Zero filling describes a type of low-level format of a hard drive or another storage device where the device is erased by writing zeroes to every bit. It is often used to thoroughly and securely erase all data, to make it impossible for data to be recovered later. Zero filling is a way to protect personal data from being stolen.

In addition to securely erasing data, zero filling can sometimes be used to fix a corrupted hard drive or a hard drive that is heavily infected with viruses. Some users zero fill a hard drive before installing a new operating system, to ensure all data is erased first and that the hard drive is fully usable.

Bit, Corrupted, Formatting, Hard drive terms, Security terms, Storage device

  • How to make sure all data is erased on a computer hard drive.
  • How to securely delete a computer file.
  • How to format a hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive.
  • When I delete a file on my computer, where does it go?
  • Hard drive help and support.