Windows 10: Trying to wipe my windows 10 hard drive from USB and it wont work

Hi, I built a new system and the last thing i need to do with my old system is wipe the hard drive with windows 10 on on it.

I found a few sites that say to download some software (dban) to a cd and then boot off the cd but i dont have a cd rom. I tried doing it via the flash drive and then booting off that drive but it wont work, it just freezes.

I did use the universal usb installer but still wont work. Im almost to the point of just taking the ssd drive out and running over it with a magnet lol grrrr

How do i wipe my C drive either from the usb 7gb stick, or from the dos prompt?

Thanks so much..

:)

 

Fresh installing windows 10

So ive been having problems with my alienware. I had a tech out to look at it and after some quick fixes he suggested that wiping the hard drives and reinstalling windows might fix my performance issues.

The laptop came with windows 8 installed and i dont have a code or anything. I used a copy of windows 10 to install over the top and it didnt ask for an activation code. And im not sure it would work because this copy of windows has been previously installed
on my mates computer.

My question is, if i wipe the hard drives and lose the OS when i attempt to reinstall from usb will it ask for the activation code? And if it does in assuming it wont work.

Thanks.

 

Windows Search Service isn't running after upgrading to Windows 10

A quick little update:

I disconnected all my hard drives except for my SSD where Windows was installed, completely wiped it and reinstalled Windows 10 with an USB Flash Drive.

And now it works again, even after reconnecting the other hard drives.

 

*Wink I do not believe a magnet will erase a SSD drive. Does your BIOS have a 'boot from USB' setting?

 

Can you not just erase (format) the drive by putting it in a USB caddy and accessing it via any working Windows PC as you would any external plug in drive ?

That's what I did when I fitted a new SSD drive and wanted to wipe the old HDD containing Windows.

 

It only has boot from usb when i have the usb pluged in. Then when i try to boot i hit esc and it just sits there forever until i remove the usb drive. I have set it to boot of the usb but its not bringing up the program. Here is what im trying to do.

How To: Wipe a Hard Drive (DBAN) - Storage - Tom's Hardware
@Mooly I have windows installed on my new build, so your saying that all i have to do is hook up this ssd in my new build and it will let me format it (even thought it has windows installed on it)?

 

You can do it that way.

But this is what I would do instead. Create a very useful flash drive (8 GB minimum, 32 GB maximum) that is a combination of Windows 10 installer and Kyhi's recovery tools (and for Pete's sake do NOT use Rufus to make it!):

Prepare the USB flash drive:
Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive

At step 9 read the important box below the step and format it as FAT32:
9. To format the partition, type format fs=fat32 quick, and then click ENTER

For step 12, you will download a Windows 10 ISO file:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...-download.html

I like option 1. Once you have the ISO file, mount it. Windows 8 and 10 will mount ISO files with no software needed. Then copy all the files and folders from the mounted ISO file to the USB flash drive.

Download Kyhi's recovery tools. Mount Kyhi's Recovery ISO. Read my quote in the middle of the OP and copy the boot.wim file from Kyhi's recovery tools (sources folder) to the Windows 10 USB flash drive (also sources folder, overwrite the old boot.wim file):
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk

Boot the old computer with the SSD in it from the USB flash drive. Run AEOMI Partition manager. You should be able to use that to delete all the partitions on the SSD and wipe the drive. The USB flash drive is very versatile and can also be used to re-install/repair Windows 10.

 

Thanks NavyLCDR, thats awesome, i will print this and do it now. I really appreciate that. If you dont hear from me just assume that it worked because ill be lost in my build again lol, you know how it is *Smile This was my first build and even thought i had a couple little snafoos and some surprises, it really went off without a hitch and it fired up first time no issues. Im very happy... *Smile

 

Please come back and mark you thread as solved so others can read it and know that it works. Thanks!

 

Durangod: just a short historical vocabulary note. The word you spelled as "snafoo" is actually spelled "snafu." It's an acronym for "Situation Normal, All Fouled Up" -- except in the original version, a different "F-word" might be used. These are military terms of WWII vintage. For the complete collection of terms, see the hilarious definition at the Urban Dictionary: Urban Dictionary: SNAFU.
HTH (and that you find it interesting),
--Ed--