How to Completely Wipe Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows?

Rollins Duke
Published: December 2nd, 2025 • 8 Min Read

BitRecover has tested and researched the safest methods for resetting a PC. The safest and most effective way to reset PC due to excessive junk, slow performance, or error messages is by completely wiping the hard drive clean and performing a fresh installation of Windows. In this article, you will learn how to completely wipe hard drive and reinstall Windows. This will allow your PC to start fresh and be secure. Let’s get started!

Why Should You Completely Wipe Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows?

Here we have listed some reasons why it is essential to format hard drive and reinstall Windows.

Oversized files or junk files can make your system lag or freeze which further results in slow opening and errors in performing basic tasks. Reinstalling a new operating system helps to speed things up again.
A simple reinstall fixes all the problems you have experienced with crashes, blue screens, and glitches due to the deep-rooted issues that must be resolved.
If you are selling or giving away your computer, it is necessary to wipe your hard drive to secure your privacy and provide the prospective owner with a clean and new hard drive.
Even after antivirus scans, some harmful programs keep hiding in the system. Wiping the drive ensures the complete removal and security of your system.
Unnecessary files and programs consume a lot of space and affect the working of the system. Reinstalling Windows clears everything and provides a clean PC.

Understand Difference: Delete vs Format vs Wipe vs Reset

Before you wipe data of your PC, it is important to clear confusion and know what these actions mean:

Delete Files- This means a quick cleanup but the data can still be recovered. Not a safe option for privacy.

Format Hard Drive- Formatting hard drive looks clean but using advanced tools data can be recovered. That is why many users look for ways to erase hard drive and reinstall Windows 10 because they realize formatting alone does not protect data and is not enough.

Wipe Drive- This is a best option to completely wipe hard drive and reinstall Windows as it ensures no data can be recovered. Wiping basically overwrites your data at deep levels. Even with professional recovery softwares, your data cannot be restored.

Reset PC- Reset Windows only removes basic files but leaves some traces of old data. It is useful for quick fixes but not if you want to clean hard drive and reinstall Windows 10.

This guide mainly focuses on wiping your device ensuring a truly fresh and secure installation of Windows for a new start.

Precautions Before You Completely Format Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows

Here we have listed some important precautions that you should prepare properly before you clean hard drive and reinstall Windows 10. These will help you to not lose any essential data.

Backup Important Files- Save all your documents, photos, emails and other data to an external drive or on cloud storage.
Note Login Credentials- Before wiping your drive, not down all your Windows license key, passwords and other essential credentials for apps or websites so that you don’t lose them.
Create Windows Installation Media- Download the latest Windows 11 or Windows 10 from Microsoft website and put it on a USB. You will need this when you will reinstall Windows after wiping data.
Keep Internet Ready- Windows usually install drivers on its own but it’s smart to keep your internet connection available in case your PC can’t connect after installation.
Disconnect External Storage Devices- Remove other hard drives from your system so that you don’t accidentally wipe wrong drive.
Plug In Laptop Charger- Reinstalling Windows can take time. If your PC turns off in between the process, it can cause errors.
Sign Out From Paid Services- Deactivate all the activation keys to avoid any issue later. In case you have a license to tools like MS Office, Adobe products or other.

Taking these simple steps you can ensure a safe wiping process by preventing unnecessary data loss.

How to Wipe A Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows? Manual Methods

To format hard drive and reinstall Windows you can reset the PC, use bootable USB clean installation, or use Diskpart command. However these are not reliable ways. To wipe hard drive and reinstall Windows, consider using a safe third-party solution like BitRecover.

Method1- Reset The PC

This method does not require any USB drive and works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems.

Open Settings on your device.
Go to System > Recovery.
Click on the Reset this PC option and choose Remove everything to delete all files.
After that, select Remove files and clean the drive for more secure wiping.
Click on Reset and wait for Windows to reinstall.

NOTE: Your PC will start multiple times during this process.

Method2- Bootable USB Clean Installation

This method is ideal for users who want a deep and fresh installation of Windows or when their system has corrupted files. A bootable USB ensures clean installation from scratch.

Firstly, download Windows 10 or 11 and use Microsoft Media Creation tool to put in the USB drive.
Then, plug in the USB and restart your PC. Press booth key (F2, F12, DEL, or ESC).
Choose the USB drive to start setup.
Next, select your language and click Install Now.
Choose Custom: Install Windows only to see drive partitions.
Thereafter, select all partitions on your main drive and further delete them.
Select the unallocated space > Next. Windows will create the necessary partitions and install them on its own.
Lastly, follow all the instructions it is asking and set up your user account.

NOTE: This method removes your files but data could still be recovered with specific recovery tools.

Method3- Use Diskpart Command (Advance Hard Drive Wipe)

This method is only for advanced users who want maximum security before reinstalling Windows. The Diskpart command overwrites every data on drive which makes data restoration impossible.

First, install your bootable USB and restart the PC.
Press Shift + F10 to open the command prompt. Type diskpart and press enter.
After that, type list disk > Enter. This will show all connected drives.
Type select disk X (replace X with your main drive number). Press Enter.
Next, type clean all and enter. This will overwrite your data.
Now, type exit > enter and close the command prompt.
Go back to Windows setup and select unallocated space and install Windows.

Expert Trusted Automated Solution to Securely Wipe Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows

If you don’t want to deal with risk wiping methods then we recommend you to use the best Data Wipe Software. It is the safest option to completely wipe hard drive and reinstall Windows with 100% no recovery of data wiped. This tool securely erases data at a deep level to ensure that nothing can be traced or misused later on. Additionally, it allows users to easily wipe hard drive data without worrying about data security. Download it now!

Download Now Purchase Now

Why Use this Data Wipe Tool? Key Features

It has an easy-to-use interface, suitable for both beginner and technical users.
Support industry approved wiping algorithms like DoD 5220.22-M and NIST.
Works on all SSDs, HDDs, USBs, SD cards, and external disks without showing error.
Offers fast and certified erase process with generating a process report.
This tool supports an option to clean full drive or either some chosen folder or partitions.
Compatible with both Mac and Windows OS including all versions.
In addition, it offers three options to wipe storage based on wipe folders, wipe logical drives and wipe physical drives.
Has Bootable mode option to wipe C drive and reinstall Windows easily and securely.

How to Completely Format Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows? Steps

Download and install the software on your system.
Choose any Wipe option as per your requirements.
Select Files or Select folders that you want to wipe and choose logical drive.
Select a wiping method from the given options.
Then, apply advanced data filters and press Wipe to start the process.

Conclusion

Completely wipe hard dove and reinstall Windows is one of the most effective ways to fix a slow and corrupted device. Whether you use any option demonstrated above the goal is the same, to get a clean and secure system. However, for a guaranteed and no-risk wiping process, use a dedicated Data Wipe tool that will protect your data and maintain privacy throughout. For any query, contact our support team. They are always available for you. At last, choose the method that best suits your needs.