Does | Clean Install Wipe All Drives Exclusive

When you perform a clean install, you are essentially starting with a "blank slate" for the operating system. However, the scope of that slate is largely under your control:

Short answer: No — a clean install typically only formats or overwrites the drive/partition you choose, not every drive attached to the system. However, whether other drives are affected depends on the installer, your actions, and the operating system. Read the rest for specifics and safe procedures. does clean install wipe all drives exclusive

If you use BitLocker or other encryption on a secondary drive and you don't back up the recovery key, a clean install of the OS might lock you out of that secondary drive forever. The data isn't "wiped," but it becomes inaccessible. How to Ensure Your Other Drives Stay Safe When you perform a clean install, you are