Windows 10: Software to Clean Hard Drive

Good morning,
I would like to thank everyone for all of the help I have received with my problem. However, I could not get the hard drive cleaned. Is there a software that TECHS use to clean the hard drive? I willing to buy it today.

:)

 

Cleaning hard drive

I would like to clean my pc of all the garbage that I have. What is the best way to do this. I have heard that erasing my hard drive would accomplish this but I am leery to do that as I want to save my files. I have Windows 10 and my computer is about
3 years old. Could someone give me some sound advise before I do something stupid. Thanks in advance

 

Cleaning hard drive

Hello,

You can try Disk Cleanup Utility to remove unnecessary files from computer and gain disk space:

https://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-use-disk-clean...

Let us know if this helps!

 

I use Windows Cleanup (run as admin), additional software can be used like:

CCleaner, Wise Disk Cleaner and DriverStore Explorer (to remove old drivers).

You can also use WizTree to find out, what is "eating it" and remove it manually.

 

Thank you!! I tried the software in windows using Admin but it didn't work.

 

Will the work to completely clean the hard drive and reinstall windows? I was leaning more to CCCleaner Pro Plus.

 

Are you referring Cleanup as removing junk from you drive or Cleanup as being "Wipe the Drive"?
Wiping a drive removes everything. Cleaning a drive just removes unwanted junk.

Jack

 

Yes, I want to wipe the drive and reinstall the OS. I bought the CCCleaner and it works but I want the hard drive completely clean. CC doesn't do that.

 

Hey cmmpro1,
Check this tutorial (Option 1) for creating a Win10 bootable USB Flash Drive or DVD to do a clean install - Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

Check this tutorial for a clean install - Clean Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

Unless you want to 'wipe the drive' so that nothing could be traced or recovered (even by a forensic lab) then you need specialist software.

If you just want to 'wipe' to get the best possible clean install then you need nothing, the install media will allow you to take the drive down to unallocated space and start afresh. Just delete all the partitions using the 'custom install' options that are offered.

 

Dban Download Dariks Boot and Nuke - MajorGeeks is one of most secure way to permanently delete EVERYTHING from a hard drive.

 

Power on the computer and repetitively click the F2 key to boot to the BIOS menu.
Each computer model may have a different menu.
Look in security > utilities
See if you can find options for either:
a) secure erase
b) sanitizer

 

I use a GPARTED Bootable LiveCD to delete all partitions on a drive, gives it the same status as the day it shipped from the manufacturer. Could use a Linux LiveDVD that has GPARTED in it or as my setup is now, my Linux Mint desktop with a USB Drive dock that accommodates both 2.5" and 3.5" drives. The two Live discs mentioned are downloadable as .iso files used to create an exact duplicate of the original disc and free.

 

Don't forget the Clean All command in diskpart.

 

For a Hard Drive Windows 10 Installation Media usually suffices... Boot from the Installation Media, at the language screen select Next, then Repair your Computer. Select Troubleshoot and then Advanced Options then select command prompt.

Type in:
DISKPART
followed by [Enter]
LIST DISK
followed by [Enter]
SELECT DISK 0
usually its 0 for a system with a single HDD. Then press [Enter].
CLEAN ALL
this will write 0's to the entire HDD which may take a while.
You can repeat this multiple times if you want to be sure (but this isn't normally required).

For other types of drives such as SSDs and HSSDs you are best to use Parted Magic as it has Secure Erase. The primitive algorithm in DISKPART CLEAN ALL does not work properly on these drive due to the differences in the way these drives handle data. Moreover its ill-advised to write intensively to a SSD unnecessarily. Secure Erase essentially flushes all the electrons out of a SSD. I explain the procedure in some detail here:
SSD and HDD Secure Erase using Parted Magic - YouTube