Hey guys,

I want to shred/sanitize my SSDs. If it was a normal harddrive I would stick to ShredOS / nwipe, but since SSD’s seem to be a little more complicated, I need your advice.

When reading through some posts in the internet, many people recommend using the software from the manufacturer for sanitizing. Currently I am using the SSD SN850X from Western digital, but I also have a SSD 990 PRO from Samsung. Both manufacturers don’t seem to have a specialized linux-compatible software to perform this kind of action.

How would be your approach to shred your SSD (without physically destroying it)?

~sp3ctre

  • aufbau161@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    61·
    10 hours ago

    i was just in the same situation and stumbled upon an issue, but more on that later.

    nvme cli might be what you are looking for, the arch wiki has got a good tutorial https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Solid_state_drive/NVMe

    but: it depends on how you connect the nvme ssd to your system. if you use an external enclosure/adapter the nvme would show up as /dev/sda because it is not attached to the proper interface. i did not manage to get nvme cli to work in that case.

    but, and that is the much easier way to solve that issue: the bios is your friend. most modern bios provide a secure erase nvme option. so just stick the nvme ssd in your computer and try to do it that way. only took a couple of seconds due to the way it works on nvme ssds as far as i understand.

    that said: i’ve got two older WD nvme ssds that i could’t format using four (!) different PC’s and their bioses, non of the manufactures software for windows or bootable usb sticks would work either (tried the latter on three different PC’s) and the external enclosure solution provided no help either. only the bios of an older asrock board easily accepted the nvme and managed to secure erase it. no clue what went wrong the first times but at least they are clean now.