{"id":102823,"date":"2024-06-25T08:46:59","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T15:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=102823"},"modified":"2025-12-11T11:48:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T19:48:36","slug":"how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Rid of Your PC? Here\u2019s How to Wipe a Windows SSD or Hard Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
\"A<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do you have an old PC lying around that you\u2019d love to throw away or donate? Before you take it to the recycling center, you definitely want to scrub it of all your data. And there\u2019s a bit more to it than just deleting your files and emptying the recycle bin.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This guide will help you make sure all of your personal data is wiped from the machine so you can be confident it\u2019s all gone before you give it away or recycle it.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First things first: Back up your computer<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Before you do anything, make sure your data is backed up. You want to be able to load it all on to a new computer, or at least keep it in an archive, so you can access it after you dispose of your old machine. The best plan for backing anything up is the 3-2-1 backup strategy<\/a> where you keep three<\/strong> copies of your data on two<\/strong> types of media with one<\/strong> copy off-site. Your first copy is the one on your computer. Your second copy can be kept on an external hard drive or other external media. And, your third copy should be kept in an off-site location like the cloud. If you\u2019re not backing up an off-site copy, now is a great time to get started<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You can easily create a backup using Windows Backup on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11. If you save that to an external hard drive, you can then move your files to a new computer or just keep it as a local backup. Once you\u2019re backed up, you\u2019re ready to wipe your PC\u2019s internal hard drive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to completely wipe a PC<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In most cases, wiping a PC involves simply reformatting the disk and reinstalling Windows using the Reset function. If you are recycling, donating, or selling your PC, the Reset function makes data recovery sufficiently difficult, especially if your data is encrypted (more on that later). This process is straightforward in Windows versions 8, 8.1, 10, and 11, and works for both hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to reset Windows 10 and 11<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Follow these instructions for different versions of Windows to reset your PC:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Go to Settings<\/strong> \u2192 System<\/strong> (In Windows 10: Update & Security<\/strong>) \u2192 Recovery<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  2. Under Reset this PC,<\/strong> click Reset<\/strong> PC<\/strong>. (In Windows 10: Click Get Started<\/strong>.)<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  3. Choose Remove everything<\/strong>. If you\u2019re not getting rid of your PC, you can use Keep my files<\/strong> to give your computer a good cleaning to improve performance.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  4. You will be prompted to choose to reinstall Windows via Cloud download<\/strong> or Local reinstall<\/strong>. If you\u2019re feeling generous and want to give your PC\u2019s next owner a fresh version of Windows, choose Cloud download<\/strong>. This will use internet data. If you\u2019re planning to recycle your PC, Local reinstall<\/strong> works just fine.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  5. In Additional settings<\/strong>, click Change settings<\/strong> and toggle Clean data<\/strong> to on. This takes longer, but it\u2019s the most secure option.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  6. Click Reset<\/strong> to start the process.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    How to reset Windows 8 and 8.1<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      \r\n
    1. Go to Settings<\/strong> \u2192 Change PC Settings<\/strong> \u2192 Update and Recovery<\/strong> \u2192 Recovery<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    2. Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows<\/strong>, click Get started<\/strong>, then click Next<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    3. Select Fully clean the drive<\/strong>. This takes longer, but it\u2019s the most secure option.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    4. Click Reset<\/strong> to start the process.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Secure erase using third-party tools<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      If the reset option doesn\u2019t totally put your mind at ease, or if you have a PC running Windows 7 or older, you have another option\u2014third-party tools. There are a number of good third-party tools you can use to securely erase your disk, which we\u2019ll get into below. These are different depending on whether you have an internal HDD or an SSD.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      How do I find out I have an HDD or SSD in my Windows laptop?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

      Most desktops and laptops sold in the last few years will have an SSD, but you can easily check to be sure:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        \r\n
      1. Open Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      2. Type \u201cDefragment\u201d in the search bar.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      3. Click on Defragment and Optimize Your Drives<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      4. Check the media type of your drive.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
        \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
        \"A\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
        \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        How to securely erase your Windows drive using third-party tools<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        Now that you know what kind of drive you have, here are your options for wiping your Windows drive:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        Securely erase an HDD<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

        The process for erasing an HDD involves overwriting the data, and there are many utilities out there to do it yourself:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          \r\n
        1. DBAN:<\/a> Short for Darik\u2019s Boot and Nuke, DBAN has been around for years and is a well-known and trusted drive wipe utility for HDDs. It does multiple pass rewrites (binary ones and zeros) on the disk. You\u2019ll need to download it to a USB drive and run it from there.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
        2. Disk Wipe:<\/a> Disk Wipe is another free utility that does multiple rewrites of binary data. You can choose from a number of different methods for overwriting your disk. Disk Wipe is also portable, so you don\u2019t need to install it to use it.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
        3. Eraser:<\/a> Eraser is also free to use. It gives you the most control over how you erase your disk. Like Disk Wipe, you can choose from different methods that include varying numbers of rewrites, or you can define your own.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          Keep in mind, any disk erase utility that does multiple rewrites is going to take quite a while to complete.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          If you\u2019re using Windows 7 or older and you\u2019re just looking to recycle your PC, you can stop here. If you intend to sell or donate your PC, you\u2019ll need the original installation discs (yes, that\u2019s discs with a \u201cc\u201d\u2026remember? Those round shiny things?) to reinstall a fresh version of Windows.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          \r\n
          https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_xYlRY9ZHiU<\/div>\r\n
          Don\u2019t worry. You can still make use of those discs.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
          \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          Securely erase an SSD<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

          You have a few options for securely erasing an SSD. These third-party tools will do the trick:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            \r\n
          1. Parted Magic:<\/a> Parted Magic is the most regularly recommended third-party erase tool for SSDs, but it does cost $11. It\u2019s a bootable tool like some of the HDD erase tools\u2014you have to download it to a USB drive and run it from there.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
          2. ATA Secure Erase:<\/a> ATA Secure Erase is a command that basically shocks your SSD. It uses a voltage spike to flush stored electrons. While this sounds damaging (and it does cause some wear), it\u2019s perfectly safe. It doesn\u2019t overwrite the data like other secure erase tools, so there\u2019s actually less damage done to the SSD.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            Encrypting data on a Windows PC<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            Even if you\u2019re not getting rid of your computer, encrypting your data is a good idea. If your laptop falls into the wrong hands, encryption makes it that much harder for criminals to access your personal information. But, if you have an SSD, encrypting your data is even more important, both before you get rid of it and just in general. Why? The way SSDs store and retrieve data is different from HDDs<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            HDDs store data at specific physical locations on the drive platter. In contrast, SSDs use electronic circuits and memory cells, which are organized into pages and blocks, to store data. Constant writing and rewriting to the same blocks can wear out an SSD over time. To mitigate this, SSDs employ a technique called “wear leveling,” which distributes data across the entire drive, preventing it from being stored in just one physical location.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            When you tell an SSD to erase data, it doesn’t overwrite the existing data. Instead, it writes new data to a different block. Consequently, some of your old data may remain on the SSD until the wear leveling process eventually overwrites those cells. So, it\u2019s smart to encrypt your data before erasing it from an SSD. This ensures that any residual data is protected. If any data is left lurking, at least no one will be able to read it without an encryption key.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

            Encrypting your data first isn\u2019t necessarily a requirement, but if Windows Reset is not enough for you and you\u2019ve come this far, we figure it\u2019s a step you\u2019d want to take. The process isn\u2019t complicated, but not every Windows machine is the same. First, check to see if your device is encrypted by default:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

              \r\n
            1. Open the Start<\/strong> menu.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
            2. Scroll to the Windows Administrative Tools<\/strong> dropdown menu.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
            3. Select System Information<\/strong>. You can also search for \u201csystem information\u201d in the taskbar.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
            4. If the Device Encryption Support<\/strong> value is \u201cMeets prerequisites,\u201d you\u2019re good to go\u2014encryption is enabled on your device.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

              If not, your next step is to check if your device has BitLocker built in:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                \r\n
              1. Open Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
              2. Type \u201cBitLocker\u201d in the search bar.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
              3. Click Manage BitLocker<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
              4. Click Turn on BitLocker<\/strong> and follow the prompts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                If neither of those options are available, you can use third-party software to encrypt your internal SSD. VeraCrypt<\/a> and AxCrypt<\/a> are both good options. Just remember to record the encryption passcode somewhere and also the operating system (OS), OS version, and the encryption tool you used so you can recover the files later on if desired.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                The nuclear option<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                Encrypting, resetting, and\/or wiping your drive with a third-party tool should be more than enough to make sure your data is protected and your laptop or desktop is clean before you donate or recycle it. But maybe you\u2019re still feeling wary about it. In that case, you always have the option to destroy the drive yourself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                When nothing less than total destruction will do, just make sure you do it safely. The safest and most secure way to destroy an HDD, and the only way we\u2019d recommend physically destroying an SSD, is to shred it<\/a>. Check with your local electronics recycling center to see if they have a shredder you can use. (And, you absolutely want to ask if you can watch as giant metal gears chomp down on your drive. Metal.) Shredding it should be a last resort though. Drives typically last five to 10 years, and millions get shredded every year before the end of their useful life.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                \r\n
                https:\/\/youtu.be\/7OPAJvK0zbw<\/div>\r\n
                If you have a megabot ready to go, you should first crush, then shred your drives.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
                \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                Still have questions about how to securely erase or destroy your hard drives? Let us know in the comments. And if you\u2019re curious about how to erase a Mac HDD or SSD, read our guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

                FAQs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
                \u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
                \r\n
                How do I wipe a PC?<\/strong>\r\n

                In most cases, wiping a PC involves simply reformatting the disk and reinstalling Windows using the Reset function. If you are recycling, donating, or selling your PC, the Reset function makes data recovery sufficiently difficult, especially if your data is encrypted. You can also use third-party tools to securely wipe a PC drive.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

                How do I encrypt data on a PC drive?<\/strong>\r\n

                First, check to see if your device is encrypted by default. You can search \u201csystem information\u201d in the search bar. If the Device Encryption Support<\/strong> value is \u201cMeets prerequisites,\u201d you\u2019re good to go\u2014encryption is enabled on your device. If not, your next step is to check if your device has BitLocker built in. Type \u201cBitLocker\u201d in the search bar, click Manage BitLocker<\/strong>, then click Turn on BitLocker<\/strong> and follow the prompts. If neither of those options are available, you can use third-party software to encrypt your internal SSD. VeraCrypt<\/a> and AxCrypt<\/a> are both good options.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

                How do I safely dispose of an SSD or HDD myself?<\/strong>\r\n

                The safest and most secure way to destroy an HDD, and the only way we\u2019d recommend physically destroying an SSD, is to shred it<\/a>. Check with your local electronics recycling center to see if they have a shredder you can use (or if they\u2019ll at least let you watch as giant metal gears chomp down on your drive). Shredding it should be a last resort though. Drives typically last five to 10 years, and millions get shredded every year before the end of their useful life.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Read this post to learn how to securely erase your PC drive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":111366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[121,434,437],"tags":[469],"class_list":["post-102823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backing-up","category-featured-1","category-featured-backing-up","tag-consumerbackup","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Securely Wipe a Windows PC SSD or Hard Drive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We walk you through several easy ways to make sure your Windows PC is as clean as the day it left the factory.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Securely Wipe a Windows PC SSD or Hard Drive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We walk you through several easy ways to make sure your Windows PC is as clean as the day it left the factory.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/backblaze\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-25T15:46:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-11T19:48:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bb-bh-How-to-Wipe-a-PC_Design-B.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"820\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Molly Clancy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@backblaze\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@backblaze\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Molly Clancy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Securely Wipe a Windows PC SSD or Hard Drive","description":"We walk you through several easy ways to make sure your Windows PC is as clean as the day it left the factory.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Securely Wipe a Windows PC SSD or Hard Drive","og_description":"We walk you through several easy ways to make sure your Windows PC is as clean as the day it left the factory.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/","og_site_name":"Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/backblaze","article_published_time":"2024-06-25T15:46:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-11T19:48:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":820,"url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bb-bh-How-to-Wipe-a-PC_Design-B.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Molly Clancy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@backblaze","twitter_site":"@backblaze","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Molly Clancy","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/"},"author":{"name":"Molly Clancy","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a92e54b3011e599a575611dbbb443b5c"},"headline":"Getting Rid of Your PC? 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Here\u2019s How to Wipe a Windows SSD or Hard Drive"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/","name":"Backblaze Cloud Solutions Blog","description":"Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Backblaze","url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/backblaze_icon_transparent.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/backblaze_icon_transparent.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Backblaze"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/backblaze","https:\/\/x.com\/backblaze","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/Backblaze","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Backblaze"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a92e54b3011e599a575611dbbb443b5c","name":"Molly Clancy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ClancyMolly_Headshot_reduced-150x150.png","url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ClancyMolly_Headshot_reduced-150x150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ClancyMolly_Headshot_reduced-150x150.png","caption":"Molly Clancy"},"description":"Molly Clancy is a content writer who specializes in explaining tech concepts in an easy, approachable way. With more than 15 years of experience, she has a broad background in industries ranging from B2B tech to engineering to luxury travel. A deep curiosity drives her repeated success explaining what terms like OS kernel and preflight request mean so that anyone can understand them.","url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/author\/molly\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329514794","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329514794","name":"How do I wipe a PC?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In most cases, wiping a PC involves simply reformatting the disk and reinstalling Windows using the Reset function. If you are recycling, donating, or selling your PC, the Reset function makes data recovery sufficiently difficult, especially if your data is encrypted. You can also use third-party tools to securely wipe a PC drive.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329534473","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329534473","name":"How do I encrypt data on a PC drive?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"First, check to see if your device is encrypted by default. You can search \u201csystem information\u201d in the search bar. If the <strong>Device Encryption Support<\/strong> value is \u201cMeets prerequisites,\u201d you\u2019re good to go\u2014encryption is enabled on your device. If not, your next step is to check if your device has BitLocker built in. Type \u201cBitLocker\u201d in the search bar, click <strong>Manage BitLocker<\/strong>, then click <strong>Turn on BitLocker<\/strong> and follow the prompts. If neither of those options are available, you can use third-party software to encrypt your internal SSD. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axcrypt.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VeraCrypt<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axcrypt.net\/\">AxCrypt<\/a> are both good options.<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329565106","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-wipe-pc-ssd-or-hard-drive\/#faq-question-1719329565106","name":"How do I safely dispose of an SSD or HDD myself?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The safest and most secure way to destroy an HDD, and the only way we\u2019d recommend physically destroying an SSD, is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-securely-recycle-or-dispose-of-your-ssd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shred it<\/a>. Check with your local electronics recycling center to see if they have a shredder you can use (or if they\u2019ll at least let you watch as giant metal gears chomp down on your drive). Shredding it should be a last resort though. Drives typically last five to 10 years, and millions get shredded every year before the end of their useful life.\u00a0<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bb-bh-How-to-Wipe-a-PC_Design-B.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/backblazeprod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}