Clean Install Wipe All Drives Exclusive: Does
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.
Short answer: No — a clean install typically only formats or overwrites the drive/partition you choose, not every drive attached to the system. However, whether other drives are affected depends on the installer, your actions, and the operating system. Read the rest for specifics and safe procedures.
If you're not sure which drive is your system drive, I can walk you through how to identify it using Disk Management. Also, are you aiming for a "clean" look (keeping files but resetting settings) or a truly "factory fresh" experience (everything erased)? Share public link
Data on secondary internal hard drives or secondary SSDs remains completely intact by default. The installation wizard will list these drives as separate "Disks" (e.g., Disk 0, Disk 1). As long as you do not click on these secondary disks and select "Delete" or "Format," the setup process will completely ignore them. Once the installation finishes, the new operating system will recognize these drives, and your files will be accessible. 3. External Drives and Network Storage does clean install wipe all drives exclusive
The drive or partition you select will be formatted. This erases the operating system, system files, applications, and personal data on that specific drive.
The short answer is
Select the resulting "Unallocated Space" on your system drive and click to begin the installation. What Happens to Secondary Drives After the Installation? Selecting the "Clean the drive fully" option will
By doing this, it is physically impossible for the installer to touch, view, or accidentally wipe your secondary data. 3. Reconnect and Map Your Drives
The seeds of confusion are sown by ambiguous language. Terms like “clean,” “fresh start,” or “reset” sound absolute. Furthermore, some advanced tools—like Apple’s Disk Utility or the diskpart clean command in Windows—can erase entire physical drives, but these are separate utilities, not the standard OS installation routine. A user who mistakenly selects the wrong partition or runs a third-party “drive cleaner” can, of course, erase everything. But that is user error, not a feature of the clean install process itself. The critical distinction lies between a “clean install” of an operating system and a “low-level format” or “drive wipe.”
Are you trying to or just speed up the machine ? In contrast, a secure wipe, achieved through commands
The impact on your drives depends on which installation path you take:
If you want absolute peace of mind, disconnect your extra drives before you begin. It takes five minutes and guarantees your data stays completely safe.
This public link is valid for 7 days and shares a thread, including any personal information you added. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted. If you share with third parties, their policies apply. Can’t copy the link right now. Try again later.
One Microsoft Q&A user described this exact scenario: after resetting Windows, they lost everything on both their primary and secondary drives. A Microsoft support responder confirmed that once this happens, the drive is formatted and the files are gone. While third-party recovery tools like Recuva might offer a slim chance of recovery, the outlook is generally bleak.