
Microsoft says this feature is here for cleaning empty folders and drives that need to be erased.

Well, Windows 7 actually has its own free built-in tool for securely erasing, not just whole hard disks, but specific folders as well. Thus, securely erasing hard drive is of great importance. It is always a worry when you throw away your computer or hard drive that all personal data on the hard drive could be recovered via some data recovery tool. Erase hard drive with a hidden Windows 7 tool Windows erasing hard drive is not as same as simply deleting or formatting hard drive. It is important to erase your personal data from the hard drive before you dispose of them. Does anybody know how to do it in Windows 7? Thanks”

So, I need to secure erase hard drive in Windows 7 and wipe all data securely and permanently that nobody can restore data back. I have deleted all data on the hard drive, but I heard it is not enough if I want to reuse or sell it - it is not safe for my personal information, and the next user may use some data recovery tool to steal my private data. Part 2: Steps to Reset Windows 7 Computer without Installation Disk/ DiscĪfter you back up the data in your Windows 7 that will do a factory reset, now go ahead to try to use System Restore in Safe Mode to factory reset Windows 7 without a CD, please walk through the in-depth tutorials to get the answer.ġ.Turn off your computer and make sure everything except for the monitor, keyboard and mouse is disconnected to the computer which you want to revert to factory settings.Ģ.Click the “Start” button and turn on it again.ģ.When the computer logo appears on the screen, you need to press and hold the F8 key to open the Advanced Boot Options menu.Ĥ.Go ahead to choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt and press Enter key.ĥ.Log in as a local user or the Administrator.Ħ.When Command Prompt appears, type this command: rstrui.exe and press Enter.ħ.Select the Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition check box and click Next.Ĩ.After the restore operation is complete, click Finish to restart the computer.ĩ.Restore any data or programs you want from back up files.“Recently, I’m planning to change my old 1TB hard drive to a 2TB hard drive.
