NVME SSD's: NVME Secure Erase

ATA and NVME drives use different communication specs, and as such the secure erase/sanitize commands are different. Sanitize overwites all data

Linux:

Best, Sanitize. Source: NVME Sanitize on tinyapps.org

1. Install nvme-cli

2. list NVME drives with nvme list

3. Check device is supported with nvme id-ctrl -H /dev/nvmeX. Check the 'fna' section, if any features have a '0x1'instead of a '0', sanitize is supported. Otherwise use Secure Erase.

4. Run the command nvme sanitize -a Y /dev/nvmeX where Y is 1, 2, 3, or 4 depending on supported sanitize features:

   a) 1 = exit failure mode

   b) 2 = Block Erase (Does a hi-low pulse on all blocks to reset them all to 0)

   c) 3 = Overwrite (random data overwrite)

   d) 4 = Crypto Erase (delete/change crypto keys, only on encrypted drives)

5. Check Status with nvme sanitize-log /dev/nvmeX. Completed when SPROG=65535, and SSTAT=0x101

Alternate, Secure Erase. Source: NVME Secure Erase on tinyapps.org

1. Install nvme-cli

2. list NVME drives with nvme list

3. Check device is supported with nvme id-ctrl -H /dev/nvmeX. if 'oacs' section, option [1:1] is set, Secure erase is supported. If 'fna' section, option [2:2] is set, then cryptographic secure erase is supported as well.

4. trigger the secure erase with nvme format /dev/nvmeX --ses=Y where Y is 0, 1, or 2, depending on supported features:

   a) 0 = no secure erase

   b) 1 = User Data Erase (random data overwrite)

   c) 2 - Cryptographic Erase (delete/change crypto keys, only on encrypted drives)

Windows:

See the Windows section under the SATA page, method is the same.