Does Clean | Install Wipe All Drives Exclusive |work|

When you perform a clean install using a USB boot drive, you eventually reach a screen asking,

This is where your OS lives. To do a "clean" install, you typically delete the partitions on this drive, turning it into "Unallocated Space." This wipes the data on that specific drive .

By default, a clean installation of Windows or macOS is designed to target the (usually your C: drive). It does not automatically reach out and "sanitize" your secondary D: drive, external backup disks, or secondary SSDs unless you manually intervene during the partition process. How a Clean Install Works does clean install wipe all drives exclusive

Before booting from your USB, physically disconnect the SATA or power cables from your secondary hard drives. If they aren't connected, the installer cannot touch them.

Your other drives (Games, Photos, Backups) will appear in this same list. As long as you do not delete or format the partitions associated with those drives, their data remains 100% intact. The Risks: Where Things Can Go Wrong When you perform a clean install using a

Remove all USB thumb drives, SD cards, and external HDDs.

Run the clean install on your lone remaining SSD. It does not automatically reach out and "sanitize"

While the process is exclusive to the drive you select, human error is the biggest threat.