Clean All to secure wipe a SSD?

[Fartblossom]

I'm told by someone that running the 'clean all' command from the command prompt will secure erase a ssd sufficiently for resale. That due to the way ssd's store data, this will do the trick. I'd like some feedback from you folks on that if I may. Is clean all good enough?

 

[Joe C]

I do not think cleaning with a command prompt will be adequate. Its like washing a windshield with a greasy rag.
There are several good programs out there (usually for free) that will low level format. I've used Killdisk on more than one occasion. Its very simple to use
https://www.killdisk.com/killdisk-freeware.htm

 

[Fartblossom]

I do not think cleaning with a command prompt will be adequate. Its like washing a windshield with a greasy rag.
There are several good programs out there (usually for free) that will low level format. I've used Killdisk on more than one occasion. Its very simple to use
https://www.killdisk.com/killdisk-freeware.htm

Will that pgm also wipe the SSD over-provisioning (OP )areas? I've read that those areas are hard to find and access.

 

[Joe C]

it will wipe the entire drive. You'll need a bootable usb or cd to run killdisk

 

[Harper]

it will wipe the entire drive. You'll need a bootable usb or cd to run killdisk

Following this thread for further suggestions. Currently I am chasing the same thing.

 

[tehnokraat]

@Fartblossom
With an SSD, it is done by starting the system from a bootable external device, deleting everything on the SSD, in other words, deleting the entire disk with the usual delete command or delete disk, which removes all labels, indexes and so on, and then using the trim function, which makes the entire contents of the disk unreadable, in other words, restores the disk to its original state and at the same time does not damage the SSD disk. This is the best case scenario for all SSDs if you really want to pass the drive on to someone and still want to be sure that your data cannot be recovered.
On no circumstances should any methods or tools intended for HDD disks be used!

 

[Joe C]

Killdsk is intended for SSD's too.

From the link I posted: Active@ KillDisk Freeware is an easy-to use & compact utility that allows to sanitize storage media with the One Pass Zeros data sanitizing standard. It permanently erases all data on Hard Disks, Solid State Drives, Memory Cards & USB drives, SCSI storage & RAID disk arrays and even two disks in parallel.

The app guides you through the method to make a bootable cd or usb drive. Just set your bios to make the cd or usb the first boot device.
There are other good low level format tools out there too.

 

[Flowace]

The "clean all" command in the Windows Command Prompt is used to securely erase data from a storage drive, including SSDs (Solid State Drives). However, whether it's sufficient for resale depends on your specific security requirements and the level of data erasure you want to achieve.

Here's what you need to know:

1. "Clean All" Command: The "clean all" command performs a secure erase by overwriting all sectors on the drive with zeros. This process can effectively erase data and make it difficult for most users to recover.
2. Security Level: For many everyday use cases and resale purposes, using "clean all" should be sufficient. It will protect your personal data from most casual attempts at data recovery.
3. Data Recovery Difficulty: SSDs are different from traditional hard drives (HDDs) in how they store and erase data. SSDs use wear-leveling and trimming algorithms that can make data recovery more challenging. However, it's not impossible for a determined attacker or someone with specialized tools to recover data from an SSD, even after a "clean all" operation.
4. Encryption: If you had enabled encryption on your SSD (e.g., BitLocker for Windows or FileVault for macOS), simply erasing the encryption key would render the data on the drive effectively inaccessible. In this case, you might not need to perform a "clean all" operation.
5. Higher Security Needs: If you have sensitive or confidential data on your SSD and you're concerned about advanced data recovery techniques, you might consider more thorough methods like using data erasure software that complies with recognized standards, such as NIST SP 800-88. These tools often perform multiple passes of data overwriting and can provide a higher level of assurance.

For general resale of an SSD with personal data, the "clean all" command should suffice in most cases. However, if you have particularly sensitive data or you want to ensure the highest level of security, you may want to explore more advanced data erasure methods or consult with a professional data security service.

 

[Fartblossom]

OK. Thank you all. Valuable info there. It seems like there are some "hidden" areas on the drive that would get missed by 'clean all'. At least, from what I've read. I may just smash and trash the drive and buy new just to be safe. They're pretty cheap now, anyway.

 

[camilasaunder89]

Hi, Instead of wiping it all you can use software provided by the manufacturer of the drive to erase an SSD.