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IT Support & Hardware · Intermediate

Secure Erase

A drive firmware command that erases all user data on SSDs or HDDs, including remapped areas.

Definition

ATA Secure Erase and NVMe Format/Sanitize commands reset all cells, unlike file deletion or quick format. Many vendors provide utilities, and some firmware setups include it. Self-encrypting drives can perform cryptographic erase by destroying the media key.

Example

Run the vendor tool's Secure Erase on an NVMe SSD before reallocating it.

Exam tip

For SSDs, use secure erase or crypto erase rather than multi-pass overwrites.

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