Did you know that by simply formatting a USB stick using the default Windows or macOS options anyone, using the right tools, could be able to recover deleted files ? I’m serious: when you format a drive using the standard Windows or macOS function, it is only apparently freed of data. In reality, the old data remains in place and the memory sectors that host them marked as “free”. This means that, while waiting for new information to be written, the files that were present on the disk (or, in this case, on the key) before formatting are easily recoverable with any data recovery software. A big risk to your privacy, don’t you think? Then run for cover.
If you want to keep your data safe and you want to prevent anyone from recovering it after you format your key, you need to take a few more minutes and safely erase the drive. Erasing a drive safely means formatting it and then rewriting all its sectors with random data, in this case a series of “0” or other numbers, which make it impossible to recover the files that were originally on it. But keep in mind that this practice is only useful for classic sticks and hard drives, not for SSDs (some are similar in size to USB sticks), as continuous rewriting can shorten their lifespan.
How do you say? Is it an operation by expert technicians? Nothing at all! Deleting a USB stick permanently is a very simple operation and can be done with both Windows and macOS: all you need is a bit of free time (since rewriting the drive with random data takes a few minutes ): if you don’t believe it, follow the instructions I’m about to give you and try it now. You will be amazed by the ease with which you will be able to complete the procedure!
Index
- How to permanently delete a USB stick on Windows
- Command Prompt
- Eraser
- How to permanently delete a USB stick on Mac
How to permanently delete a USB stick on Windows
If you want to find out how to permanently delete a USB stick and use a PC equipped with Windows , you must know that there are several solutions you can rely on: some are included “as standard” in the operating system installed on your PC, while others can be found for free on the Net. You just have to choose the one that best suits your needs and use it following the instructions below.
Command Prompt
If you want to format a key safely but do not want to install new programs on your computer, you can use the formatting utility included in Windows, which, however, must be used via the command line, therefore without counting on the intermediation of a graphical interface.
To begin, insert the key to format into your PC, open File Explorer (the yellow folder icon located at the bottom left of the taskbar) and select the This PC / Computer icon from the left sidebar. Now write down the drive letter of the key : you will need it shortly to give the key format command (and if you get the letter wrong, you risk formatting another drive instead of the USB key!).
You are now ready to take action. Click,, on the Start button (the Windows icon located in the lower left corner of the screen), type the command cmd in the bar that appears, right click on the corresponding search result and select Run as administrator , to open the Command Prompt .
In the window that opens, give the command format X: /P:3, where instead of X: you have to enter the drive letter of the key to be formatted and instead of 3 the number of writes you want to be made on the drive. After giving the command, hit Enter twice in a row.
If you are using Windows 11 , Windows 10 or Windows 8.x , after the first writing of “0”, the sectors of the key will be overwritten with different random numbers at each step. If you use a version of Windows older than 8.x, however, all the writes will be made with “0” (technique slightly less secure than the first, but still very valid and suitable for your purposes).
As can be easily understood, a greater number of writes equates to greater security in the deletion of data but also a longer duration of formatting.
Note: if during formatting you want to change the key’s file system as well, add the variable / fs: [file system] at the end of the command, for example / fs: fat32 to format the drive in FAT32 or / fs: ntfs to format it in NTFS.
Eraser
If using the Command Prompt seems a little too complicated for your computer skills, try to rely on Eraser . It is an open source and free tool that allows you to delete, with several steps, the data present in a drive or in a specific folder.
To use it, download Eraser on your Windows PC by connecting to the official website of the program and clicking on the latest version available , in order to download the .exe file . After downloading it, double-click on it and press the Yes button , in the pane of the Windows security panel that is shown to you.
Once this is done, press the Next button , put a check mark on the box to accept the terms of service and press the Next button again . Now, click on the Complete button and then click on Install to proceed with the installation of the software on your PC. Finally, press the Finish button to close the screen.
When installation is complete, start Eraser using its icon on the desktop or in the Windows Start menu and, on its main screen, press the ▼ icon next to the Cleaning Schedules button . Now, click on the item New operation , to open a new panel.
Leave the Manual execution box checked , enter a name for the process using the appropriate box and then press the Add button at the bottom. Via the Destination menu , select the Drive / Partition option and then choose from the Cleaning method menu one of the options indicated: there are different formatting methods ranging from 1 to 32 steps ( Gutmann ). Obviously, the more steps you set, the more time the tool will take to format the USB stick. I recommend methods that do not go beyond 3 or 7 steps.
Once this is done, through the drop-down menu under the heading Settings , choose the disk drive to format and then press the OK button twice consecutively. When you are done, the newly created task will be listed on the Eraser screen: right click on it and select the item Immediate execution , to start the formatting process according to the parameters you indicated.
How to permanently delete a USB stick on Mac
If you use a Mac and want to delete a USB stick safely, you can easily contact Disk Utility : the default utility of macOS for managing disks and partitions.
Therefore, connect the USB key you intend to format to your Mac, open the Launchpad , select the Other folder from the latter and click on the Disk Utility icon . Alternatively, you can also call up Disk Utility by searching for the program in Spotlight (the macOS search system that you can call up by clicking on the magnifying glass icon at the top right or by pressing cmd + space on the keyboard).
At this point, select the drive of the USB key on the Disk Utility sidebar , press the Initialize button located at the top and, in the box that opens, type the name you want to assign to the drive and set the file system you want use to format it (via the Format pop-up menu ). Once this is done, click on the Security Options button and, using the scroll bar that is shown to you, choose the number of writes to be made on the memory sectors of the key.
- 1 pass, for standard formatting (not recommended)
- 2 passes, to write a pass of random data and then a single pass of “0” over the entire disk. The ideal solution to delete the key safely without waiting too long.
- 3 passes, to write two passes of random data and then a single pass of known data over the entire disk. The ideal solution to delete the key safely without waiting too long. Safer solution, but also a little slower, than the previous one.
- 7 steps, to initialize information used to access files and overwrite data 7 times. It takes a long time but puts the data in an iron barrel (after all, it is an option that complies with the US Department of Defense 5220-22 M standard for secure initialization of magnetic media). Perhaps too much for your purposes.
Consider that with current hard disk technologies, a 3-pass format is the best solution, also to safeguard the “health” of your drive. Once you have made your choice, click on the OK button , then on Initialize and wait patiently for the safe formatting of the key to finish.
To view all the details of the operation, expand the Disk Utility panel by clicking on the Show Details item , located at the bottom left.
