Shredit for Windows: How to Erase a Hard Drive

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Getting ready to erase your drive

Before disposing of a computer or a hard drive, we recommend that you erase the hard drive to ensure your data can’t be recovered by someone else.

• Read all of these instructions before continuing. Using the Hard Drive Eraser function of ShredIt will erase your data, (i.e. your files), making the computer clean by overwriting your data so it can’t be recovered.
• Before you erase a hard drive, make a backup copy of any data or apps you want to use on another computer, since the files cannot be recovered from the drive after it has been erased.

You’ll find two procedures below, one to erase your boot disk (the one with Windows on it), and one to erase a non-boot disk.

How to erase the contents of a non-boot disk

This procedure covers how to erase a hard drive in most situations. A non-boot disk is any disk or disk partition on your computer that doesn’t contain the Operating System, which is usually where your data is stored.

This procedure assumes that you have a copy of the ShredIt for Windows Registration Key so that you can install ShredIt for Windows.

Requirements:

• ShredIt for Windows

Instructions:

1. Move all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your hard drive to another hard drive.
2. Right-click on the disk icon and select “Format” from the popup menu. Then click the “Format” button.
3. If you haven’t already done so, install ShredIt for Windows.
4. Using ShredIt for Windows, erase the disk free space.

Your drive is now erased, in preparation for disposal.

How to erase the contents of a boot disk

A boot disk is the disk on your computer that contains the Operating System. Typically, it is called “C:” and may be the only disk on the system.  This procedure assumes that you have a Windows Install CD from which to re-install the Operating System and also a copy of the ShredIt for Windows Registration Key so that you can re-install ShredIt for Windows to complete the process of erasing the drive.

This procedure assumes that you have a copy of the ShredIt for Windows Registration Key so that you can install ShredIt for Windows.

Requirements:

• ShredIt for Windows
• Windows Boot disk (CD)

Instructions:

1. Move all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your entire hard drive to another hard drive.
2. Insert the Windows Install CD.  This refers to a full Windows Install CD included with your computer, not to an update-only CD.
3. Restart the computer from the CD.
4. Using the install disk, do an “Erase and Install” to erase the disk and install the Operating System.  To do this, follow the Install Wizard that appears after you have booted using the Install CD.
5. If you haven’t already done so, install ShredIt for Windows.
6. Using ShredIt for Windows, erase the disk free space.
7. Your drive is now erased. If you have other disks on your computer, run the “How to erase the contents of a non-boot disk” procedure for each disk before disposing of the computer.