Nuke hard drive

When a hard drive is locked it may prevent software from having direct disk access to the drive. Sometimes it's easier to just erase the locked drive then try to unlock it. In order to completely erase a locked hard drive, you will need a piece of software included in the "The Ultimate Boot CD" called "Derek's Boot Nuke." The software is completely free to download and use. Step 1 Download the ISO version of The Ultimate Boot CD (See "Resources" for download link). Step 2 Use a free ISO program such as "Power ISO" or "Magic ISO Maker" to burn the ISO file to a CD. Step 3 Insert the CD and restart your computer. Step 4 Press "Enter" to boot The Ultimate Boot CD. Step 5 Select "Hard Disk Tools," then "Wiping Options" then "Derek's Boot Nuke." Step 6 Select the hard drive you wish to erase by using the space bar. Press "F10" to begin erasing the hard drive.

Precise location of these tools will vary depending on the manufacturer and model, you can wipe drives at the hardware level using this method. Note that there's no way to transfer data from the drive(s) within the UEFI/BIOS so be sure to take everything off before booting into the software. 2 Darik's Boot and Nuke BOOM and your data's gone This powerful software is fantastic for clearing drives. Darik's Boot and Nuke is essentially a bootable tool that can erase data securely on both hard drives and SSDs. It can automate the process of removing system BIOS locks, dismantling RAID, providing digital certification of erasure, and overcoming drives that shoot out false positives about internal erasure processes. It's the swiss army knife of drive-wiping tools and should be in your arsenal if you frequently clear SSDs and HDDs. 1 Replace the SSD/HDD with a new one Great for wiping a PC before sale No one can recover data from a drive that has no data to begin with. This method is the best process of wiping a system before selling it. Simply buy a new drive, swap the old one out, install an OS of your choosing, and repurpose the old drive for another PC, or build a NAS and create a home lab for some cool projects. Related Best SSDs in 2025 From 2.5-inch SATA drives to more advanced M.2 NVMe drives, these are the best solid-state drives you can buy right now. Erasing an SSD vs. HDD Hard drives store data differently from solid-state drives, which is why you mustn't use HDD-specific tools on SSDs. Doing so could cause problems for the drive itself. All the methods in this guide will work on HDDs and SSDs, though I recommend checking your manufacturer for available cleaning tools, especially for

Your PC. Then, right-click Start > Disk Management.Right-click your drive (which will be labeled as Not Initialized) and select Initialize Disk.In the dialogue box that appears, make sure that the correct drive is selected. Then, choose GUID Partition Table (GPT) as its partition style. Choose Master Boot Record (MBR) if you’re using an older computer (OK.Once your external drive is initialized, it will be labeled as Unallocated.After getting initialized, you still have to format your drive for it to become usable. See Method 5 for instructions.Method 4: Reinstall DriversExternal HDD drives can become incompatible, outed, or corrupted. Driver conflicts may also arise when there are multiple drivers installed for your device, during software installations and hardware changes, and when there are system errors.Driver issues are a common cause for missing external hard drives; reinstalling your drivers may resolve this error.To reinstall your external HDD’s drivers:Open Device Manager.Expand Disk drives and right-click your drive > Uninstall device.In the dialogue box that appears, click Uninstall.Properly eject your drive, disconnect it from your computer, and reboot your laptop or PC. Then, reconnect your hard drive and allow Windows to reinstall its drivers automatically.Once the drivers have been reinstalled, check if you can use your external HDD normally.Method 5: Format Your External Hard DriveFormatting your external hard drive will completely wipe it, including all of the errors, corruption, and incompatibilities. It’s basically the nuke button that can fix your corrupted hard drive by restoring it to its factory state. If the methods above don’t work, formatting likely will.To format your external hard drive:In File Explorer, right-click your drive > Format.Select a Volume label and File system (we suggest ExFAT) for your external HDD. Then, click Start.Make sure you use a compatible file system like ExFAT (recommended), FAT32, or NTFS. If you use an incompatible

Boot CD is a powerful toolset to fix unbootable computers and recover data from them. It is a self-contained bootable OS on live CD with the following features:1.File Name:ebcd-1.4-demo.zip Author:Mikhail KupchikLicense:Shareware ($29.95)File Size:14.05 MbRuns on:WinXP, Win2003, Win2000, Win Vista, Window2008, Win All, Windows 7, Windows XP X64,Windows Vista, Windows 7 x64, Windows 8, OtherActive Boot Disk Professional combines six powerful tools that let you recover your lost data, reset Windows passwords, make computer system backups and securely erase data. Active Boot Disk is used from a bootable CD-ROM to start the. ...File Name:boot-cd-iso.zip Author:Active@ Data RecoverySoftwareLicense:Shareware ($79.90)File Size:3.93 MbRuns on:Windows 2000, NTActive Boot Disk Professional combines six powerful tools that let you recover your lost data, reset Windows passwords, make computer system backups and securely erase data. Active Boot Disk is used from a bootable CD-ROM to start the PC.File Name:boot-cd-iso.zip Author:Active@ Data RecoverySoftwareLicense:Shareware ($79.95)File Size:3.22 MbRuns on:WindowsA JBD is a bootable CD that, in turn, boots a Slackware Linux system that is on a device connected to a personal computer. A JBD also serves as a handy Live CD for rescue, repair or whatever purpose you find for. ...File Name:JBD.13-1.2_any.1.iso Author:rosevearsoftwareLicense:Freeware (Free)File Size:8.22 MbRuns on:LinuxPC Disk Clone backup computer hard drive and partition to another drive or alternatively in image files. Windows PE Builder is included to help you create PC Disk Clone boot disk.File Name:install_PC_Disk_Clone.exe Author:PC Disk ToolsLicense:Freeware ($)File Size:6.24 MbRuns on:WinXP, WinVista, WinVista x64, Win7 x32, Win7 x64, Windows2000, Windows2003Dariks Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility. ...File Name:Dariks Boot and Nuke Author:Boot And NukeLicense:Freeware (Free)File Size:1.45 MbRuns on:Windows XP, 2000, 98, Me, NTThe

Wiping or securely erasing data from a hard drive is an important step before disposing of or repurposing an old drive. There are several reasons to wipe a drive, including preventing sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands, removing malware or viruses, and preparing a drive for sale or donation.While wiping a hard drive is typically performed by booting into the computer and using disk utility software, there are situations where the computer is broken or otherwise inaccessible. In these cases, alternative methods must be used to wipe the drive without a functioning computer.This article will outline various techniques that can be employed to securely erase a hard drive even when the original computer is not available. With the right tools and techniques, it is possible to thoroughly wipe a hard drive without an attached computer in many circumstances.Why Wipe a Hard Drive?Challenges of Wiping Without a ComputerUsing External Hard Drive EnclosuresStandalone Hard Drive ErasersManual DegaussingDrilling/Physical DestructionSecure Erase CommandsLimitations and PrecautionsConclusionThere are a few key reasons why someone may want to wipe a hard drive without connecting it to a computer first:To protect sensitive data – If the drive contains confidential information like financial records, personal photos or corporate data, you want to make sure it is completely erased before disposing of the drive. Simply deleting files or formatting the drive does not remove the data forever. Wiping the drive overwrites the existing data to prevent recovery.To prevent data recovery – If the hard drive is sold, donated or recycled, you want to prevent the next user from recovering any old files. Wiping the drive cleans it fully before changing ownership.To comply with regulations – Standards like HIPAA and GDPR require proper data destruction. Erasing drives that contained protected info helps companies follow security rules.Challenges of Wiping Without a ComputerWiping a hard drive typically requires software like DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) to overwrite the drive with random data. However, without a working computer, you don’t have access to wipe utilities. In addition, wiping software requires the drive to be powered on and spinning for long periods of time. Outside of a computer, powering and controlling hard drive operation becomes difficult.Specifically, the two main challenges are:No software access – With the hard drive outside of a computer, you can’t boot into wiping tools or connect the drive to wipe it.Power limitations – Hard drives alone require an external power

Usability and functionality.Wipes data from consumer hard drives and other storage devices.DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) is an advanced-level application which will completely destroy data on a hard drive.The application is a little more advanced than what many consumer products offer, in that it doesn't run in Windows but instead will boot on its own to completely nuke the contents of a hard drive.With that all said, you will require some type of flash device to burn this ISO file to. Once created, you can use it to boot into a menu screen which allows you to complete a few different tasks. Firstly, F2 will give you directions and information about DBAN; F3 will list commands; F4 provides for some troubleshooting information and will start the actual program.From the main DBAN application, you are given a list of disks and partitions of which you can use DBAN to completely destroy the contents of.Overall, DBAN is a great program for advanced users but those who lack proper knowledge can do some serious damage so be careful.Features of DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke)Bootable Media: Creates bootable media for data wiping.Complete Disk Cleaning: Wipes all data from hard drives.Comprehensive Scanning: Detects and deletes all data.Data Recovery: Recovers accidentally deleted files.Data Sanitization: Erases data beyond recovery.File Shredding: Permanently erases sensitive files.Multi-Pass Wiping: Uses multiple passes to ensure data is permanently removed.Multiple Hard Drives: Supports multiple hard drives simultaneously.Network Support: Can be used on networked systems.Portable Version: Can be run from USB drives.Secure Erasing: Overwrites disk with random patterns.Support for SSDs: Optimized for solid state drives.System Restore: Reverts computer to factory settings.Compatibility and LicenseDBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) is provided under a freeware license on Windows from secure cleaning software with no restrictions on usage. Download and installation of this PC software is free and 2.3.0 is the latest version last time we checked.What version of Windows can DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) run on?DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the OS shouldn't be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 7 having been tested. It runs on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems with no dedicated 64-bit download provided.Filed under: DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) DownloadFree Secure Cleaning SoftwareOpen source and GPL softwareHDD Erasing Software