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Wipe a drive so nothing on it can be recovered

Deleting files or a quick format leaves them on the drive, which is how recovery apps find them. Secure Erase writes over every part of a card or drive, checks it, and can format it ready to use again.

Download for Mac Download for Windows How it works

Free in AMWT Desktop · macOS 13 or later · Windows 10 and 11 (early access)

Coming in the next version of AMWT Desktop. The download today is version 1.0.0, which has Data Recovery; it updates itself when the new version is out.

Secure Erase in AMWT Desktop: a list of external drives to choose from and three ways to erase them.

Secure Erase

What it does

  • Every part overwrittenOne pass of zeros is enough for any modern card or drive. Random data, or random data then zeros, are there for workplaces whose rules ask for them.
  • Checked afterwardsIt can read the whole drive back to prove each part was erased. Anything that couldn't be is reported.
  • Ready to use againIt can format the drive as FAT32 (up to 32 GB) or exFAT afterwards, which cameras, Macs and PCs can all read.

How it works

Secure Erase in three steps

  1. Choose the drive

    Only external drives and cards are listed. The drive your computer starts from is never offered.

  2. Choose how to erase it

    Pick a method, whether to check it afterwards and whether to format it.

  3. Type ERASE to confirm

    Your computer asks for permission. A separate small program does the erasing and checks the drive again itself first.

Good to know

What it can and can't do

  • SSDs, SD cards and USB sticks keep a few spare blocks for wear that no app can reach. Erasing covers everything the drive lets a computer see, which stops recovery apps. For very sensitive files, destroy the drive as well.
  • Erasing can't be undone, and stopping part way leaves the drive partly erased and unreadable until you erase or format it again.
  • A drive with bad spots is reported as only partly erased: the old data may still be in those spots.
  • Your computer's own drive can't be erased here. Use the system's own reset for that.

Questions

Questions about Secure Erase

How do I wipe a hard drive before selling it?
Connect it, choose it in Secure Erase, pick One pass of zeros and tick Make it ready to use again. When it finishes, the files on it can't be recovered and the drive is formatted for its next owner.
Is one pass enough?
Yes, for modern hard drives, SSDs and cards. NIST's media sanitisation guidance (SP 800-88) treats one overwrite as enough for them. Extra passes take longer and add no protection.
Can an erased drive be recovered with this app?
No. AMWT Desktop's own Data Recovery finds nothing on a drive Secure Erase has finished.
Does deleting or formatting erase files?
No. Deleting and a quick format only clear the index; the files stay until something is written over them. That's what Secure Erase does.
Can I erase my Mac's or PC's internal drive?
Not with Secure Erase: it refuses the drive the computer starts from. To wipe a computer before selling it, use Erase All Content and Settings on a Mac or Reset this PC on Windows.

Erase a card or drive before you sell it · Can an SSD or SD card be fully erased?