Download DBAN – Darik’s Boot and Nuke for Secure Hard Drive Wiping

DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) is a free, open-source bootable disk wiping tool designed to securely erase all data from hard drives and storage media. It boots from a CD, DVD, or USB drive and wipes every sector of the target drive, making data recovery practically impossible using conventional methods.

DBAN is widely used for securely decommissioning computers before resale or disposal, protecting sensitive personal and business data from falling into the wrong hands. It supports multiple data sanitization standards including DoD 5220.22-M, Gutmann (35 passes), PRNG Stream, and Quick Erase, giving users flexibility based on their security requirements.

As a bootable tool that runs independently of the operating system, DBAN can wipe the drive that Windows is installed on — something that cannot be done from within Windows itself. It is the industry standard for free hard drive sanitization and is trusted by IT departments, security professionals, and privacy-conscious individuals worldwide.

Key Features

• Securely wipes all data from hard drives making recovery virtually impossible
• Bootable from CD, DVD, or USB — works independently of the OS
• Supports DoD 5220.22-M, Gutmann (35-pass), PRNG Stream, and other wipe methods
• Can wipe the system drive (the drive Windows is running on)
• Wipes all connected drives simultaneously for fast decommissioning
• Simple text-based interface accessible to non-technical users
• Free and open source

How to Install

1. Download the DBAN ISO image from the link below.
2. Burn the ISO to a CD/DVD using burning software, or write it to a USB drive using Rufus or Etcher.
3. Boot your computer from the DBAN disc or USB (change boot order in BIOS/UEFI).
4. Select the drives you want to wipe and choose your preferred wipe method.
5. Confirm and start the wipe process — WARNING: all data will be permanently destroyed.