How to Delete All Files on a Hard Drive

The hard drive of modern computers can store millions of files--many hidden and protected from being easily removed. While some files can be shared, such as favorite music or family photos, other files may contain personal data, including passwords and financial information, which require greater security. Depending on those security needs, deleting all files from a hard drive could be quickly accomplished or require some forethought before a PC is sold or turned over to a new owner.

Instructions

1. Sending individual files to the recycle bin is the simplest way to delete data on a PC. However, it is well-known that deleting will not erase the actual file, only the path to that file. For file-by-file Windows deletions, you can use the free SDelete application or Spybot's Secure Shredder option. Mac owners may use the "Secure Empty Trash" menu item from the MacOSX Finder.

2. Formatting the hard drive allows you to securely delete your entire system. Although the data remains after a simple format, PC and Mac owners have more secure options. Eraser is a free Windows application which overwrites the data. Mac owners of Apple's 10.4 MacOS can use the included "Disk Utility" and choose to zero out the data or conduct a 7- or 35-pass complete hard drive wipe.

3. Commercially, several applications are available for deleting all data from a hard drive. WipeDrive and SecureClean are just two examples.

4. Destroying your hard disk drive may be the ultimate way of deleting all files securely. You can either drill a couple holes in the drive, expose it to a strong magnetic field or simply grab a hammer and smash it.

5. Teach your family or business that simply sending a file to the recycle bin or hitting delete will not actually destroy the information, only the hard drive's link to the file. While this allows a hard drive's contents to be restored in an emergency, it also allows anyone with appropriate software to recover data you believed was safely deleted.

Tips & Warnings

• Techniques described will permanently remove files. Make sure you back up data that cannot be lost.

References

• Clean and reformat hard drive
• Mac OS X 10.4: About Disk Utility's secure erase options
• Securely Deleting Electronic Information

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• SDelete
• Eraser
• Spybot