How Do I Completely Format a Hard Drive in Linux?
Contents

How do I wipe my hard drive clean Linux?

Wiping the entire disk

Use the sudo command as well (sudo dd…) Filling the disk with all zeros (This may take a while, as it is making every bit of data 0) : dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=1M #replace X with the target drive letter.

How do I format my entire hard drive?

PC Instructions

  1. Select the drive you wish to format from the list.
  2. Right click on the drive and select Format.
  3. Enter a name for the drive in Volume label and select the format type in the File system dropdown box.
  4. Click OK. It will take a short while to delete all the files and change the format of the disk.
Maya Lin-Takahashi

Maya Lin-Takahashi

Consumer Tech & Gadget Reviewer

Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.

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