One easy thanks to write zeros to a tough drive to erase all the info , is to format the drive during a special way using the format command from the prompt .

The format command gained write-zero abilities beginning in Windows Vista, so if you’ve got an older OS , you will not be ready to use the format command as data destruction software.

Tip: A System Repair Disc are often created from any working Windows 7 computer and may then be wont to write zeros to any drive using the included format command, including the first drive, regardless of what Windows OS is on the pc . A System Repair Disc doesn’t install Windows 7 and you’ll not need a product key to use a System Repair Disc.

Note : It could take several minutes to many hours to write down zeros to a tough drive via the format command

How to Zero-Fill a tough Drive With the Format Command

Since you’ll write zeros to a tough drive with the format command both from within Windows 7 and Windows Vista and from outside the OS , we’ve created two ways to proceed through these instructions:

Note : Start at Step 1 if you would like to write down zeros to the first drive, usually C, of any Windows OS OR if you would like to write down zeros to any drive on a computer with Windows XP or earlier. Start at Step 6 if you would like to write down zeros to a drive aside from the first drive in Windows Vista or later; you will need to possess an elevated prompt window open and prepared .

1.Create a System Repair Disc in Windows 7. As we mentioned earlier, you will need access to a Windows 7 computer to make a System Repair Disc. However, it doesn’t got to be your Windows 7 computer. If you do not have a Windows 7 PC then find a lover that does and make a System Repair Disc from his or her computer. If you do not have already got or can’t find how to make a System Repair Disc then you will not be ready to write zeros to a drive during this way.

See our Free Data Destruction Software Programs list for more options.

Note : If you’ve got a Windows Vista or Windows 7 Setup DVD, you’ll boot thereto in lieu of making a System Repair Disc. The directions from now forward employing a setup disc are going to be generally an equivalent .

2. Boot from the System Repair Disc and await the Press any key else from CD or DVD… message after your computer activates , and make certain to try to to that. If you do not see this message but instead see the Windows is loading files… message, that’s fine.

3. Wait for the Windows is loading files… screen. When it’s over, you ought to see a System Recovery Options box. Change any language or keyboard input methods you would like to then select Next >.

Important : Don’t worry about the “loading files” message…nothing is being installed anywhere on your computer. System Recovery Options is simply starting, which is required to urge to the prompt and ultimately to write down zeros to your disk drive .

4. A little panel appears next that says “Searching for Windows installations…”. After several seconds, it’ll disappear and you will be taken to a System Recovery Options window with two options. Choose Use recovery tools which will help fix problems starting Windows. Select an OS to repair. then select Next >.

Note : Your OS may or might not be listed. If you’re using another OS like Windows XP or Linux, nothing will show over here — and that is OK. you are doing not need a compatible OS on this computer to write down zeros over the info on the disk drive .

5. Select prompt from the System Recovery Options screen.

Note : This is a totally functional version of the prompt and contains most of the commands you’d expect to be available from the prompt in an installed version of Windows 7. This, of course, includes the format command.

6. At the prompt, type the subsequent , followed by Enter:

format e: /fs:NTFS /p:2

The format command utilized in this manner will format the E drive with the NTFS filing system and write zeros to each sector of the drive twice. If you’re formatting a special drive, change e to whatever drive letter you would like .

Important : A single pass of zeros to a tough drive should prevent all software based file recovery programs from extracting information from the drive, which the format command in Windows 7 and Vista does by default. However, you would possibly do two passes via this method just to be safe. Even better, if you want to guard yourself from more invasive ways of recovering data, choose a real data destruction program with more advanced options.

Note : If you want to format employing a different filing system or during a different way, you’ll read more about the format command here: Format Command Details.

7. Enter the quantity label of the drive you’re formatting when asked, then press Enter. the quantity label isn’t case sensitive.

Enter current volume label for drive E:

If you do not know the quantity label, cancel the format using Ctrl+C then see the way to Find the quantity Label of a Drive From the prompt .

Note : If the drive you’re formatting doesn’t have a label then, logically, you will not be asked to enter it. So, if you do not see this message it just means the drive you’re formatting doesn’t have a reputation , which is ok . Just advance to Step 8.

8. Type Y then press Enter when prompted with the subsequent warning:

WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE E: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?

Warning : You can not undo a format! Be very sure that you simply want to format and permanently erase this drive! If you’re formatting your primary drive, you’ll remove your OS and your computer won’t work again until you put in a replacement one.

9. Wait while the format completes.

Note : Formatting a drive of any size may take an extended time. Formatting an outsized drive may take a really while . Formatting an outsized drive with multiple write-zero passes may take a really , very while .

If the drive you’re formatting happens to be very large and/or you’ve chosen to form several write-zero passes, don’t be concerned if the percent completed doesn’t even reach 1 percent for several seconds or maybe several minutes.

10. After the format, you will be prompted to enter a Volume label. A name for the drive, or don’t, then press Enter.

11. Wait while Creating filing system structures is displayed on the screen.

12. Once the prompt returns, repeat the above steps on the other partitions on this physical disk drive . you cannot consider the info on a whole physical hard disc destroyed unless you really format all the drives on the disk using this method.

13. You can now remove the System Repair Disc and switch off your computer. If you’ve used the format command from within Windows, just close the prompt .

Important : If you are trying else to a drive that you’ve got erased all the knowledge from, it’ll not work because there is no longer anything there to load. What you will get instead may be a “BOOTMGR is missing” or an “NTLDR is missing” error message, meaning there was no OS found.

With all the info replaced by zeros, there is no longer any information to be found on your disk drive by a file recovery program.