Wiping both primary ssd and secondary hdd

amd vs nvida · Jul 17, 2018

I recently found virus on my computer and since i dont feel like going throught the process of cecking if its safe.

Therefor i need to wipe both primary SSD and my secondary HDD. How do i do this in the most easy and efficient way?

amd vs nvida · Jul 17, 2018

MERGED QUESTION
Question from amd vs nvida : "Wiping both primary ssd and secondary hdd"

I recently found virus on my computer and since i dont feel like going throught the process of cecking if its safe.

Therefor i need to wipe both primary SSD and my secondary HDD. How do i do this in the most easy and efficient way?

Paperdoc · Jul 17, 2018

For the SSD I can't tell you exactly, but I recommend you check with the manufacturer of that unit for their free utility service tools. I expect that will include a means of erasing all data on it, or possibly over-writing all old data, just as I recommend for the HDD (below).

For the HDD, the safest method is a Zero-Fill. This process will write all zeros to EVERY Sector of the HDD so there is NO old data left anywhere. (As an aside, it also triggers an internal self-diagnostic and fixing tool.) When it is finished, the HDD is completely empty just like new from the factory. This process takes a long time (writes to every Sector), so just be patient.

You realize, of course, that this will destroy all data AND your Operating System. That is the whole point, right? When you have them both wiped, I suggest you do this sequence. DISCONNECT the HDD and leave installed and connected ONLY the SSD (I ASSUME that is to be your boot device with your OS on it) plus an optical drive IF that is where you will have your OS Install source. Set your BIOS to boot and run from the optical drive (if that's where you have an Install CD) or from a USB port (if that's where your OS Install stick is). Boot and run from there to install the OS on the SSD.

When the OS is running, remove the Install medium and shut down. Now install the HDD. Boot and go into BIOS SETUP immediately and set your machine to boot from the SSD. Remember to SAVE and EXIT to save this setting and let it boot up. When the system is running, go into Disk Management and find the empty HDD. RIGHT-click on it and tell it to Create a New Simple Volume on that drive, probably using all of its space unless you have other specific plans. IF the HDD is over 2 TB capacity, you will have to ensure it uses the new GPT Partitioning system, not the older MBR system. If you have the option, you do not need to do a Full Format because you've just done a thorough check of the unit. Just choose a Quick Format. When it's done, back out of Disk Management and reboot. Both storage systems should be ready to use.

Now you can start to re-Install all your application software.

The reason for that sequence is to defeat a Windows "feature" that can cause trouble. A normal Windows Install will look for a second storage device and, if one is available (e.g. your HDD) it will place on it in a small semi-hidden Partition a bunch of back-up copies of system files before doing the actual Install on the planned boot drive. The plan is that, if at some time in the future it starts to boot and finds corrupted system files on the boot drive, it will go find the backups on the other drive, copy over replacement good copies, then finish the boot. Self-fixing! Neat, eh? BUT on every boot event from now on it will check that those safe copies are there and if they are not (e.g., if you removed the HDD) it CANNOT BOOT without them! By NOT having the HDD installed when you Install Windows on the SSD you force it to put the spare backup copies on the SSD, too, so that they always will be found and you can always boot up as long as the SSD is working.

seagate_surfer · Jul 17, 2018

amd vs nvida, you could use a low level format to get rid of the virus.

Why would I want to Zero Fill my drive?

The most common reasons to Zero Fill a SATA or ATA (IDE) hard drive are:

to remove a virus that cannot be removed without destroying the boot sector.
to change from one operating system to another and wish to remove everything from the drive.
to erase confidential information for privacy reasons.
to scan for bad sectors that can be detected and replaced with good spare sectors when writing to the sectors.

amd vs nvida · Jul 17, 2018

Paperdoc :

For the SSD I can't tell you exactly, but I recommend you check with the manufacturer of that unit for their free utility service tools. I expect that will include a means of erasing all data on it, or possibly over-writing all old data, just as I recommend for the HDD (below).

For the HDD, the safest method is a Zero-Fill. This process will write all zeros to EVERY Sector of the HDD so there is NO old data left anywhere. (As an aside, it also triggers an internal self-diagnostic and fixing tool.) When it is finished, the HDD is completely empty just like new from the factory. This process takes a long time (writes to every Sector), so just be patient.

You realize, of course, that this will destroy all data AND your Operating System. That is the whole point, right? When you have them both wiped, I suggest you do this sequence. DISCONNECT the HDD and leave installed and connected ONLY the SSD (I ASSUME that is to be your boot device with your OS on it) plus an optical drive IF that is where you will have your OS Install source. Set your BIOS to boot and run from the optical drive (if that's where you have an Install CD) or from a USB port (if that's where your OS Install stick is). Boot and run from there to install the OS on the SSD.

When the OS is running, remove the Install medium and shut down. Now install the HDD. Boot and go into BIOS SETUP immediately and set your machine to boot from the SSD. Remember to SAVE and EXIT to save this setting and let it boot up. When the system is running, go into Disk Management and find the empty HDD. RIGHT-click on it and tell it to Create a New Simple Volume on that drive, probably using all of its space unless you have other specific plans. IF the HDD is over 2 TB capacity, you will have to ensure it uses the new GPT Partitioning system, not the older MBR system. If you have the option, you do not need to do a Full Format because you've just done a thorough check of the unit. Just choose a Quick Format. When it's done, back out of Disk Management and reboot. Both storage systems should be ready to use.

Now you can start to re-Install all your application software.

The reason for that sequence is to defeat a Windows "feature" that can cause trouble. A normal Windows Install will look for a second storage device and, if one is available (e.g. your HDD) it will place on it in a small semi-hidden Partition a bunch of back-up copies of system files before doing the actual Install on the planned boot drive. The plan is that, if at some time in the future it starts to boot and finds corrupted system files on the boot drive, it will go find the backups on the other drive, copy over replacement good copies, then finish the boot. Self-fixing! Neat, eh? BUT on every boot event from now on it will check that those safe copies are there and if they are not (e.g., if you removed the HDD) it CANNOT BOOT without them! By NOT having the HDD installed when you Install Windows on the SSD you force it to put the spare backup copies on the SSD, too, so that they always will be found and you can always boot up as long as the SSD is working.

Wow thanks for the long response. But you said that i should zero fill the hdd. How do i do that exactly? Should i use a program like Dban or something else?

Paperdoc · Jul 17, 2018

OOOPS! Sorry, I forgot the most important item!

Yes, DBAN has a good Zero Fill tool. Another option MAY be free HDD utility software tools from the maker of your HDD. Most often these are customized for drives from that maker only, whereas DBAN tries to deal with any drive. For example, if your HDD is from WD, get their Data Lifeguard. If from Seagate, get their Seatools. For each of those, there are at least two versions. One runs as an application under Windows, so you must be using it on a computer that boots into Windows first. The other is a "for DOS" version that you can download and install on a USB memory stick, or another version for burning to a CD. In that latter case, you then need a disk burning utility like Nero that can burn an .iso file to a CD. This creates a complete bootable CD. Once it is made, you can set your machine to boot from that CD (or, from the USB stick if that was your choice) with the troubled HDD also installed. The advantage of this system is that you can boot and run a mini-DOS system right from that disk with NO working HDD or SSD in your machine. You use the tools from that disk to do your work.

The first step is to specify what HDD to work on. Be VERY SURE you specify the right one - you will destroy all data on the specified disk, so don't do that to the wrong drive!! For safety, I usually disconnect all drives except the one I'm going to work on. The next step is to choose what tools you want to use, because this is a multi-use diagnostic and repair suite. Some of the tools are safe for data, and some will destroy data after waning you about that. In your case, OP, you don't want any special diagnostics. Your current interest is just to Zero Fill the HDD, so go directly to that.

When that step is done you can use the tools to examine some disk characteristics to check its health. Finally, you simply exit from this tool set, remove the utility CD or stick, and shut down. Re-connect anything you disconnected to restore the machine to normal operation, boot into BIOS Setup to re-set the Boot Priority, then SAVE and EXIT to save and reboot to normal. Now you have a wiped-clean old HDD.

Paperdoc · Jul 18, 2018

Thanks for Best solution.

Search

Wiping both primary ssd and secondary hdd

amd vs nvida

Distinguished

Paperdoc

amd vs nvida

Distinguished

Paperdoc

Polypheme

seagate_surfer

Admirable

amd vs nvida

Distinguished

Paperdoc

Polypheme

Paperdoc

Polypheme

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page