I'm looking to erase everything from my laptop since I'm passing it down to someone else. It's an ASUS laptop with an SSD, and while I want to remove all my data, I'd prefer not to physically replace the SSD. I was considering using the built-in 'Reset this PC' option and selecting 'Remove Everything.' Would that be secure enough, or do I need to take additional steps?
1 Answer
Resetting the PC might not be enough. It's better to remove the SSD, hook it up to another PC, and securely clean it using the Diskpart command. You'll likely need to reinitialize the drive after that. Then you can install Windows fresh with a bootable USB. Here are some helpful links if you want to dive deeper:
1. [Diskpart Guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/diskpart)
2. [How to Initialize a Disk](https://www.diskpart.com/diskpart/initialize-disk-4125.html)
3. [Windows Installation Media](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d)
4. [Rufus Tool](https://rufus.ie/en/)
But why remove the SSD? Can't you just boot from a USB to erase and then do a clean install? I'm pretty sure the person getting it won't have a clue about recovering anything.