How to Wipe an SSD Before Selling It (NIST 800-88, Plain English)
By the SellUsedRAM bench · Reviewed August 12, 2026 · About SellUsedRAM
To wipe an SSD before selling it, use the drive's own built-in sanitize function — what NIST 800-88 calls a Purge — not a file delete, not a quick format, and not a third-party "shredder" app writing patterns over the top. On flash storage, only the drive controller can reach every cell, and every modern SSD ships with a command that erases everything in one pass, usually in under a minute.
Why deleting and formatting are not wiping
Deleting a file removes its directory entry; the contents stay on the NAND until overwritten. A quick format rebuilds the file table and leaves nearly everything recoverable with free tools. SSDs add a subtler problem: wear-leveling constantly remaps blocks, and the drive keeps over-provisioned spare area that no software overwrite can reach. That is why NIST 800-88 — the federal standard for media sanitization — distinguishes Clear (overwrite-level, fine for casual reuse) from Purge (the drive's internal cryptographic or block-level erase, which is the standard for media leaving your control). Selling a drive is the textbook case for Purge.
Wiping an NVMe drive
From a Linux live USB (or any Linux box) with nvme-cli installed:
sudo nvme format /dev/nvme0n1 --ses=1
That is a user-data erase; --ses=2 performs a cryptographic erase on self-encrypting drives, and nvme sanitize is the stronger, audit-friendly variant where the drive supports it. On Windows, the vendor tools do the same thing with a progress bar: Samsung Magician's Secure Erase, Crucial Storage Executive's Sanitize, the Solidigm and WD dashboards' equivalents. Enterprise drives like a Samsung PM983 or Intel P4510 complete a sanitize in seconds to minutes because the erase happens inside the controller, not over the bus.
Wiping a SATA drive
SATA SSDs use ATA Secure Erase, driven by hdparm from a live Linux USB: set a temporary security password with --security-set-pass, then issue --security-erase. One quirk to expect: many systems boot with the drive in a "frozen" security state; suspending and resuming the machine usually unfreezes it. If the command line is not your idea of a Saturday, the same manufacturer tools cover SATA models like the 870 EVO. Enterprise SAS drives are the one place you need different tooling — sg_sanitize or sg_format from the sg3_utils package.
If it is your boot drive
You cannot sanitize the drive you are running from. Boot from a Linux live USB or the manufacturer's bootable tool, then run the erase against the internal drive. Plan for this before you box up the machine — it is a ten-minute job with the right USB stick and an annoying afternoon without it. Selling a whole laptop rather than a bare drive? The Mac-specific erase path, Activation Lock included, is in how to sell a MacBook safely.
Why we re-wipe and certify anyway
You should not have to trust that a buyer wiped your drive, and we do not ask you to trust us either. Every SSD and laptop we buy is re-erased to NIST 800-88 Purge on our bench, and you get a serialized certificate — drive model, serial, method, tool, date, verifier — with a public verification link, at no charge. The process is documented on our data security page. Wiping first yourself is belt and suspenders, and we encourage it; the certificate is the part you can show an auditor. If you want the deeper background on what actually persists after deletion, read is it safe to sell a used SSD.
FAQ
Is formatting an SSD enough before selling it?
No. A quick format only rebuilds the file table, and even a "full" format cannot reach the drive's over-provisioned spare area. Use the drive's built-in secure erase or sanitize command — that is the only method that touches every cell.
Does full-disk encryption count as wiping?
Close, if it was on from day one: destroying the key (which is what a cryptographic erase does) renders the data unreadable. Best practice is still to run the drive's sanitize afterward — it takes a minute and removes the "was encryption really always on?" question entirely.
How long does a secure erase take on an SSD?
Usually seconds to a few minutes. Cryptographic erase is near-instant because it destroys a key rather than touching cells; block erase runs through the NAND but is still dramatically faster than the hours an overwrite pass takes on spinning disks.
Do you wipe the drives you buy, or do I have to?
Both, ideally. We Purge and certify every drive regardless of what the seller did first, so your data does not depend on your own tooling being perfect — but wiping before shipping is good practice and costs you almost nothing.
Drive wiped, or happy to let our bench handle it? Check your model's current range on the Payout Index (a Kioxia CM6-R 3.84TB NVMe pays $296–$385 there) and start a quote when the number looks right. A Samsung PM1735 1.6TB AIC clears $116–$145.