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Securely wiping your computer clean is essential for anybody that wants to protect their sensitive information. Whether you want to replace or repurpose your hard drive, this step-by-step guide is made to make life easy for all Windows 11 users. Here are step-by-step instructions for Windows 10.
There are 2 methods of wiping all of the data from your computer.
No matter what kind of data you decide to wipe, you should begin by saving the data you want to keep elsewhere. Data can be copied to an external storage drive or a cloud service. You can also transfer data directly to another computer.
Whichever way you decide to back up your data, you should also take some measures to keep your confidential information safe by using encryption. Here are 3 tips on how to choose the right kind of encryption method for you.
Step 1: Getting Started
Before you begin, make sure you have installed BCWipe Total WipeOut. More information on using the software can be found here. If you don’t want to commit to buying yet, the software is also available as a free trial.
Step 2: Transfer the Software to a USB Drive
Since the utility wipes every sector of the target PC's drives, it must be run from a separate removable bootable disk.
Step 3: Select Automatic Mode
In this example, we will simply use the default settings to wipe your computer.
Advanced users can see our instructional video for Manual mode.
Step 4: Create Log File
At this point, you can choose to create log files. Logging is important if you need a record of what has been deleted.
Step 5: Wipe Your Windows 11 Computer
The USB drive is now ready for wiping. You can now boot the system you want to erase with this USB.
By following the above instructions, BCWipe Total WipeOut will wipe all of the information from your drive - including the operating system, file system, information about partitions, and hidden disk areas.
If you want to use your computer again, your first priority should be to reinstall your operating system. Find step-by-step instructions here.
The process of wiping everything apart from the OS is a little longer than removing everything completely. We have broken down the process into 5 steps, which are outlined below in detail.
Step 1: Uninstall Unnecessary Applications
Before running the wiping task to clean your system, you should uninstall all necessary applications and programs from Windows Control Panel. Just be sure to keep BCWipe and any other important software programs you need.
Step 2: Wipe Files and Folders
For help with installing BCWipe, you can watch our how-to video. If you aren't ready to commit, the software is available as a free trial.
Once BCWipe is successfully installed, you will find wiping commands integrated to the right-click menu in Windows Explore. For any personal files remaining in your Windows 11, follow these steps:
Step 3: Wipe Browser History
For any web browsers that will remain on your system, do not forget to wipe traces of your online activity. If you have uninstalled all web browsers, then you may skip to the next step.
All set. You are ready to move on to the next step.
Step 4: Wipe User Activity
Activate the 'Wipe user activity' command to erase all traces of your activity in Windows 11, including temp files, recycle bin and recent folder.
Click 'Save and start' to begin wiping user activity. You can leave BCWipe Task Manager open to keep track of progress.
Step 5: Wipe Free Space
Do not skip this step!
Your computer has now been wiped clean with the operating system remaining intact. If you would like to learn more about wiping hard drives, then also take a look at our ultimate guide.
Happy Wiping!
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