A USB drive, USB flash drive, thumb drive, or memory stick is a portable storage media device. USB drives commonly utilize flash memory to store data. However, external hard drives, which contain mechanical disks and solid-state drives with flash memory, also use a USB interface to connect with laptops, desktops, Mac devices, and servers. Therefore, knowing how to wipe a USB drive is critical to ensure data confidentiality and privacy.
Using the BitRaser Drive Eraser software, you can erase all types of USB drives, including:
- USB flash drive (commonly known as pen drive, thumb drive, or memory stick)
- USB hard drive (external hard disk drives and solid state drives with a USB interface)
Please see the following requirements before getting started with the wiping process.
Requirements:
- Desktop or Laptop: To perform USB wiping
- Blank USB Drive: Minimum 2 GB to create a bootable USB (USB 3.0 Recommended)
- USB Drive: To Wipe or Erase
- Internet: Ethernet or Wi-Fi
For your ease of understanding, we have divided the KB into 3 stages:
Stage 1: Download the BitRaser Drive Eraser ISO file
Step 1: Log in to your BitRaser cloud account using the credentials received in your registered email post-purchasing BitRaser Drive Eraser.
Step 2: Click on the 'Cloud Variant: BitRaser Drive Eraser' option in the 'Download BitRaser' section of the BitRaser Cloud console to start the download of the BitRaser Drive Eraser software. (Refer to Image 1)
Image 1: Download BitRaser Drive Eraser ISO from the Profile Section
Stage 2: Create a BitRaser Bootable Media
This stage involves creating bootable media by burning the BitRaser Drive Eraser ISO image on an empty flash drive. The bootable media allows the wiping of USB drives.
Step 1: Go to https://rufus.ie to download Rufus – an open-source application for creating bootable USB media. You can use any ISO-burning software of your choice, too.
Step 2: Install Rufus on the PC or laptop and then plug a flash drive into the system to create a bootable drive.
Note: The USB drive you want to erase should not be plugged in at this stage.
Step 3: Launch Rufus; it will automatically detect your connected flash drive. Now click' Select,' open the downloaded BitRaser ISO file, and click ‘START’. (Refer to Image 2)
Image 2: Select the Downloaded BitRaser ISO File, then Click START
Step 4: You will see a new pop-up window to ‘Write in ISO image mode’. Click ‘OK’. Click ‘Yes’ in the ‘Download required’ alert window. A new warning window appears, informing that all the data on the selected USB will be wiped; click ‘OK’. (Refer to Image 3)
Image 3: Click OK in the Warning Window
Once the process is finished, your bootable BitRaser media is created to wipe USB Drives.
Note: If you want to erase USB on a Mac (including a Mac with T1, T2, M1, and M2 Chip), you must use the 'BitRaser USB Creator for Mac' utility instead of Rufus. This proprietary utility for Mac devices is required to launch the BitRaser Mac application to erase data on Mac devices and any connected USB drives.
To know how to use the tool, refer to our guide for Mac devices: How to Wipe Mac Devices
Stage 3: Start wiping the USB drive with BitRaser Drive Eraser
Step 1: Plug the bootable media into the host machine (laptop or desktop PC). Also, plug the USB drive and/or USB hard drive(s) you need to wipe into the PC.
Step 2: Switch ON the machine and press the Function keys to enter the Boot menu. (The key may vary according to your device manufacturer). (Refer to Image 4)
Select the USB Device, and press ‘Enter’. The computer will boot, and the BitRaser Menu will appear, listing the connected USB to be erased along with the internal drive. (Refer to Image 5)
Image 4: In the Boot Menu, Select Drive to Make Bootable USB
Image 5: BitRaser Main Screen with Connected USB
Step 3: Connect the software to the internet using Wi-Fi or Ethernet. (Refer to Image 6)
Step 4: Connect the application to the BitRaser Cloud Console to acquire erasure licenses. This also facilitates automatically uploading erasure reports to the BitRaser cloud, creating a centralized repository accessible anytime, anywhere. (Refer to Image 7)
Image 6: Connect the Application to the Internet
Image 7: Connect to BitRaser Cloud Console
Step 5: Select the USB drive to wipe, the erasure method, and the verification type to be done, and then click ‘Erase’. An alert window pops up, informing that all data will be removed permanently, click ‘Yes’. (Refer to Image 8)
Image 8: Select USB drive to Wipe Erasure Method, then Click Erase
The process to erase the connected USB will start; you can see the erasure progress on the BitRaser main interface and the screensaver. (Refer to Images 9 & 10)
Image 9: USB Erasure Progress Screen
Image 10: USB Erasure Progress Screensaver
Once the USB erasure process is complete, the software will generate digitally signed reports & certificates of erasure and upload them automatically to your BitRaser Cloud account. (Refer to Report Below)
Report: USB Wiping BitRaser Drive Eraser Report
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