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Wipe a hard drive completely WITHOUT Windows

Gesoriac -  
 Gesoriac -
Hello to you. I would like to completely erase a hard drive WITHOUT going through Windows. I cannot do this because I have an error message that keeps saying "your device needs to restart because it encountered a problem" (nsft.sys) etc. I cannot use Windows at all and therefore I would like to remove it completely from the PC to reinstall it anew. I want to specify that I cannot currently use a USB drive with Windows on it because strangely it gives me the exact same error message, even though I have set it to boot first in the BIOS. So I would like to try to delete, as I mentioned, Windows completely from the hard drive by using ONLY the Asus command prompt. Could you please guide me on how to proceed? Thank you in advance.

5 answers

  1.
    jfmimi Posted messages 13633 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   1 929
     
    Hello
    use a live linux
    Create a bootable USB stick
    that contains a Linux system (ZORIN)
    Since the computer is frozen, you need to create it from another computer.
    download Zorin
    then let's create the USB stick using Rufus
    follow the tutorial below to create the bootable USB stick with " Rufus "
    Tutorial
    The preparation and copying to the USB stick is done.
    start the PC from the USB stick
    here is what you should see on the screen

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    Mark as resolved if your issue is fixed.
    2
    1. Gesoriac
       
      Ok, thanks, I will try to do that and I'll keep you updated. I want to remind you that I have already tried to boot the computer from a USB stick that had a Windows installer on it.
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    2. Gesoriac
       
      It's alright, I succeeded, thank you! What should I do now to erase my entire SSD and restore everything to its "factory" state?
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    3. jfmimi Posted messages 13633 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   1 929 > Gesoriac
       
      left click, bottom left, on the icon " Z "
      then " System " > " Gparted "
      Gparted is a disk editing software
      from there you will be able to format the disk
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    4. Gesoriac > jfmimi Posted messages 13633 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
       
      Well, I must have messed something up with "gparted" since the hard drive doesn't even show up in the BIOS options and I can't access Zorin again...
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    5. jfmimi Posted messages 13633 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   1 929 > Gesoriac
       
      if you didn't know how to do it, you should have asked
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  2. jee pee Posted messages 9444 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   9 981
     
    Hello,

    There is no disk wipe function in the BIOS.

    So you need something on a USB key to boot; in any case, you'll have to resolve this to reinstall Windows. Remove the boot from the disk, take out the disk to test, ...

    --
            a foreigner is a friend we haven't met yet.
    0
    1. Gesoriac
       
      Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I literally can't do anything except from the back. With a key that has a Windows installer, I strangely encounter exactly the same error message. Yet I have already deleted the boot directly from the disk... I disabled it... I don't understand the logic of this... I can really only access the ASUS BIOS.
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      1. jee pee Posted messages 9444 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   9 981 > Gesoriac
         
        I don't know the Asus BIOS, but finding out how to boot from the USB drive is the only solution; try disconnecting the disk physically anyway.
        0
  3. fabul Posted messages 42171 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069
     
    Hi,

    You can erase it with Active@ KillDisk Freeware on a bootable USB drive

    http://killdisk.com/killdisk-freeware.htm

    (If you want a total wipe, with disk reset)
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  4. fabul Posted messages 42171 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069
     
    If you see it either with the Windows key or KillDisk, you can get out of trouble.

    Use KillDisk if Windows doesn't see anything.

    Use the tool to create a USB drive to update, repair, or reinstall Windows

    Windows 11 if compatible.

    Windows 10 https://www.microsoft.com/fr-fr/software-download/windows10/

    Windows 11 https://www.microsoft.com/fr-fr/software-download/windows11

    If you already have the Windows ISO file that you can download from the tool, you can create your USB drive with Rufus

    If the PC is old, you need to create the drive in MBR mode

    If it is recent (Windows 8 or higher) in GPT mode > For Windows 11 GPT

    Boot from it using the PC's Boot Menu

    https://www.malekal.com/liste-touches-acces-bios-boot-menu-constructeur/

    If you don't see it, you can search on Google "[Brand Model] Boot Menu Key"

    Choose "Custom Installation" (Not upgrade)

    You don't have to format if there is space; if there are data, they will be found in a Windows.old folder

    Install on the same partition, or alternatively, delete all system partitions and create a new one (This will delete the data).
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    1. Gesoriac
       
      Thank you, I will try that tomorrow. However, I want to reiterate that I can no longer see the SSD hard drive in the "boot sequences" of the Asus BIOS and that Zorin won't start either following my botched operation with GParted...
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    2. fabul Posted messages 42171 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069 > Gesoriac
       
      I don't know Zorin.

      When you install Windows, you will see it in the boot sequence.

      (I don't know if you will need to reset the disk with KillDisk before installing Windows)

      Otherwise, just try to install Windows with the key to see if it recognizes the disk.
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    3. Gesoriac > fabul Posted messages 42171 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
       
      Well, I was able to reinstall the hard drive and with Windows 11. I was able to reinstall Windows 11, but it has the exact same error issue. I can access the operating system for 2-3 minutes before the Windows error message reappears...
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    5. fabul Posted messages 42171 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069 > Gesoriac
       
      Possible, reinstall them in the right places as the manual says if you are only using two.

      Then test them one at a time if there's an error.

      It’s often guaranteed, check with the manufacturer if there’s a defective one.
      1