How to use disk Secure Erase function

KillDisk offers low-level ATA Secure Erase method for Solid State Drives (SSD). According to NIST 800-88: Guidelines for Media Sanitation, Secure Erase is "An overwrite technology using firmware based process to overwrite a hard drive. Is a drive command defined in the ANSI ATA and SCSI disk drive interface specifications, which runs inside drive hardware." ATA Secure Erase is designed for SSD controllers (not NVMe controllers and disks!).

ATA Secure Erase is very dangerous method:

100% FATAL DAMAGE GUARANTEED TO MEDIA IF THE PROCESS IS INTERRUPTED (POWER OUTAGE, UNAUTHORIZED SSD EXTRACTION, ETC...) OR USED FOR SSD WHICH CONTROLLER DOES NOT PROPERLY SUPPORT THIS COMMAND. SSD DISK WILL NOT BE OPERATIONAL ANYMORE!

Due to this fact and for security reasons Microsoft intentionally blocked this functionality in all the latest Windows editions starting from Windows 8, so there is no chance to damage SSD under Windows, as well as there is no chance to execute Secure Erase under Windows operating system using third-party software, including KillDisk.

However Secure Erase functionality is available in KillDisk Linux-based packages (KillDisk Industrial, Active@ KillDisk Linux as well as Console and LiveCD included in Active@ KillDisk Ultimate), but you need to be very careful to use it.

Instead of using dangerous Secure Erase we advise you to use US DoD 5220.22-M erase method which also provides secure erasing of your data using logical override several times. No damage to SSD/HDD guaranteed and all disks will remain completely re-usable after sanitization.

For more information on using Secure Erase in KillDisk read User Guide.

Another way to execute Secure Erase for SSD and NVMe disks is by-pass Windows or Linux Operating System and perform this directly from computer BIOS. When booting up, go to BIOS settings (usually F1, F2, F10, ESC or DEL key used to enter BIOS) and look for Disk Secure Erase functionality. Most modern motherboards support this feature. Read motherboard or PC manual how to do this.

Applying Secure Erase Method from BIOS is more reliable and preferrable way over using any erasing software (including KillDisk) as long as hardware manufacturers have more control over disks and controllers installed and guarantee to execute this command properly (or just prohibit doing so).

For example for Lenovo laptops, you enter BIOS pressing [F2] while boot up and go to [Security] section to execute Secure Erase: