How to wipe SSD

[rain siren]

I have never used linux before, and I was thinking that I was going to use linux mint but I don't know how to wipe my SSD completely before I boot it up of if I'm just going to do a factory reset before I switch to reset it,
I'm mostly curios if there's and easier way to do it?

[vivid steeple]

What are you trying to achieve? Just switch from Windows to Linux? Get a dual boot going? Destroy some old data?

[rain siren]

i have a 1 terrabyte disk, but right now theres only 200 Gigabytes left, so i wanted to just reset it and then go over to linux

[muted basalt]

https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html

see the whole guide, Especially Step 5

this is the official linux mint help guide btw

[muted basalt]

if there's any photos or documents u want to keep, back them up to a separate usb drive (not the one you gonna make for installation media ofc)

[rain siren]

i put all my files in a external hard-drive but just wanted to clear up some space, should i just do a factory reset on windows and then boot linux?

[muted basalt]

u dont need to factory reset

see step 5 in the guide, it shows top option in installer as "Erase Disk, and install Linux Mint"

it just depends if u want to keep windows or not

[rain siren]

oh yeah, thanks, i think i know what i need now

[muted basalt]

but before installing anything.. make sure you try to run Linux Mint on the USB and check that EVERYTHING Works. all ports, all sound, all network capabilities

video quality, speed, etc

@rain siren

it's important to test this way. No sense in wiping out your old OS, only to find you dont like Mint or it doesnt perform correctly

[rain siren]

yeah i think i want to keep windows just in case i need it for something

[vivid steeple]

If you want to keep Windows, you are going for a dual boot. In that case, you should clean up unnecessary files and reduce the partition size from inside windows, so you get enough space for the Linux partition to be made.

[muted basalt]

technically doesnt have to reduce the partition size, as Mint installer will offer that with "Install alongside" option but cleaning up trash junk is definitely a must.

[muted basalt]

if you're gonna dual-boot, and you have either Windows 10 or 11, it is absolutely critical to turn off "Fast Startup" in Windows control panel Power section for things to work right later.

see post here with hearts:
#1193345280733622272 message

and first 6 minutes of the second video at the top.