How to Permanently Delete Files on USB Flash Drive SUBSCRIBE for more: you have a USB Flash driv. Cipher is a built-in command line tool in the Windows operating system that can be used to encrypt or decrypt data on drives. It can be used to securely erase the FREE SPACE on a USB drive. Note – this is FREE SPACE only – if you want to erase the entire drive you must first format the drive so that it ALL free space. Use File Explorer to delete a mapped network drive from Windows 10. If you need to delete a previously created drive mapping, the first thing you must do is open File Explorer. Then, on the left side of the window, select This PC. All of the mapped drives are available in the Network Locations group, beneath your solid-state drive, hard-disk. Step two: Select the drive or volume you want to erase, and then press the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window. Choose a new name and format for the drive.
USB Has Two Partitions Issue
'I have a 16GB Kingston flash drive that has been accidentally partitioned. The USB drive split into two parts, and now my USB has 2 partitions, with 7.3GB each. I've tried to delete one partition or combine the two partitions into one with Disk Management, but all failed. How can I work out the problem?'
Plugging into your USB drive with several gigabytes of storage only to see two or multiple partitions pop up in the Windows File Explorer? You may ask, can a USB drive have multiple partitions? Yes, as long as you meet the following two conditions, you can create two or more partitions on the USB.
1. Make sure your computer is running Windows 8.1 and later that supports the recognition of multiple USB flash drive partitions.
2. Your USB is generated by a specific vendor and supports the creation of multiple partitions.
Multiple partitions on one USB drive lead to a lot of unnecessary memory consumption, and it's really inconvenient. Facing this issue, you can't resolve it by simply reformatting as you can only reformat each individual partition instead of the whole disk drive. Then, it leaves you with two options to troubleshoot: one is deleting partitions on the USB drive, and the other is merging USB partitions. First, we will show you two ways to delete a partition on the USB drive with Diskpart and easy partition management software. Move to check details.
How to Unpartition a USB Drive in Windows 10 with Diskpart
Sometimes, the 'Delete Volume' option in Windows 10 Disk Management greys out, which prevents users from deleting partitions. At this moment, you can turn to the Diskpart utility to help you out. Do as the guide instructs. Later, there should be a single partition on the USB flash drive.
Note: Deleting partitions with files saved before will cause data loss. Hence, back up your important files in advance.
Step 1. Press Windows + R simultaneously, type cmd How you take a screenshot. , click 'OK' to open an elevated command prompt.
Step 2. Type diskpart and hit enter.
Step 3. Type list disk. Soon diskpart will list all the hard drives on your computer, including your USB flash drive that is connecting with the computer. Assuming that your USB flash drive is drive G:.
Step 4. Type select disk G and hit enter.
Step 5. If there are one more partitions on the flash drive and you wish to delete some of them, now type list partition and hit enter. There should list all the partitions, numbered as 0, 1, 2..
Step 6. Type select partition 0 and hit enter.
Step 7. Type delete partition and hit enter.
Step 8. Repeat step 6 and step 7 to delete partition 1 or 2..
Step 9. After deleting all the target partitions, type create partition primary, and hit enter.
Step 10. Exit the command prompt. You can go back to the computer and follow the wizard to format the partition.
How To Completely Wipe A Usb Drive
Use an Easier Partition Manager to Delete a Partition on a USB Drive
Don't have confidence in using Command Prompt well? Some people with a little technical background may try to avoid using diskpart utility because of the complex operation. More importantly, they're afraid of making trouble with wrong commands and doing damage to their hard drive data. Apart from human factors, you might encounter an error called 'diskpart cannot delete a partition on removable media' from time to time, which makes you give up the Dispart. In all these cases, how do you remove all partitions from a USB drive/SD card easily? It is a wise choice to choose an easy-to-use partition management software as a workaround.
EaseUS Partition Master, much more powerful than Diskpart and Disk Management in Windows 10, provides a wide range of disk organization functions and enables you to delete partition, format partition, hide partition, wipe partition, clone/copy partition, combine/merge partitions effortlessly. It goes fully compatible with Windows 10 and has advanced partition management features that are unavailable in diskpart utility, such as migrate OS to HDD/SSD.
Video Tutorial - How to Partition Hard Drive
Now, download and use this partition manager to remove partitions from the USB drive without effort.
- Notice:
- 1. Connect your SD card, USB or external hard drive to PC before the deletion.
- 2. Save important data from the external storage device to another secure location in advance.
Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master on your PC
How To Clear A Usb Drive On Pc
On the main interface, right-click on the partition of the SD card, USB or external hard drive and select 'Delete'.
Step 2: Confirm the deletion
Click 'OK' to confirm that you need to delete the partition on the selected device.
Step 3: Keep changes
Click the 'Execute Operation' button at the top corner and save all changes by clicking 'Apply'.
Step 8. Repeat step 6 and step 7 to delete partition 1 or 2..
Step 9. After deleting all the target partitions, type create partition primary, and hit enter.
Step 10. Exit the command prompt. You can go back to the computer and follow the wizard to format the partition.
How To Completely Wipe A Usb Drive
Use an Easier Partition Manager to Delete a Partition on a USB Drive
Don't have confidence in using Command Prompt well? Some people with a little technical background may try to avoid using diskpart utility because of the complex operation. More importantly, they're afraid of making trouble with wrong commands and doing damage to their hard drive data. Apart from human factors, you might encounter an error called 'diskpart cannot delete a partition on removable media' from time to time, which makes you give up the Dispart. In all these cases, how do you remove all partitions from a USB drive/SD card easily? It is a wise choice to choose an easy-to-use partition management software as a workaround.
EaseUS Partition Master, much more powerful than Diskpart and Disk Management in Windows 10, provides a wide range of disk organization functions and enables you to delete partition, format partition, hide partition, wipe partition, clone/copy partition, combine/merge partitions effortlessly. It goes fully compatible with Windows 10 and has advanced partition management features that are unavailable in diskpart utility, such as migrate OS to HDD/SSD.
Video Tutorial - How to Partition Hard Drive
Now, download and use this partition manager to remove partitions from the USB drive without effort.
- Notice:
- 1. Connect your SD card, USB or external hard drive to PC before the deletion.
- 2. Save important data from the external storage device to another secure location in advance.
Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master on your PC
How To Clear A Usb Drive On Pc
On the main interface, right-click on the partition of the SD card, USB or external hard drive and select 'Delete'.
Step 2: Confirm the deletion
Click 'OK' to confirm that you need to delete the partition on the selected device.
Step 3: Keep changes
Click the 'Execute Operation' button at the top corner and save all changes by clicking 'Apply'.
If you delete one or more partitions and keep the one with data, you can extend the partition with space left after deletion. While If you delete all the partitions, you can directly create a partition on your USB drive.
How to Merge Partitions on USB Flash Drive in Windows 10
- Notice:
- This method is only applicable when you have successfully created several partitions on your USB drive. To be exact, all the partitions should have drive letters and are normally accessible. If your USB drive shows only one partition in the File Explorer, you can just choose to delete the partitions instead of merging them.
If you have data on every partition, it is recommended that you merge the two or multiple partitions instead of deleting for data security. Then, how to merge USB partitions in Windows 10 without deleting? Let EaseUS Partition Master help you to make it. It supports combining two adjacent partitions with ease.
Step 1: Install and launch EaseUS Partition Master on your PC
Right-click on the partition which you want to add space to and keep on the hard drive, and select 'Merge'.
Step 2: Select partitions to merge
1. Select one partition next to the former selected partition.
2. And click 'OK' to continue.
Step 3: Merge partitions
1. Click the 'Execute Operation' button at the top and then click 'Apply'.
2. The program will merge space and add files from the second partition to the first partition.
Conclusions
When you happen to meet the USB has two or multiple partitions on your USB drive and want to keep only one, you can selectively delete or merge partitions. How to sync google drive on all devices. But whichever way you choose, we believe that EaseUS Partition Master is your best partition management tool because of its ease-to-use feature and perfect functions, as you can see from the above tutorials. Therefore, give it a try, and you won't be disappointed.
Dec 03, 2020 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions
Gone are the days when our system's hard drive was enough to store our data. Now, most of us keep an external hard drive to backup our data and keep our content accessible on the go. Though, there are times when users need to erase external hard drives as well. If your external drive has sensitive data that you want to get rid of permanently, then you need to walk the extra mile.
- Part 1: How to Completely Erase External Hard Drive
- Part 2: How to Erase an External Hard Drive with Eraser Software
Usb Eraser For Windows 10
You might already know that even after deleting your data from the drive (and the recycle bin) you can retrieve it with the help of a data recovery tool. Therefore, if you wish to permanently remove your data with no scope of recovery, then you need to take the assistance of a third-party tool. In this post, we will teach you how to permanently erase the external hard drive without any trouble.
Part 1: How to Completely Erase External Hard Drive
There are plenty of ways to erase an external hard drive. Even after formatting it, chances are that your data can still be retrieved. If you don't want to use a third-party tool to delete it, then you can always choose to physically destroy the drive.
Physically Destroy the Hard Drive
This is the simplest and cheapest method to get rid of your data entirely. By physically destroying the hard drive, no one would be able to use it to extract your data. There are plenty of ways to physically destroy an external hard drive. After removing the case of the hard drive, you can simply melt it. Setting it on fire is another safe option.
If you want to go extreme, then you can simply hammer the hard drive and break it into pieces. Some people also prefer to perform electrolysis to destroy the drive or simply shredding it into small pieces. No matter what approach you adopt, it will destroy your hard disk and its data forever.
Though, it has a severe disadvantage that you won't be able to use the external hard drive to store your data after destroying it. Your data would be destroyed, but you would have to bear the cost of your hard drive. To avoid this, experts always recommend using a dedicated tool to erase external hard drive without physically destroying it.
Part 2: How to Erase an External Hard Drive with Eraser Software
Stellar BitRaser for the file is one of the best eraser tools out there that can readily be used to wipe your hard drive's data entirely without any scope of recovery. Simply perform a deep cleaning of your external hard drive using this remarkable application and be sure to get rid of your data forever. It has an easy to use interface and comes with tons of features as well.
- It can remove every type of file and folder from a hard drive without any scope of data recovery.
- Furthermore, the tool can also erase internet activities, applications, system traces, log files, and more.
- It works on a system's internal storage, USB drive, external hard drive, etc.
- One can also set up scheduled erasing of data.
- It features an advanced algorithm and generates an erase certificate in the end.
- Fully compatible with all the leading versions of Windows and Windows server.
Erase external hard drive with BitRaser
By taking the assistance of Stellar BitRaser for Files, you can easily erase the external hard drive in no time. It provides an easy to use interface that will let you wipe your drive entirely in seconds. You can simply follow these instructions to do it.
Step 1: Free download and launch Stellar BitRaser for File on your PC.
Step 2: Connect your external hard drive to it via a USB cable. Wait for a while as your system will automatically recognize the drive.
Step 3: Select the external hard drive and click 'Erase Now' to start to erase files from external hard drive.
Step 4: Wait for a while as the application would permanently erase your external hard drive. It will let you know as soon as the operation is completed.
In a few simple steps, you can erase the external hard drive by using Stellar BitRaser. If you have sensitive data on your drive, then you can also perform multiple passes. Follow the above-mentioned steps a few times to perform multiple passes (three times would be enough). This will make sure that your data has been removed permanently.
Tips for securely erasing an external hard drive
- Only choose a secure and reliable tool to wipe your hard disk. There are plenty of third-party data eraser tools out there, but only a handful of them (like Stellar BitRaser) are considered reliable.
- To make sure that your data is removed permanently, you can always do multiple passes of the erasing process.
- Try not to physically damage your external hard drive, as this would make it inaccessible and might cause some accidents as well.
- Go with a tool that will erase log files, system traces, and application traces as well for a complete deletion of data.
- Avoid formatting of hard disks on Windows, as even after formatting, your data can be recovered. Ideally, a reliable third-party tool should be used.
We hope that after following this informative guide, you would be able to erase the external hard drive without any trouble. Stellar BitRaser is a highly useful application that will let you get rid of your data permanently without any recovery scope. Feel free to give it a try and let us know about your experience in the comments below.
Video Tutorial on How to Format an External Hard Drive
What's Wrong with Drive
- Recover Your Drive
- Fix Your Drive
- Format/Wipe Drive
- Know Your Drive