Methods for Erasing an SSD

There are several effective methods for removing the contents of an SSD. Please note, all of these methods will delete any operating system data, user data, and other contents of the partitions currently on the drive, and some methods also remove the partitions themselves. Information stored in the controller remains unaffected, such as the firmware and SMART data.

Running the ATA SECURITY ERASE command requires the use of third-party software. We do not endorse any specific software, though our parent company Micron offers guidance on one such option here. 

Our Storage Executive tool offers a Sanitize Drive function and a PSID Revert function, both of which will erase an SSD's contents. Please note that the PSID Revert function works only if you have hardware encryption enabled and configured on the SSD. Details on these and other Storage Executive functions can be found here.

Windows®

To delete partitions in Windows using Disk Management:

  • Ensure the SSD is connected and is not the boot drive
  • In Windows 7, right-click Computer and select Manage to enter Computer Management. Under Storage, select Disk Management.
    In Windows 8 and later, hold the Windows key and press the 'X' key to open an application menu including Disk Management, and select it. A list of the connected drives will appear in Disk Management
  • In the lower right-hand pane, find the drive you want to erase
  • Right-click on each partition and select Delete Volume

Diskpart, a Windows command line tool for managing partitions and disks, can erase data on a drive and return it to an uninitialized state. A full guide on using Diskpart to wipe all data on your drive is here.

macOS®

Follow these steps to delete partitions in OS X®:

  • Ensure the SSD is connected to your Mac and is not the boot drive
  • In Finder, go to Utilities and open Disk Utility
  • Highlight the SSD in the left column and go to the Partition tab
  • Under Partition Layout, select 1 Partition
  • Click Options. Make sure that GUID Partition Table is selected
  • Click Apply to create a single large partition on the SSD
  • After the partition is created, click on it so it becomes highlighted. Click the minus sign (-) to remove the partition

If you see performance loss following one of these processes, you will need to let the drive sit idle for an extended period to allow a built-in function called Garbage Collection to clean all the cells and prepare the drive for re-use.

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