how can I wipe my SSD clean?

muchomurka said:

Two notes:
- FORMAT command DOES NOT ERASE any data from disk, they are still recoverable
- Only the highest version - $80 KillDisk Ultimate - supports Secure Erase function. Other functions/methods DO NOT GUARANTEE impossibility of recovering data from SSD.

OP is keeping disk - total overkill. For most users, simply using the diskpart "clean all" command is perfectly adequate. People would need very specialised and expensive forensic style software to even attempt to recover after a "clean all" command.

cereberus said:

OP is keeping disk - total overkill. For most users, simply using the diskpart "clean all" command is perfectly adequate. People would need very specialised and expensive forensic style software to even attempt to recover after a "clean all" command.

Only problem is he will need to do this outside of windows, as you cannot have both boot disk connected at the same time(that I know of).
GParted(in Ubuntu) is what I always use.

NavyLCDR said:

Open a Command Prompt (Admin) or Powershell (Admin). Run:

diskpart
list disk
select disk # <- replace # with the actual number of the SSD you want to reuse
clean <- this will remove all partitions on the selected drive. You can't do this if you are booted from the SSD you want to reuse

If you want to leave it completely blank (but NOT securely erased), then the next two commands would be exit, exit.

If you want to establish a new partition on it to use for data storage, the next commands would be:
create part pri
format fs=ntfs quick
assign
exit
exit

The above commands still will NOT securely erase the SSD.

Few people are aware of the "clean all" command. This does securely erase the sdd beyond the ability of tools like Recuva. T recover after that requires very sosphisticated and highy expensive forensic tool, so is not a convern fir vast majority of users.

You guys know what?
This conversation got me to wondering, if one could not just use the Macrium Reflect recovery environment, and nuke all the partitions on a system drive that way

NavyLCDR said:

Yes. Because the Macrium Reflect recovery environment runs completely from RAM. Once booted into it there is no "system drive" and you can wipe any physical drive connected to the system.

Much better than, as you do it from WinPE and most people(though not all) have it.
Time for you to make a mini tutorial & video(with dialog of course) on how to do it Lieutenant Commander