How would I wipe my SSDs?

[Statik]

Hey, so my new build is coming in this week, and I'm going to be installing windows on the 1TB M.2 SSD that's coming. But I'm also going to transfer over my 250GB SSD, and 500GB SSD from my current rig. Right now I have my OS and shit on my 250gb, and games on my 500gb. What would the best process be to completely wipe them, so I can install them in my new rig? (I was going to install windows on the HDD then give that rig to my SO).

 

Or would it be easier to just wipe the 500gb, transfer it over, then just reinstall windows on the SSD with a new key?

 

Thanks for any advice.

[SolarNova]

1 minute ago, Statik said:

Hey, so my new build is coming in this week, and I'm going to be installing windows on the 1TB M.2 SSD that's coming. But I'm also going to transfer over my 250GB SSD, and 500GB SSD from my current rig. Right now I have my OS and shit on my 250gb, and games on my 500gb. What would the best process be to completely wipe them, so I can install them in my new rig? (I was going to install windows on the HDD then give that rig to my SO).

 

Or would it be easier to just wipe the 500gb, transfer it over, then just reinstall windows on the SSD with a new key?

 

Thanks for any advice.

Just reformat during the windows installation process. it wont 'secure erase' but it will set the entire drive to 'empty' to allow for new data to be stored.

[Statik]

1 minute ago, SolarNova said:

Just reformat during the windows installation process. it wont 'secure erase' but it will set the entire drive to 'empty' to allow for new data to be stored.

Ok sweet, so windows will give me a option to reformat everything during the installation process? And will it give me any issues if I install windows to my M.2, and boot off that even though the 250gb will also be plugged in with a copy of windows on it?

[SolarNova]

8 minutes ago, Statik said:

Ok sweet, so windows will give me a option to reformat everything during the installation process? And will it give me any issues if I install windows to my M.2, and boot off that even though the 250gb will also be plugged in with a copy of windows on it?

So long as ur booting from a windows installation ISO be it via CD (unlikely nowadays) or USB u should be fine. U may need to set the primary boot device via the BIOS if u have the 'old' OS SSD installed in the system at the same time as ur trying to installing the new OS on the new SSD.

 

Once into the installation process, when it ask which drive to install to , u can select any drive and choose to reformat, even if ur not going to install onto that one.

 

Alternatively , just dont connect the Sata lead to the old drive during ur 1st boot, it will only pick up the bootable windows installation ISO and go to that. Once installed u can then reconnect the old drive (with the system shut off) and then from within the new windows install u can format the old drive from there. (assuming the boot order is set to the new M.2 SSD 1st)

Either way should work.

[amdorintel]

Well if you want to erase real real real good to protect your "companies" whatevers then do a quick format, regular format, then use a program to scrub the hdd, do everything many times over, then burn the hard drive and buy a new one.

 

Otherwise I would do a quick format, then a normal format, then its ready to go.

 

Going one step further would be to quick format, normal format then a program to scrub the hdd if there is sensitive company secrets that arent too too secret.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, amdorintel said:

Well if you want to erase real real real good to protect your "companies" whatevers then do a quick format, regular format, then use a program to scrub the hdd, do everything many times over, then burn the hard drive and buy a new one.

First, the op is talking about an SSD. Second, you never wipe (write to it multiple times) an SSD. Doing so unnecessarly shortens write life. Instead, you use secure erase. Most SSDs come with a utility that includes secure erase.

 

In this case, the OP is going to reuse the drive so simply reformatting it is all he needs to do.