How to clean hard drive without reinstalling OS? (reset, Windows, working)

[snowmountains]

What's the best way to thoroughly and irreversibly erase all your files without having to reinstall the Windows OS?

[bigbear99]

"all your files" would include the files for an OS. No easy way I'm aware of to selectively over-write deleted files, unless they're on a separate partition.

[snowmountains]

All personal files, of course.

[CrownVic95]

Originally Posted by snowmountains

What's the best way to thoroughly and irreversibly erase all your files without having to reinstall the Windows OS?

There's a program called Eraser that will erase any files you select.

https://eraser.heidi.ie/

I haven't used it for many years, but I recall it working well when I did. Depending on your situation, though, a full format and reinstall of the OS may be a quicker and easier way to wipe a drive clean. That is what I have opted to do in most cases.

[snowmountains]

Originally Posted by CrownVic95

There's a program called Eraser that will erase any files you select.

https://eraser.heidi.ie/

I haven't used it for many years, but I recall it working well when I did. Depending on your situation, though, a full format and reinstall of the OS may be a quicker and easier way to wipe a drive clean. That is what I have opted to do in most cases.

Thanks. Now I vaguely recall I seem to have seen that and may have even used it, too, many years ago (maybe the same time when you used it ), when I was selling a pc.

[Colorado^]

Hillery? Hillery, is that you?

[snowmountains]

Originally Posted by Colorado^

Hillery? Hillery, is that you?

[thecoalman]

What kind of drive is it? HDD and SD are completely different.

Originally Posted by snowmountains

What's the best way to thoroughly and irreversibly erase all your files without having to reinstall the Windows OS?

I don't think there is any way to guarantee this because something might be missed. At best you might try something along these lines for HDD.

Run CCleaner on the existing account with all the options checked accept the free space wipe option. Do it for any other accounts.

Create a new admin account, kill the old account(s).

Run CCleaner again and use the wipe free space option.

It's not going to get everything, look up slack space for starters.

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For SD follow the above directions except the wipe free space option. Instead in My Computer right click the drive, select properties >> tools >> optimize. Select the drive and hit optimize. It should take seconds. That runs the trim command resetting any free space.

[Mr. Lee]

Originally Posted by Colorado^

Hillery? Hillery, is that you?

She sure has snow on her mountains. The do not call her the ice queen for nothing.

There is nothing that I know of to do the job that works as good as a program made to do it.

[joee5]

Ask Hillary's IT guy on reddit