Formatting an SD card may seem like a good way to clear it, but it only deletes the file system, making the data invisible to the OS. However, the deleted data are still on the computer and can be easily recovered with a proper data recovery tool, so formatting alone is not enough to completely wipe an SD card.
To securely erase data from an SD card, you need a tool specifically designed for this purpose, such as an SD card eraser tool. This tool can completely and securely delete all data from the device, making it extremely difficult for anyone to recover the data.
To completely clear an SD card, a wipe tool is necessary. A suitable SD card eraser tool for Windows PC is Qiling Disk Master Professional, while Qiling Disk Master Server is recommended for Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019.
Both of them provide the "Wipe Hard Drive" feature to permanently wipe or erase the SD card of most popular brands, including SanDisk, Samsung, Patriot, and Transcend. This feature also offers four different options to erase an SD card, ranked by their data sanitization level.
1. Fill sectors with Zero: wipes the disk contents by overwriting them with zeros.
2. Fill sectors with random data: The process of wiping a hard drive involves securely erasing all existing data on the drive, replacing it with random data to prevent recovery. This is typically done to ensure the complete removal of sensitive information and to prepare the drive for reuse or disposal.
3. DoD 5220.22-M: This data sanitization method involves a four-step process: first, overwriting all addressable locations with binary zeroes, then with binary ones, followed by a random bit pattern, and finally verifying the overwrite pass to ensure the data is completely sanitized.
4. Gutmann: This method uses a random character for the first 4 and last 4 passes, then employs a complex overwriting pattern from pass 5 to pass 31.
A versatile tool that can format various types of drives, including SD cards, to different file systems, such as NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4. It can also format hard drives to these file systems and even format 64GB SD cards to FAT32, making it a convenient and powerful formatting tool for both Windows PCs and Servers.
To securely and permanently erase an SD card in Windows 10/8/7, we'll use Qiling Disk Master Professional as an example, which is also applicable to Windows Server. The steps are the same as erasing an SD card in Windows Server.
Importance: If you accidentally delete files from your SD card, it's essential to act quickly to minimize data loss. The data can't be recovered once it's been wiped, so it's crucial to back up your files regularly to prevent permanent loss.
Step1. Install and launch Qiling Disk Master, right-click the SD card to be erased and select "Wipe Hard Drive".
Step 2. To wipe your SD card, it's recommended to use the "one" method, which is a safe and quick option. This method can be used to erase all data on the card, making it suitable for when you're ready to recycle or repurpose the SD card. It's a simple and effective way to ensure your personal data is completely removed, giving you peace of mind.
Step 3. Click "Proceed" button to start executing the wiping operation.
If you want to erase an SSD drive, you can use its "SSD Secure Erase" function, which completely wipes all data without damaging the drive's performance and lifespan, helping to restore its original ideal performance level.
Qiling Disk Master is a powerful tool that can be used on various Windows operating systems to erase SD cards and other storage devices, such as Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives. In addition to its wiping capabilities, it also offers other useful disk and partition management functions.
The software allows you to split partitions without losing data, recover lost partitions, convert a boot disk between MBR and GPT without deleting existing partitions, convert a dynamic disk to basic disk without data loss, and even repair an SD card.