Best way to totally wipe a SSD/HD?

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kenshindono

kenshindono

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Whats the best way to totally wipe a SSD? I just built a system for my father and finished installing the drivers and everything (was kinda a pain gigabytes drivers required a certain order). Well unfortunatly he went and used it before i had all the virus and security settings installed and seems to have some malware toolbar that i cant get rid of on chrome. Every time i blast it it comes back a day or two later. 'Internet helper 3.1' I can probably get rid of it with enough research and trial and error but i dont really have the time for that. At this point it would just be easier to totally wipe the HD and start again

I just want to know what the best way to totally format/wipe the drive would be. So that im sure the malware isnt still hiding somewhere. Its a SSD. A 128gb samsung 840 evo that i was using just for the OS. I was going to just use the windows 7 install disk to wipe the partition then reinstall windows, but i want to make SURE its totally gone. I heard that doesn't work right sometimes. How can i totally format/wipe it and do a clean install from scratch? Does the format option from the win 7 disk work?

thanks
 
Solution
manofchalk
There are secure-erase programs out there that basically write over the whole drive with junk data to to make it near impossible to recover any of the original, that will definitely kill your virus. Though that's pretty overkill and I'm sure isnt healthy for an SSD. I think a plain reformat would be sufficient.
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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This is one of the reasons I always put a duplicate OS install on the HD. If ya wanna plan for the futre:

1. Disconnect SSD data cable.

2. With HD connected to 2nd lowest SATA port, delete volume and format a 128GB OS partition.

3. Install OS, install drivers, run Windows Update the 27 times until it's finished and says no more.

4. Check all drivers and make sure latest updates installed.

5 Create secondary partitions as you see fit for programs, data, games, backups whatever.

6 Labels all partitions say C-HDBoot" for OS C:\ partition .... "D-Programs" as label if that's what D:\ is

7. Change all Program letters other than C:\ to something else and back again, this will hard code them and stop windows from reshuffling under this boot.

8. Shut down and connect SSD data cable to lowest numbered SATA port, remove HD data cable

9. Format SSD and repeat step 3, 4, 6 & 7 on SSD with same letters .... change the HD boot partiton letter to X:\

10. Install all programs, data, games whatever to partitions as appropriate.

11. Shut down and use BIOS boot order to Boot from SSD.

12. Change SSD letter to X:\ .... now each OS will see the other boot partition as X:\

13. At this point, if ya want, ya can reinstall other programs, and games over themselves to set up registry on this boot for each of them. Not necessary.... basically I just use this boot to either make an OS image from the SSD and store it in backup partition.





 
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kenshindono

kenshindono

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Yea, I figured i couldn't format it while stil in use. The win 7 install disk option seemed the best solution; i just wanted to make sure that would actualy totally format the HD for a clean install. I didn't want it popping back up. Will the windows 7 install disk format option, then a clean windows 7 install work? Im not familiar with SSD's. Is there any difference in doing this to one of them over a regular HD?



Yea, like i said i just want to verify that if i do the clean install off the disk again that it will totally format/wipe the whole HD and not leave the malware hiding somewhere. I read that most format options dont actually delete the data off your harddrive. Would the windows format from the win 7 boot disk/fresh install work here?

i think any program i use will require me to install the os elsewhere to do it so thats more of a hassle. If the windows 7 install disk option would work that would be best. Assuming it is, what do i do? Delete partition or format or both?

Thanks for the suggestion JackNaylorPE. I may try doing all that if he manages to screw it all up again, but for now i just want to get this done as fast as i can. I think he should be good if i put the virus protection and browser plugins on it before he uses it.
 
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ACTechy

ACTechy

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Yeah the installing/formatting works the same as it would on a hard drive. Only real difference is Windows 7 optimizes the OS for SSD. You'll be good just reinstalling.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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There are secure-erase programs out there that basically write over the whole drive with junk data to to make it near impossible to recover any of the original, that will definitely kill your virus. Though that's pretty overkill and I'm sure isnt healthy for an SSD. I think a plain reformat would be sufficient.
 
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Solution
kenshindono

kenshindono

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alright guys thanks i guess i'll do the windows format option. Im not concerned about sensitive data or anything, i just want to make sure the malware isn't there. It sounds like you guys are saying that the win 7 format should be fine, right?
Assuming thats the case then Just one more question: im assuming i should do the actual format and not just delete the partition, right? Should i do both? delete partition then format?

Also: i heard SSD get slower over time and require a reformat from time to time. Will the format option in the win 7 boot disk count as that?
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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Just a plain reformat should be fine.
Deleting the partition and creating a new one, against just reformatting the partition, to my knowledge does the same thing.

Just make sure TRIM is enabled and your SSD should stay fast, reformatting it wouldnt help with speed. Also, never defrag an SSD, they dont need it and it thrashes an SSD's number of write cycles.
 
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ACTechy

ACTechy

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+1 ^
You'll be fine mate!
 
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