Does Wiping an SSD Damage It? Essential Insights
Overview: Many of you are thinking or having doubt regarding does wiping an SSD damage it or not?. Here in this article we will explore whether wiping harms an SSD or not, the reasons behind this concern, and the best ways to erase data without causing unnecessary load. If you’re wondering about the right approach, check out our guide on how do I wipe my SSD?
What Do You Mean by SSD?
It is spelled as solid-state drive and it is a type of computer storage device that uses flash memory to store data. It is more efficient & faster in nature than your traditional hard disk drive called HDD.
Reasons Behind Formatting an SSD
Firstly, we will understand the points why we need to format the drive. Go through the reasons in the below part:
- Wiping makes sensitive data unrecoverable as an additional layer of protection from unauthorized access.
- It can help restore performance which goes down over time.
- Make sure all the user’s data is erased before selling or recycling an SSD.
- A clean system is often necessary for fresh installations of an operating system.
Does Wiping an SSD Damage It?
It is not directly damaging your SSD drive, but it does happen to some extent naturally. Since every erase uses some number of write cycles that an SSD usually has, its life expectancy decreases per erase. However, one need not impress with that because modern SSDs are designed to withstand extensive read/write operations. Therefore, occasional wiping of the space is unlikely to cause significant harm. Just make sure you have proper tools and methods to minimize the load on the drive.
Safe Methods to Wipe an SSD Without Damage
In this section, you will explore three methods to wipe an SSD safely. Apply these methods one by one to properly clean your drive.
#1. Using the Built-in Secure Erase Feature
With SSDs, almost every manufacturer has their own utility software to securely erase that effectively keeps their drives clean without putting load on it. See some of the examples given below:
- Samsung Magician for Samsung SSDs
- Crucial Storage Executive for Crucial SSDs
- SanDisk SSD Dashboard for SanDisk SSDs
Steps to Follow:
- You need to Download the software for your SSD.
- Find the “Secure Erase” option.
- Now, follow the on-screen instructions to securely wipe the SSD.
#2. Enabling TRIM and Formatting the SSD
You should pull an SSD out for repurposing with the TRIM function turned on and with a subsequent format in order to delete all data quite efficiently.
1. Firstly, Open Command Prompt (Admin) from Windows search bar.
Type:
fsutil behavior set DisableDeleteNotify 0
2. Format the SSD using Disk Management or write the following command:
format fs=ntfs quick
Limitations of Using Manual Solution
Manual methods mentioned above erases data, but come with certain drawbacks. Look into those points given below:
- The encryption or locking of the SSD may fail.
- Using TRIM function, it may not always work immediately. Thus, leaving traces until the function is overwritten on that area.
- System drives are unaffected unless performed from a bootable Windows environment.
Professional Way to Securely Wipe an SSD
It is reliable and efficient software for permanently erasing data which includes the algorithm to ensure that any data erased from the SSD at least once will be impossible to recover by any forensic tools. It goes beyond simple formatting via advanced algorithms that further overwrite all data to make it unrecoverable by any means.
Ending Note
Does wiping an SSD damage it? I hope you got the answer to that. As, it totally depends how frequently you wipe and which method you use. Like mentioned, a secure erase will not harm as you do it occasionally. It may, however, shorten the lifespan if you use repeated overwrites and wiping it beyond the limits. So, to get the best results you can use our professional tool to safely erase your SSD without damaging it. Always, remember to take backup of your data before starting the wipe process.
And if you’re planning to sell your MacBook, don’t miss this essential guide on how to wipe MacBook before selling?