Easy Methods to Wipe a Hard Drive Without Deleting Windows
Read time: 5 minutes
Lately, there has been a growing interest among users regarding the feasibility of erasing a hard drive without affecting the Windows operating system. The good news is that indeed, it is possible to cleanse a hard drive without causing any disruption to the pre-installed Windows OS. This procedure is typically carried out when individuals intend to sell their PC after a period of use.
When you delete files and folders manually in Windows, the operating system doesn’t instantly erase the “deleted” file. Instead, Windows removes the file’s entry from its index. The actual data remains undamaged on the hard drive and are easily recoverable by using any Windows data recovery software. To ensure the complete removal of files and folders, it’s essential to thoroughly erase the hard drive. Once the hard disk has been wiped clean, you can either reinstall Windows or restore a recovery partition without the need for a fresh Windows installation.
The primary objective when erasing a hard drive is to ensure that the previous data becomes unrecoverable in any form, effectively achieving complete data removal from the drive. Below, we’ll explore various techniques for wiping a hard drive while preserving the Windows operating system.
When it comes to removing files from a hard drive, one option is manual deletion. Many individuals opt for manually sifting through their files and deleting them. However, this method is not recommended for securely wiping a hard drive. If any essential Windows files are accidentally deleted during the process, it can lead to system issues, necessitating a fresh Windows installation. As a result, this approach is generally considered unreliable and risky, offering less-than-ideal results in terms of data security.
And even sometimes when we delete or empty recycle bin, we think that all files are permanently got deleted but they occupy the system storage space and are recoverable, so we must have some professional solution that deletes files permanently from your recycle bin.
Occasionally, the most effective way to thoroughly clean a hard drive involves formatting it. This process is typically carried out when you intend to format the C drive, which houses the Windows installation. However, it’s important to note that this approach may not be suitable if you wish to retain your Windows operating system.
The steps to reset the PC are different in different versions of Windows.
If you choose to Erase data quickly, some data may possibly be recoverable using a third-party tool.
If you choose to Erase data thoroughly, this will take longer but it makes data recovery likely impossible.
This method is used to remove everything while restoring the computer to the default state.
Using this Kernel File Shredder tool, one can simply shred sensitive and important files. One can tailor the shredding process to suit their specific requirements. For individuals seeking to safeguard their confidential data with utmost security, it becomes an essential practice. This process is renowned for its ability to permanently erase data from hard drives, rendering it irretrievable.
This best file eraser software comes with a simple interface that makes it easy to work upon and even you can easily schedule time using ‘Scheduler’ for automatic deletion of files and folders at any time. For better understanding, you can the trial version of the software which is completely free for 30-days after downloading it.
I trust you will find this blog post to be of assistance. If you are seeking a way to erase a hard drive while preserving the Windows operating system, there are both manual methods and professional solutions available. Among the manual options, I personally recommend using the “resetting the PC” feature as the most effective solution. However, if you require a more advanced and foolproof approach, consider employing Kernel File Shredder. This professional tool performs exceptionally well and ensures that once files or folders are shredded using it, they become irretrievable, even by sophisticated recovery tools.
