How to Erase Files from Toshiba External Hard Drive? – [Solved]
For increasing storage capacity and securing important data, Toshiba external hard drives are a popular option. But, there might be a time when you need to erase files from Toshiba external hard drive. Whether you need to clear storage to make space for new data, safely discard sensitive data, or simply tidy your system, it is important to understand how to accomplish this properly and securely. In this blog post, we will walk you through the quick steps to delete files from your Toshiba external hard drive efficiently.
How to Erase Files from Toshiba External Hard Drive on Windows? – Securely and Safely
“Don’t delete, erase it!” is the solution. When a file is erased, the data is removed and a pattern of 0s and 1s is written over the hard drive blocks (or sectors) where the file was once stored. By doing this, one can be sure that the file is permanently deleted and unrecoverable. The erasure techniques that can help you remove sensitive and private data from your Toshiba external hard drive running Windows are described below.
Technique 1- SDelete
Windows users can securely erase data from attached storage media (NTFS or FAT32 only) using the SDelete application. By default, the tool deletes a file or folder (and any subdirectories) in a single pass using the DOD 5220.22-M standard. There is no option to select the erasing algorithm, but you’re free to select however many passes you wish.
To utilize SDelete for erasing files from Toshiba external hard drive, follow these simple guidelines-
- Download SDelete.exe from the Microsoft website.
- Copy “SDelete.exe” and paste it in the Toshiba external drive’s root folder (for instance, if the drive’s letter is E:, then paste SDelete at E:SDelete).
- In the root directory of the Toshiba external drive, hold down the Shift key while performing a right-click.
- Pick ‘Open command window here’ from the context menu.
- You can delete files by using the command sdelete -p 2 ‘FilePath’ at the command prompt (change FilePath with the file’s location, i.e. “E:PrivateFilesMySecretFile.txt”).
- Enter the command sdelete -s -r -p 2 ‘.FolderPATH’ to delete a folder that contains subfolders and files. (In this case, the -s and -r options are used to recursively remove the folder, any subfolders, and all files inside with two passes.)
Using this process, you can safely remove files from a Toshiba external hard disk.
Technique 2- WinHex
Another application that allows you to delete private information is WinHex, although it does it in a different manner. The program is a hexadecimal editor for Windows which enables you to edit a file’s hex code and mutilate it as a result. Additionally, it wipes the data or disks in accordance with DoD 5220.22-M standards.
With WinHex, you can delete a file or disk from a Toshiba hard drive.
- Download the WinHex program, then unzip it anywhere on your device.
- Double-click the WinHex tool icon in the extracted folder to run it.
- If prompted, provide access, then select Tools > Open Disk (or just press F9).
- Navigate to Edit > Fill Disk Sectors after choosing the Toshiba disk. E.g., fill with random bytes or zeros.
Warning: The preceding procedure wipes the Toshiba external drive completely, therefore use with care.
- Navigate to Tools > File Tools to delete a file.
- Choose “Delete Recursively” to choose the directory on the Toshiba hard drive holding subfolders and files and remove them recursively, or choose “Wipe Securely” to browse and erase one file at one time from the Toshiba external drive.
Technique 3- CubexSoft Hard Drive Erasure Tool
CubexSoft Data Erasure Software is one of the best and most secure methods to securely delete files from Toshiba external hard drive and storage devices like SSD, HDD, memory cards, pan drives, USB drive, etc. It uses three international data deletion standards, including DoD 5222.22-M (3 passes, 7 passes), to completely wipe out data from the drive. The software also allows you to erase multiple drives or files at the same time without any hassle.
The Toshiba External Hard Drive Tool also verifies erased data using Random or Total Verification method that ensure entire data sanitization from the Toshiba external drive. Also, you’ve the option to delete complete Toshiba drive volume(s) with any erasure algorithms of your choice or a many algorithms that must be implemented one at a time. One can even decide to remove the empty spaces of the hard drives that may hold previously erased sensitive data.
How to Securely Delete Files from Toshiba External Hard Drive? –Watch Online Tutorial
Final Words
There are lots of methods to erase data from Toshiba external drives on Windows OS, but data erased using these techniques can be retrieved with an expert Data Recovery Software. It’s strongly advised to use a Data Erasing Tool when wiping data instead.
The article also discussed the WinHex and SDelete software to delete data, but these programs are neither simple nor secure to use. If you type the command or drive letter incorrectly, SDelete may result in the unintentional deletion of important information.
On the other hand, WinHex needs technical expertise and is tough to utilize by a novice person. CubexSoft Hard Drive Eraser Tool is the only way that is simpler to utilize due to its intuitive and user-friendly graphical interface. Moreover, this utility is compatible with many operating systems, including Mac OS and Windows OS.
