You manually choose which drive to format. Other drives are only affected if you deliberately select and format them in the "Custom" installation menu.
This action completely erases everything on that target drive, including your personal files, applications, drivers, and any manufacturer-installed bloatware. This is why a clean install is so effective at eliminating deep-seated malware or driver corruption; it completely removes the old environment.
If your secondary drive contains user folders that are actively synced to cloud storage (like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox), setting up those sync clients on the fresh OS can cause synchronization conflicts. In rare cases, improper syncing can overwrite newer files with older versions. Step-by-Step Guide to a Safe Clean Install does clean install wipe all drives exclusive
However, accidents happen. Here is a comprehensive guide on how a clean install works and how to ensure you only wipe the specific drive you want.
However, there is a critical difference: during the Reset This PC process, you may be presented with an option that asks whether you want to remove files from "Only the drive where Windows is installed" or "All drives." If you choose "All drives," the reset will erase data from every connected drive—not just the system drive. By default, resetting your PC only deletes files from the drive where Windows is installed, but you must pay close attention to avoid selecting the "All drives" option. You manually choose which drive to format
The drive you select will be formatted. All data on it will be Secondary Drives:
The most effective way to protect secondary drives is to make them physically invisible to the installer. This is why a clean install is so
While the process is designed to be surgical, there are "exclusive" scenarios where other drives could be at risk:
Once the operating system is fully installed and you are looking at your new desktop, shut down your PC. Plug your secondary drives back in and power the system back on. Your computer will automatically recognize the drives, and all of your data will be exactly where you left it. What Happens to Programs on Secondary Drives?
While a clean install won't wipe your physical secondary drive, it will wipe your primary drive's connection to cloud services. If you stored files in your local Documents folder thinking they were safe because they sync to OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud, ensuring they actually synced before wiping the primary drive is critical. Step-by-Step Guide to a Safe Clean Install
You must select the Custom/Advanced option to control which drives are touched.