SSD Tools, Secure Erase, Sanitize, OPAL/PSID Revert

PSID and Data Wipe from Bootable USB

For Dell Business Models manufactured in Late 2015 or later, the UEFI BIOS Setup contains Dell Data Wipe which will allow one to Securely Wipe All Internal Drives that natively support Sanitize. For older Dell Business Models, or Dell Home Models or systems from other OEMs one may require to use Bootable Media to Securely Wipe All Internal Drives via the UEFI BIOS. Parted Magic will also allow one to perform a PSID Revert which may be required before wiping if BitLocker has been used on a SSD. Parted Magic also works with Drives attached using a SATA to USB3.0 Adaptor:

Drive Manufacture Utilities

Most of the utilities made by Drive Manufacturers are substandard. Most require the drive to be present when installing the Windows utility. As many computers on have a single drive bay, this means that Windows is typically installed on the SSD itself and a PSID Revert or Santize cannot be carried out. Moreover the utilities don't recognise their own SSDs when using a SATA to USB3 cable. As a result a number of Drive Operations need to be carried out using Bootable Media however the Bootable created by such utilities is also substandard and does not pass a UEFI Boot with Secure Boot. For Data Wipe/Sanization/PSID Revert you are hence better to use Parted Magic.

The utilities are however useful when it comes to Firmware Updates and for monitoring the health of the SSD on a Windows Install.

Data Recovery

Drive Encryption

Obsolete Guides

PSID Revert from within Windows or from a Bootable USB

These guides look at performing a PSID Revert using Freeware or utilities made by the Drive Manufacturers but are far more limited and less user-friendly than Parted Magic.

DiskPart

DiskPart is inbuilt into Windows and Windows Installation Media and is a utility for removing Partitions on Drives. It also has the ability to Wipe a HDD but it does not use optimal routines for Solid State Drives, Parted Magic is better for these.

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