Best Software to Zero Filling Hard Drive| Free Download

What Does Zero Filling Hard Drive Mean?

Zero filling is a data erasure method that sequentially overwrites all addressable sectors of a hard drive with zeros (0x00) rather than simply removing the references to it, preventing data from being recovered.

This process ensures that all readable data on the drive is replaced with zeros and the drive appears completely blank or unallocated, with no recoverable files, partitions, or file system structures remaining.

Zero filling is highly effective for HDDs where data resides in fixed physical sectors. However, SSDs are less reliable due to wear leveling and over-provisioning, as data in hidden memory blocks may not be overwritten. Try this when:

Best Zero Filling Hard Drive Software

Not all disk utilities perform a “true” zero filling. It is important to use reliable tools that explicitly support full drive overwriting rather than quick formatting. For SSDs, consider whether Secure Erase or TRIM-based tools are more appropriate, as traditional zero filling may not fully erase all data.

AOMEI Backupper Professional is one of the best tools to write zero to hard drive in Windows 10, 11, 7, and 8/8.1. It features a Disk Wipe feature, with different wiping standards, far beyond simple zero filling.

AOMEI Backupper

Best Zero Filling Hard Drive Software

• Selective Wiping Standards: Fill sectors with zero, random data, DoD 5220.22-M, and Gutman.
• 3 Wiping Target: Wipe partition(s), unallocated space, or the entire drive.
• Flexible Bootable Environment: Create a bootable environment automatically while erasing C drive or system disk. You can also create a bootable USB manually.
• Universal Storage Devices: Fully compatible with HDDs/SSDs, external drives, USB drives, etc.
• Integrated Backup Functionality: Support file backup, system backup, schedule backup, etc., for data protection. No need to download extra software.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7

100% Secure

How to Zero Filling a Hard Drive Step by Step

Now, you can write zero to hard drive using AOMEI Backupper. Before wiping hard drive, it’s necessary to know:

◾ Zero filling overwrites all existing data on the drive, making files, partitions, and operating systems permanently unrecoverable. Please backup files you still need first.
◾ Zero filling can take a long time, especially on large drives. Consider using uninterrupted power to prevent inconsistent or unusable drive states.

Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper after installing. Under the Tools tab, click Disk Wipe.

Step 2. Select Wipe disk, then the hard drive you want to erase. It can be HDDs/SSDs, external drives, USB drives, etc.

You’ll be told that you have selected to wipe the system disk, and the operation will be executed in reboot mode. Click OK to continue.

Step 3. Select Fill sectors with Zero and click Start to overwrite data with a single pass of zeroes. It’s fast but relatively basic.

🤝Pro Tip: To completely overwrite data, choose advanced wiping methods: Fill with random data, DoD 5220.22-M, or Gutmann. The effectiveness depends on the overwritten data value and passes. Higher overwriting levels result in slower speeds.

For the system disk, it will automatically create a bootable ISO file first to restart the PC and wipe hard drive from BIOS.

How to Zero Fill a Hard Drive using FORMAT /P:1 (CMD)

Zero filling a hard drive using the format /p:1 command overwrites every sector of the selected drive once with zeros. This permanently erases all data, making it nearly impossible to recover, and is useful before selling, donating, or reusing an HDD.

Step 1. Press Win + S, type cmd, and select Run as administrator in the right panel.

Step 2. Identify the correct drive letter (e.g., E:) in File Explorer.

Step 3. In the Command Prompt window, type format E: /fs:NTFS /p:1 and press Enter. Replace E: with your drive letter.

⚠️Notes:
✅ /fs:NTFS refers tofile system. You can also use FAT32/exFAT.
✅ /p:1 overwrites every sector once with zeros
❌ Do not use /Q (quick format), as it skips overwriting.

When prompted: "WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE E: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?", type Y to proceed. Windows writes zeros to every sector and verifies them.

Do not interrupt the process. Just wait. The time depends on the drive size. A 500GB HDD takes about 1-2 hours, while 1TB HDD requires 3- 4+ hours.

Final Thoughts

Zero fillinghard driveis a simple and effective methodto erase traditional hard drivesbefore reselling,donating, recycling, or routine reuse. However, itmay not fully remove all dataon SSDs or drives containing highly sensitive information.

But AOMEI Backupper Professional, a powerful disk wiper, you can erase any disk types, from HDDs to SSDs, external drives, USB drives, etc., along with a user-friendly interface, bootable environment, integrated backup feature, etc.