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Whether youre selling your rig or need more storage, knowing how to clear a hard drive is essential.

Windows and macOS have handy built-in tools to format internal and external hard drives efficiently and securely.

Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to clear a hard drive.

Launch File Explorer > This PC

Start bypressing Windows+Eto launch theFile Explorer.

On the left-hand panel,click This PC.

A screenshot of the File Explorer on Windows 11, with a red arrow pointing at This PC.

Right-tap the hard drive you want to clear

Right-clickthe drive you want to clear andclick Format.

If you want to clear an external hard drive, ensure its connected to the computer.

Tick/Untick the Quick Format box and click Start

TickorunticktheQuick Formatbox based on your requirements.

A screenshot of the File Explorer on Windows 11, with red arrows pointing at a hard drive and at the Format option.

Once youre ready,click Start.

To clear internal hard drives on your Mac, read our guide onhow to reset a Mac.

Launch Disk Utility

LaunchtheDisk Utilityapp after connecting the external storage to your Mac.

A screenshot of the File Explorer on Windows 11, with red arrows pointing at the Quick Format option and the Start button in the hard drive formatting window.

2. snag the hard drive and click Erase

Clickthe hard drive underExternalin the left sidebar.

Then,clickErase, which is towards the top right.

Once ready,click Eraseand thenclick Done.

A screenshot of the Disk Utility app on macOS, with red arrows pointing at the hard drive’s name and the Erase button.

Final Thoughts

Clearing your hard drive is an effective way to ensure your data is securely wiped.

A screenshot of the Disk Utility app on macOS with arrows pointing at the Format dropdown, Security Options, and Erase button in the Erase menu for the hard drive.