You need the best hard drive wipe software to remove your files from your device completely. When you delete a file/folder, you select the delete option, and the file gets disappears from your drive, but by deleting the files, it doesn’t remove from your hard drive.
Instead, those files are still located on the hard drive, and only the reference of the data gets removed in the allocation table, and you can’t find it.
Some data recovery software lets you recover deleted data and files from your hard drive. Even if you overwrite some new data to the hard drive, some data may still be able to be recovered if the new data doesn’t occupy the entire cluster space of the old data.
How to Wipe a Hard Drive
Wiping a Hard Drive will take several hours to days, depending on the hard disk types and methods you choose. Wiping off a hard disk will vary depending on the type of software you are using.
As you can see in this article, we have listed the 10 best hard disk software in 2022. Each software has its interface and way of methods to wipe a hard disk.
So, wiping the hard drive will depend on the type of software you choose from, the best disk wipe software.
Why you need to use Disk Wipe Software
If you are planning to sell your old computer or laptop, or claim a warranty replacement for your hard drive, then you should use any drive wiper software to remove your personal information from the hard drive altogether.
Because bad people can misuse your data, you do not need to buy any software to wipe your hard drive, but there is some trusted drive wiper software available in the market which can do this free of cost.
01. DBAN
DBAN Is a popular free and open-source software considered the best hard drive wipe software. Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is designed for completely wiping the entire drive permanently.
You can choose different wiping methods to erase data from various kinds of drives in Windows 10/8/7. It also supports several advanced algorithms like DoD 5220.22-M, the random data destruction method.
However, you need to burn the ISO image of this software to a flash drive or DVD/CD with a DVD burning software and then run it from the external hard drive when restarting Windows.
02. Diskwipe
Diskwipe is also a top hard drive wipe software. Unlike MiniTool Partition Wizard Pro Ultimate or DBAN, which allows you to create a bootable CD/DVD so that you can use them to wipe personal hard drive data without an operating system.
Diskwipe is a windows app, so you can only run this tool on the existing Windows OS. You cannot use it to wipe the current operating system’s hard drive. But you can use it to erase internal SSD and external hard drives.
03. KillDisk
KillDisk is also a top free hard drive wipe software for Windows 10/8/7. It has a free version and an advanced version. Its free version only has one type of hard drive erasing method: erase hard drive with one pass zeros.
If you want to try other ways to wipe the hard drives, you must pay for the professional version. KillDisk supports Windows XP to Windows 10, but some of its features do not work in the freemium version.
04. CCleaner Drive Wiper
CCleaner is an excellent PC hard drive wiper software that allows you to wipe computers or external drives. You can use it to wipe data from free space on the hard drive or wipe the entire drive. The advanced version also needs to pay.
CCleaner drive wiper operates from the inside Windows operating system, so you cannot wipe the C drive, and the drive in this software is installed. But the CCleaner drive wiper lets you wipe free space of that drive.
05. Windows 10 Built-in Hard Disk Wiper
If you want to wipe a hard drive on Windows 10, you don’t need to go anywhere. The operating system comes preloaded with a hard drive eraser that can make your hard drive look like a new one.
But this pre-built hard drive wipe software is only helpful if you want to clean the hard drive installed on your computer and get rid of all the data.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- Under Reset this PC, click on Get Started.
- Click on Remove everything and follow the steps.
Check this article to learn How to stop Windows 10 updates.
06. MHDD
MHDD is another freeware best hard drive wipe software that can be used to erase both mechanical and solid-state hard drives securely. MHDD is a pure MS-DOS operating system, straightforward to download and use.
Like other software, it lets you download the software in ISO, which can be mounted to a disc. Refer to the MHDD official page for detailed information on how to use this software to wipe your hard drive securely.
07. Eraser
Eraser is another complex drive wipe software that offers a free, robust data wiping tool that can thoroughly remove sensitive data from your hard drive. Eraser offers multiple data sanitization techniques.
Eraser is the best DBAN alternative software that offers bootable media.
Eraser software can be used to wipe from individual folders to an entire hard drive on the system. Eraser lets you schedule the disk wiping task at a particular time if you want to start the disk wiping automatically for some reason; you can also create and save multiple disk wipe tasks depending on your needs.
08. Hardwipe
Hardwipe is another best hard drive wipe software that runs from inside Windows operating systems and works with all operating systems from Windows XP to Windows 10.
Hardwipe lets you wipe free space or an entire drive, either SSD or HDD. Hardwipe is very simple and easy for anyone to use.
To start wiping load the drive, you wanted to wipe and choose a data sanitization method per your requirement.
Hardwipe support the following Data destruction Methods: DoD 5220.22-M, GOST R 50739-95, Gutmann, Random Data, Schneier, VSITR, Write Zero
09. CBL Data Shredder
CBL Data Shredder is a great hard drive wipe software that lets you boot via disk or USB stick. One of the best DBAN alternative software, you can even install this software on your Windows to operate from the inside.
CBL Data Shredder software works from Windows XP to Windows 10 operating systems.
If you are inside the Windows operating system, you can wipe the internal or external hard drives, but to wipe the primary drive, you need to operate this software from the boot.
CBL Data Shredder offers the following Data Sanitization Methods: DoD 5220.22-M, Gutmann, RMCP DSX, Schneier, VSITR.
10. Secure Eraser
Secure Eraser is another tremendous hard drive wipe software that helps you wipe hard drives. You can select the whole drive or a single partition that should be wiped by simply clicking the state deletion button.
Secure Eraser offers the following Data Sanitization Methods: DoD 5220.22-M, Gutmann, Random Data, and VSITR.
Secure Eraser operates from inside the Windows, not like (DBAN in our list) so, by default, you can’t use Secure Eraser, the primary hard drive installed on it (like the C drive).
Secure Eraser support HDDs and SSDs, as well as USB-connected storage devices.
How to Wipe a Hard Drive Windows 10
To wipe a hard disk in Windows 10, follow the below steps very carefully.
- Attached is the hard drive which you want to wipe securely
- Select and Installed any of the one Best Hard Drive Wipe Software in 2022
- Following instructions very carefully
Wiping a hard drive will depend on the software your choose. If you don’t want to install third-party software on your device, you can use the Windows 10 option to wipe your hard disk. For more information, check out How to wipe a hard disk using Windows 10 Built-in process.
I hope this article, “The 10 Most Successful Hard Drive Wipe Software in 2022,” helps you choose the best free disk wipe software. If you still have questions about how to eradicate data in your hard drive, please let me know in the comment section. I will do my best to clarify your doubts.
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There is also Redkey USB. I have one and it is very good and easy to use.
Thank for the list. It was helpful to choose the best one.
Great Article.Many Thanks for researching this just what I was looking forward to reading.
Thank you Fraser. 🙂
very helpful information great Article.Many Thanks for researching this just what I was looking forward to reading. and use