Selecting the "Clean the drive fully" option will perform a secure, bit-by-bit wipe of the selected drive(s). This goes far beyond a standard format. A standard "clean" command only deletes the partition information, making data recovery possible with the right tools. In contrast, a secure wipe, achieved through commands like clean all , overwrites every single sector of the drive with zeros, making all previous data completely irretrievable.
Does a Clean Install Wipe All Drives? What You Need to Know A clean installation of an operating system is the best way to restore your computer's speed and eliminate stubborn software issues. However, a major concern for many users is data loss. The short answer is:
Are you trying to or just speed up the machine ?
The simplest and safest approach is to back up your data, physically disconnect secondary drives before beginning, and carefully follow the installation prompts. With proper preparation, you can enjoy the benefits of a fresh operating system without losing your valuable data on other drives.
This is erased. All programs, settings, and personal files (Documents, Photos, Desktop) in the User folder are deleted.
The safest approach for a Linux clean install is to physically disconnect all drives except the target drive before beginning the installation. One Ubuntu user explained this approach: "For a clean install on one disk with your data on a different physical disk, I start with only the physical disk connected and powered. On that disk I let the Ubuntu distribution have free rein to wipe out and install as it decides best".
If you are using a laptop or cannot easily disconnect your internal drives, rename them beforehand so you can easily identify them during setup. Open in Windows File Explorer. Right-click your secondary drive and select Rename . Give it a distinct name, such as "Data_Drive" or "Backup".
Disconnect all external hard drives, USB flash drives, and memory cards before booting into the installation media. 3. Label Your Drives Beforehand
A clean installation of Windows does automatically wipe all drives ; by default, it only affects the specific drive or partition you select for the installation. However, secondary drives can still be impacted by manual formatting during setup or system misconfigurations. How a Clean Install Interacts with Multiple Drives