Permanently Erase Hard Drive & Reinstall Windows 11

It is crucial to make sure that sensitive data is appropriately erased when it is no longer required, since our computers store a huge amount of personal data. Data may not always be purged by simply removing files or formatting a hard disk.

By employing specialized software, it is quite easy to recover lost data or erased files from a formatted hard disk. Erase your hard drive permanently for the best results if you want to be certain that all of your data has been completely removed. The procedure for permanently wiping a hard disk in Windows 11 is detailed in this article.

Step 1: Backup Your Data

Make sure to back up any data you want to save before starting the process of permanently wiping your hard disk. Important documents, pictures, movies, and any other items you wish to keep can all be included in this.

Step 2: Create Windows 11 Installation Media

To permanently erase your hard drive on a Windows 11 computer, you will need to boot your computer from a Windows 11 installation media. You can create this installation media on a USB drive or DVD by following these steps:

1. Go to the Microsoft website and download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool.
2. Run the Media Creation Tool and follow the prompts to create the installation media.
3. Insert a USB drive or DVD into your computer and select it as the destination for the installation media.
4. Wait for the Media Creation Tool to finish creating the installation media.

Step 3: Boot Your Computer from the Installation Media

Once you have created the Windows 11 installation media, you will need to boot your computer from it. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Insert the USB drive or DVD containing the installation media into your computer.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Press the key that opens the boot menu (usually F12, F10, or ESC) to access the boot menu.
4. Select the USB drive or DVD as the boot device and press Enter.
5. Wait for your computer to boot from the installation media.

Step 4: Begin the Windows 11 Installation Process

Once your computer has booted from the Windows 11 installation media, you will need to begin the installation process. Follow these steps:

1. Select your language, time zone, and keyboard layout.
2. Click on the Install Now button.
3. Enter your Windows 11 product key (if prompted).
4. Accept the license terms and click on the Next button.
5. Select the Custom installation option.
6. Click the Delete button after choosing the hard disk that you wish to permanently delete.
7. By selecting the OK option, you may confirm that you wish to erase the partition.
8. For any additional hard disk partitions you might want to delete data from, repeat steps # 6 and 7.

Step 5: Permanently Erase the Hard Drive

Now that you have deleted all the partitions on the hard drive, it is time to permanently erase the drive. Follow these steps:

1. Select the unallocated space on the hard drive and click on the New button.
2. Set the size of the partition to be the full size of the unallocated space.
3. Select the partition and click on the Format button.
4. In the Format dialog box, select the file system that you want to use (such as NTFS or FAT32).
5. In the Format dialog box, select the Quick Format option.
6. Select OK to start the formatting process.

Step 6: Install Windows 11 on the newly erased hard drive

1. After the format process is complete, select the newly formatted partition and click on the Next button.
2. Wait for Windows 11 to install on the hard drive.
3. Follow the prompts to set up your Windows 11 installation, including creating a user account and configuring your settings.
4. Once the installation is complete, you can begin using your newly installed Windows 11 operating system.

Conclusion

Wiping a hard disk permanently in Windows 11 is an irreversible operation. All data will be completely lost and cannot be restored once the hard disk has been wiped. Hence, before beginning this process, it is important to make sure that you have backed up any vital data.