Best way to wipe a hard drive clean for fresh install of Windows?

[Cyber2B]

I use Gparted but are there better ways?

[Nx Machina]

DBAN

[Joke]

When you boot from Windows installation media (USB or DVD), and the installer has started, one of the first steps asks where you want to install Windows.
At that screen you can select a partition, and choose to delete it.
Do that for all partitions, so you only have the "disk" left.

Then just click to continue.
The installer will create the partitions, the way windows prefers it.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Joke:

When you boot from Windows installation media (USB or DVD), and the installer has started, one of the first steps asks where you want to install Windows.
At that screen you can select a partition, and choose to delete it.
Do that for all partitions, so you only have the "disk" left.

Then just click to continue.
The installer will create the partitions, the way windows prefers it.

Deleting or formatting does not wipe an HDD, files etc are still recoverable.

[Washell]

Originally posted by EpicFace™:

I use Gparted but are there better ways?

Better in what way? Gparted is already overkill. Windows isn't troubled by old zeroes and ones on the drive. And TRIM takes care of them on an SSD.

What are you trying to achieve?

Originally posted by Solid State:

DBAN

Beyond ludicrous to DBAN for a reinstall.

[Cathulhu]

It's also nonsense. One write with random data and the stuff is gone on magnetic drives.
Also, DBAN was discontinued four years ago.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Washell:

Originally posted by EpicFace™:

I use Gparted but are there better ways?

Better in what way? Gparted is already overkill. Windows isn't troubled by old zeroes and ones on the drive. And TRIM takes care of them on an SSD.

What are you trying to achieve?

Originally posted by Solid State:

DBAN

Beyond ludicrous to DBAN for a reinstall.

Thread title WIPE an HDD before a reinstall. They did not ask how to format nor delete.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

It's also nonsense. One write with random data and the stuff is gone on magnetic drives.
Also, DBAN was discontinued four years ago.

DBAN still works, 4 years discontinued is irrelevant.

[bonebrah]

Is OP selling their pc? just use literally any of the free shredders you can find on the internet (DBAN is still widely used). If you are using Windows 10 and just want a fresh install, just go to the options in your menus for resetting this pc (instructions are easy to find via google)

[Washell]

Originally posted by Solid State:

Thread title WIPE an HDD before a reinstall. They did not ask how to format nor delete.

Yeah, but if someone asks what's the best high pressure washer to clean their behind, you do ask a few more questions and point them to a normal bidet, wet wipes, and toilet paper.

I strongly feel OP is labouring under some misapprehension that wiping a disk makes Windows run better or faster, which is why I asked what his main goal is. If it is indeed to reduce the possibility of recovering old data (which makes me wonder why mention the reinstall?), you're still wrong. It's irrelevant whether Gparted or DBaN zeroes out the disk, so it's not better, and the answer should be "Gparted is fine".

[Talby]

IMHO gparted is the best tool, you can simply disable the boot flag to prevent windows boot manager from booting from it or for removing all partitions (which sounds like is OPs original intent). Very flexible and handy to have ready in any builders tool box.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Washell:

Originally posted by Solid State:

Thread title WIPE an HDD before a reinstall. They did not ask how to format nor delete.

Yeah, but if someone asks what's the best high pressure washer to clean their behind, you do ask a few more questions and point them to a normal bidet, wet wipes, and toilet paper.

I strongly feel OP is labouring under some misapprehension that wiping a disk makes Windows run better or faster, which is why I asked what his main goal is. If it is indeed to reduce the possibility of recovering old data (which makes me wonder why mention the reinstall?), you're still wrong. It's irrelevant whether Gparted or DBaN zeroes out the disk, so it's not better, and the answer should be "Gparted is fine".

Wipe a HDD and I answered the question they asked. Everything else is irrelevant. If they had asked how to clean install Windows without a reference to wipe I would have answered that.

[Buck]

Just delete the existing partitions and create new one's within the windows installer. There's no need to much with DBAN or gparted if it's going to just be Windows.

Originally posted by Solid State:

Deleting or formatting does not wipe an HDD, files etc are still recoverable.

True, but who cares? The disk is going to be reused which means alot of stuff is going to get overwritten anyway. it's not worth the time and effort to securely erase.

[Cyber2B]

Originally posted by Buck:

Just delete the existing partitions and create new one's within the windows installer. There's no need to much with DBAN or gparted if it's going to just be Windows.

Originally posted by Solid State:

Deleting or formatting does not wipe an HDD, files etc are still recoverable.

True, but who cares? The disk is going to be reused which means alot of stuff is going to get overwritten anyway. it's not worth the time and effort to securely erase.

Sometimes the OS is corrupted (Mostly because the people I fix computer for have kids who mess up win files or the registry) thats why I use Gparted to ensure they are getting back a working computer.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Buck:

Just delete the existing partitions and create new one's within the windows installer. There's no need to much with DBAN or gparted if it's going to just be Windows.

Originally posted by Solid State:

Deleting or formatting does not wipe an HDD, files etc are still recoverable.

True, but who cares? The disk is going to be reused which means alot of stuff is going to get overwritten anyway. it's not worth the time and effort to securely erase.

The OP cares because they asked the question. The time and effort is down to individual choice.

[emoticorpse]

Install Windows then wipe the empty space when you're ready to leave it alone for a bit. Installing Windows is the first write, but you don't have to waste your time wiping the part of the drive you're going to write on anyways.