good guide on how to do that: [Diskpart Wipe Guide](https://www.seagate.com/support/kb/how-to-diskpart-eraseclean-a-drive-through-the-command-prompt-005929en/). Just be prepared for longer wait times with a 10TB drive; overheating might be an issue if it’s an external drive without proper cooling like yours.
Yeah, with a 10TB drive, it might take a really long time, especially since it’s an external one without a fan. Have you looked into using Diskpart at all? It could be faster!