🔒 How to wipe PC before selling | Secure Erase PC | The ENTIRE process | Windows 10 & 11🔒
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- Want to secure erase your PC before selling or disposing of it? Are you worried about your personal files falling into the wrong hands? I'll show you the entire process on how to factory reset Windows 10 and how to factory reset Windows 11 using the secure erase setting. Once this is done, you can feel assured that your sensitive data no longer remains on the PC.
We'll start by clicking a few buttons, and your computer will be reset to its factory state, wiping out all personal files, settings, and applications. I'll walk you through the available options, such as "Keep my files" or the more secure "Remove everything." We'll discuss the importance of choosing the right reinstallation method, whether Cloud download or local reinstall. And most importantly, we'll delve into the step that ensures your data is truly unrecoverable by using a clean data option.
I'll also provide tips to avoid potential pitfalls during the setup process. You'll learn why disconnecting from the network and avoiding Wi-Fi setup can further safeguard your privacy.
So, if you're ready to protect your personal information while preparing your PC for its next journey, this video is a must-watch. Be sure to click that like button if you found this information valuable and consider subscribing for more expert advice on all things tech. Your support goes a long way in helping me create more helpful content in the future. Thank you for watching, and remember, your data security matters.
NEW VIDEO: I made another video that shows how to use Windows Reset to securely erase ALL hard drives that are installed in the computer, if you have more than one. You can view it here: • Does Windows Reset era...
Thanks for watching!
Jason :)
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 Intro / Summary
0:33 Getting started
01:09 Configuring options
02:26 Secure erase settings
03:21 Procedure is running
04:48 First boot after erased
06:33 Verify data is really GONE!
07:44 Closing & Thank you!
Songs in this video: -----
Song: Balynt - Campfire
Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music.
Video Link: bit.ly/3my0ORd
Song: MBB - Feel Good (Vlog No Copyright Music)
Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music.
Video Link: • MBB - Feel Good (Vlog ... - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Hi! I made two new videos you might be interested in that are about Microsoft's "Reset this PC" process. This Video: th-cam.com/video/7ceHpGlhp9E/w-d-xo.html shows how to secure erase ALL of the hard drives installed in your PC, in case you have more than one drive or partition with sensitive data stored on it. And this Video: th-cam.com/video/j5dO3iG1_S0/w-d-xo.html proves that you can NOT use a data recovery program to restore old data from a hard drive after you have performed the "Reset this PC" process with the "Remove Everything" and "Clean data: YES" options selected. The second video is a little long but I show a timestamp at the beginning that lets you skip/forward to my results and conclusions. JUST SO YOU KNOW: I was UNABLE to recover any of the old data files after the "Clean data: YES" process finished. :) Thank you so much for your support and I will continue to post new Tech videos and grow this channel. Cheers!! -- Jason 😀
Just pull harddrive. No need to wipe harddrive. Use it for extra storage.
Yes, true but some people want to resell their fully functional old PC to a new owner, without having traces of their personal data on the drive. The Windows "Reset this PC" process isn't too complicated and it achieves that goal quite well, as long as the "Remove everything" and "Clean data: YES" options are selected.
On a side note, whenever I upgrade one of my customer's mechanical hard drives to a SSD drive, I pull out the old mechanical drive and tell them to hold onto it for safe keeping (or leave it in the computer's case). The old drive acts like a perfect backup of the PC, on the date that the new drive was installed. They sometimes end up giving me the drive a few months later and ask me to secure erase it or destroy it. In most cases, I take any drives I have to a local technology recycling center that guarantees that they secure erase the drives to DoD-7 standards. If the drive can't be secure erased, they put it into a metal chipper and turn it into dust! a1assets.com/site/ Have a great day -- Jason
@JasonBagnell true, but how old is that hard drive? It is better for sellers or new owners to put in a fresh hard drive. And new os, so new owner can get updates from os maker. Old os likely doesn't get any more updates. If computer can install new os that is.
Does this mean you wipe out all the data including the GPU driver and CPU too? Sorry for asking I'm just a noob about pc
@CartGoBroom Hi! The "Reset this PC" procedure should leave the PC in a usable state once it has finished. The drivers will revert back to the same state it was in when the PC was first turned on for the first time. The chipset and CPU will definately be fine but it is possible that you might have installed a better video card and downloaded specific drivers for it to operate. In that case, "Reset this PC" should download whichever drivers are available directly from the Microsoft Windows Update driver repository. So Yes, it will probably revert your GPU drivers but Windows 10 and 11 are both pretty good at downloading what they need from the Microsoft Update servers to get you up and running. I hope this helps! Cheers -- Jason
Recently bought a used, Dell Latitude E6430 to replace my old, Lenovo Thinkpad T440 with Windows 10. I chose to erase everything on the drives. Great, informative video. Thank you!😊
Great video. This is literally the first comment I've ever made after decades on TH-cam. Perfect level of detail.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Cheers! -- Jason
Thank you. Your video is the best among those "reset pc" videos. Detailed and easy to understand!
I'm glad it helped!
Happy Holidays! -- Jason
Clear, well-paced, and straight forward instructions. Thanks!
Thank you so much! Have a Happy New Year! -- Jason
I agree. Just won't work. Sorry.....BTW, I am a retired software engineer. Can it be done? Absolutely! Just not as simple as this video suggests.
Nice video, and I do this same thing, with two exceptions. First, before resetting, I make sure to secure erase other drives before resetting the C: drive, as only the C: drive gets secure erased, other drives are untouched and have all of their data still.
The second thing I do is after resetting the PC, when it relaunches and wants you to start setting up the PC, I just tap the power button to turn it off, so the user can set things up themselves. Unless, of course, the user wants you to set it all up for him.
Clear, well-paced, and straight forward instructions. Thanks!😎😎
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. Cheers -- Jason
Excellent video with step-by-step instructions - thank you for preparing this. Well done!
Thank you -- I really appreciate your comment! :)
Watching. Glad we have these videos available. Thanks for sharing. Liked & Subscribed.
Hi! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for the sub! -- Jason :)
Thank you, Jason, your advice is appreciated.
I’m glad you found my video helpful! Have a great evening. - Jason 😁
Thank you bro I’m selling my pc tomorrow and I was so stressed but I found your video and you described it simply and friendly! You my man, just earned another like and sub!
Hi, I'm glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for like & sub!
Have a great week -- Jason
I like your thumbnail photo. I had a black/tan convertible 2003 Cobra Mustang back in the day. It was the one they called the "Terminator" and it was the first Mustang Ford sold (stock) with a supercharger. I miss it! Do you have another channel with car videos? Just curious.
Thanks Jason, stay healthy!
I wish you the same :) -- Happy holidays!!
-- Jason
Very great and helpful tutorial. You’ve got my like!
I'm glad you found it helpful -- Have a great day and thanks for the Like! -- Jason :)
Thank you so much for your exsperties I was struggling for days until I land on your video. Stay Blessed ❤
Glad it helped! Have a great weekend! -- Jason
You sir, are an absolute legend. Thank you Jason!
Thanks for the kind words Hugh! I wish you all the best :) -- Jason
Nice straight forward instructional video Jason. I've made a copy for future reference. Thank you
You're welcome! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Have a great weekend -- Jason :)
Great video, thanks for imparting. Clear direction and informative
Glad it was helpful! Cheers -- Jason
Thank you a lot for this quick and very informative video. It helped me a lot
I'm glad you found it helpful! Have a great day :)
Thanks for video. Just making sure I remember how to do this and seems there’s a couple extra tips. 👍👍
You’re welcome! The “Reset this PC” program can fit a lot of different situations. Those that need to scrub their data from the hard drive can use the “Remove everything” and “Clean data: Yes” options. Anyone who wants to keep their data files on the drive and only reset Windows back to its original working configuration can use the Keep My Files option. I’m glad you found the video useful. Cheers! - Jason :)
Fantastic video!!! Thanks a lot 🙏🏻🎉👏🏻
Glad it helped! Have a great weekend -- Jason :)
Great stuff Jason! Thank you
My pleasure! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Cheers! -- Jason
Wow...Great video. Thank you so much for posting this easy to understand and, most importantly, to follow tutorial. I was in the process of getting rid of my 14 year old desktop and every other video I watched skipped a lot of the procedures you discussed... especially when you recommended unplugging your internet cable after the reset phase. It all work perfectly.
Outstanding! My wife is thrilled because the computer, desk and chair will soon be gone. Happy Wife...Happy Life
I'm glad you found the video helpful! Thanks for your nice comment and have a great weekend -- Jason :)
Absolutely amazing and easy to follow video, thank you.
Thanks for the compliment -- I'm glad you found it helpful! -- Jason
Great vid, was super helpful, clear, and concise ( :
Glad you liked it! Have a great day -- Jason :)
Thank you for your help. Have a great weekend 👍
You have a great weekend too! I'm glad you found it helpful. :) -- Jason
Thank you. Very helpful.
You're welcome! I'm glad it helped. Cheers -- Jason
Very helpful, thanks!
You’re welcome! If you have any other ideas for future How-To videos, just let me know. Cheers! - Jason
Thanks a lot Jason. Most grateful.
You're very welcome! Have a great day -- Jason
thanks for taking the time to put this together
Glad it was helpful! Have a great day -- Jason :)
Thanks for the great guidance!
Glad to be of service -- Have a great weekend! -- Jason
Hi Jason , justed subbed. I had my old tower sitting collecting dust😂 so your video has prompted me😅 thank you so much.Brian D.🇬🇧🍺
You're welcome Brian! -- I'm glad you found the video helpful. Have a great day -- Jason :)
I new to this, I don't know how to use a laptop just bought a used one and I had no idea what to do with the old information I found,thank you soo much.
I'm so glad it helped you get off to a fresh start. Have a great day! -- Jason :)
Great job. It took over 7 hours to do on my Toshiba laptop, but it was worth it!
Hi! I’m so glad you were to get everything working the way you wanted. The process can be lengthy when your PC has an older mechanical hard drive. I used a lot a fast-forwarding in my video. Have a great weekend! - Jason :-)
Just what I needed. Thank you it worked
I'm glad you found the video helpful! Have a great day -- Jason
I had booting problem and I had to reinstall windows but I didn't had a usb stick with windows. Thxx for help❤ worked like a charm
I'm glad you got everything worked out using the info from my video. Have a great day!! -- Jason :)
I call you God from now on! Clean and to the point, without wasting our time! Thanks bro 🙏
You're welcome! -- I'm glad you found the video helpful :) I'll be creating more tech videos in the near future. Have a great day -- Jason
Very well explained. Thank you
Thanks so much for your comment -- I really appreciate it! Have a wonderful weekend :)
Was that really you? I'm sorry, there in EVERYTHING and I'm so so thankful 🙏 for your advice, I'm going to share and watch and like the heck out of your channel! You're truly a blessing and very kind which is very rare in this world. Thank you again and God bless you!
Yes, it is really me -- LOL! I hope you have some backups from before the time the hacker problems first started. The bad guys are really smart and their programs and connections can be hard to get rid of. In a simple case, you might have accidentally run an encryption virus executable that began the process. From my experience, once the encryption virus program is finished encrypting all of the data it can reach, the virus sometimes deletes itself so it can not be reverse engineered by someone later. Performing a virus scan and then restoring your files from a backup (if you have one) is a great option at that point. Please don't pay the bad guys because there are no guarantees that you will get your data back after you pay them. Other times, the hackers remain actively in the system(s) and work diligently to counteract everything you try to do to cleanup the problem. If you plug in a backup drive to restore files, they might start encrypting the backup drive as soon as it is connected. It's very nerve racking when that happens. Again, keep the network OFFLINE so the hackers can't continue to cause problems. You can run the "Reset this PC" using the "Remove everything" and "Local Reinstall" option to clear out a PC if none of the data on it is required (or if everything of value already got encrypted). I wish you best of luck with everything you're dealing with. Take care -- Jason
@JasonBagnell Thank you. You are very informative and helpful. God bless.(like this,ie.. I didn't write this message! Unreal. Anyhow, thank you for all your help
A well done presentation. Please keep making videos. 👍
Thank you so much! I plan on continuing to make PC and Tech related videos in the future and will work on putting together a better looking “studio” sometime in the near future. Cheers! - Jason :)
thank you so much, got a pc off a friend and he didn’t delete anything, this really helped
I'm glad you found the information helpful! Have a great day and enjoy your "new" computer! -- Jason
Nice video, cheer mate very helpful
Thanks, I'm glad you found it helpful! :)
Thank you very much for such easy straight forward instructions.. even an old lady like me can do this!!
I'm glad you found the video helpful! Have a great day -- Jason :)
Clear. Concise. The way you asked us to like and subscribe was very pleasant. You're the man Jason. Keep going!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comments! :)
Thanks for this ❤❤
You're welcome!! Thanks for you comment. :)
Very helpful, thank you.
You’re welcome! Have a great weekend 😁
You get a like. My friend needed this lol
Thank you! I really appreciate it! Cheers -- Jason
it took me about 15 hours for the erase and install on my old laptop. Thank you this was very helpful
It does take a LONG time for the procedure to overwrite every part of the computer’s hard drive but you can rest assured knowing that you have taken extra steps to securely erase your files from the computer. I’m glad you found the video helpful! - Jason
@@JasonBagnell The C: drive has a partition for restoring Windows 7, this came with my HP laptop. Is it best to just leave it as is? Or format the partition and take out the partition? Maybe you can do a video on how to remove a partition.
Hi Raquel - I usually tell people to just leave the old recovery partition alone because there is a much greater chance of either deleting the wrong partition or causing the partition order to become different from what the Windows BCD (Boot Configuration Data) file is expecting. Deleting the old recovery partition might make Windows unbootable after deleting the recovery partition and further (much more advanced) troubleshooting will be required to make the system boot up again.
@@JasonBagnell Thank you for your help
Thank you it worked. I will now give this pc to my brother.
I'm glad you found it helpful! Have a great day :)
Thanks a lot for this, I was putting off getting rid of files as I didn’t know how to do I just never bothered to look it up till now 😂 finally I’ve got this behind me, and my parents can finally get an upgrade from that thick windows 7 laptop they had for years
I'm glad it helped you get things moving forward! Have a great day. Cheers! -- Jason
thanks a lot you really helped me so much!!!
Glad I could help!
Thank you!
You're welcome! I'm glad you found my video helpful. Cheers! -- Jason
Hi, Jason. Excellent video, thank you. Question: Does the "Remove Everything" shorten SSD useful life by overwriting the entire drive with zeros?
Yes, it does shorten the SSD’s life a little because it will use up some of the drive’s “write cycles”. These days, however, most manufacturers state that their drives will last 15-20 years with typical use. It probably won’t be of any consequence, especially if you’re selling the PC.
@@JasonBagnell Thank you for the quick reply.
Excellent.
Thanks for Win 10/11 Reset PC Tutorial; helped me out cause I want to sell my used gaming laptop and didn't want my personal information on it. It seemed to work but I had to connect to my local wifi it didn't give an option to use it without internet, I guess on win10 you could do this but I have Win 11 Home.
Some people just turn off the computer and hand it over to the new owner when it reaches the "Connect to network" point during the reset. As long as you used the "Remove Everything" and "Clean Data: YES" option, the PC will not have any of your data on it. Other people like to log into the computer after it has been Reset just to make sure that no data remains. I made another video where I show a few tricks about how to bypass the Network and Microsoft Account requirement. See: th-cam.com/video/UdyP_bHSUlE/w-d-xo.html Thanks! -- Jason
thanks bro got my like
Glad I could help! Have a great day -- Jason :)
Cheers mate appreciate it
I'm glad you found it helpful! Best wishes -- Jason
@@JasonBagnell Will this also remove anything I have as a system restore or recovery? I'm about to sell my desktop
@@jcap8391 The "Reset this PC" procedure will take care of erasing all of your personal data and programs from the computer before you sell it. Make sure that you use the "Remove Everything" and "Clean data: YES" options. If you have multiple hard drives, you can watch another video I created for people who want to use the "Reset this PC" process to erase ALL of the various hard drives that might be installed in the computer: th-cam.com/video/7ceHpGlhp9E/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WTUMS_KeMmoI6reb Have a great day! -- Jason
@@JasonBagnell Ty very much. I just liked your video so hopefully more suggestion towards your video on dumb TH-cam algorithm 👍
@@jcap8391 You're welcome, and thank you for supporting my video's fate with the YT algorithm. :) This has been my best performing (recent) video to-date, with the exception of the first video I ever posted on TH-cam in 2011. I compared the boot-up time of a SSD drive (when they FIRST came out) to a Western Digital 10,000 RPM Velociraptor hard drive. The video didn't get many views in the first few months so I stopped checking on my TH-cam channel until 8 years later. When I finally looked at it, I was shocked to see that the video got 36,000+ views! If I knew that, I would have kept making videos in 2011 and would have been up there with Linus Tech Tips now. We'll see what the future brings. I plan on making a bunch of new videos sometime soon. Thanks again -- Jason
Amazing video, I was just about to sell my pc and this is what I needed thanks
Thanks! I'm glad you found my video helpful.
Have a great day! -- Jason
Thanks Jason, this was quite helpful as we could see how it actually works step-by-step.
I have a small doubt though, in the Change Settings you kept the Download Windows to "On" (Yes), what if that is set off (No)?
Does it keep my existing version of the Windows with all the upgrades and patches and just clean the data.
Hi! If you use the Local Reinstall option, you won't need to have your PC connected to the Internet to perform the Reset. It will use files that are already on your computer to reinstall the same version of Windows that it is currently running. It will, however, remove all 3rd party software, drivers and registry entries that were added to the computer that were not part of the stock Windows image. I'm not exactly sure if all of the upgrades and patches will be maintained. Windows Update runs in the background and it will download anything relevant that it needs once the PC is reconnected to the Internet. I hope this helps! -- Jason
I'm not gonna leave a like or subscribe but know you helped me. Many people you helped for fact but for real I can't add another video to my likes that will only help me once. The video was very informative and done successfully, I feel stupid and would have chose another setting for part of it and would of have to do it again. Views tell more than likes and subs just so you know.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found the video helpful. :)
great video, thanks
Glad you liked it! :)
Yo good video❤
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful :)
The test would be to run a file recovery programme after wiping it. Have you tried that? Great video anyway, thanks. Subscribed.
Yes I have! See video: th-cam.com/video/j5dO3iG1_S0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CTPJ6RKzEuNLW95B :)
Thx you so much🙏
I'm so glad it helped! :)
good stuff thanks
No problem! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Have a great day -- Jason :)
This was a very informative and useful video, thank you. One question, should you be connected to the internet to perform in operation. Or will this process work with out being connected. And where does the "cloud windows program data" come from?
You do not need to be connected to the Internet if you choose the "Local reinstall" option. You will need to be connected if you select the "Cloud download" option. The files for the "Cloud download" option come directly from Microsoft's distribution servers. Thanks -- Jason
thank you 🤙
Glad I could help! Have a great day :)
@JasonBagnell yes it really did work. amazing video thank you. top guy. 🤙
Great job.
Thank you so much!! :)
thanks a lot man thanks a lot
No problem, I'm glad you found the video helpful. Cheers! -- Jason
Subbed!!!
Google must ne listening to what I'm saying. I'm in the middle of erasing 4 extremely old laptop before I recycle them and this video pops up in youtube. That's handy but scary too. Great video and helps me a lot
That's happened to me too! Like when you've talked with a friend or family member about some obscure topic that you've never searched for and then it starts coming up later on the Internet everywhere you look. I turned off all of the relevant "Background App Refresh" settings on my iPhone to keep the apps from spying on me when the apps are not open. It makes you wonder.. I'm glad you found the video helpful! Have a great weekend -- Jason
Hi Jason, my son is selling his pc and this is what I needed. It would have been good to show how the hardline looks using a data recovery app to proof the point that all data is really gone.
It’s funny you mentioned that! See: th-cam.com/video/j5dO3iG1_S0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=61XcHVk2b0ugf-X4. LOL!! :)
Thank you. I am hoping at the finish that my husband's computer will be wide clean of all my real estate documents and not mine lol. Your site was great because for technologically challenged person it was easy to follow. I am now waiting for the device to download and restart so hopefully all goes well. Thank you.
Hi! I'm glad you found the video helpful. If you are selling or discarding the computer and don't want any of your information going with it, the "Remove everything" and "Clean data: Yes" options ensure that everything will be secure-erased by the time it is finished. Just make sure that you DO NOT enter your Microsoft Account info at the last part of the Windows Setup process after it reboots. That way it won't start downloading all of your documents and pictures from your Microsoft OneDrive account. Give the program plenty of time to finish. If the PC has a mechanical hard drive, it is not uncommon for it to take 2-10 hours (or more) to completely erase the drive. Have a great day! -- Jason
@@JasonBagnell I went for secure erase and was able to transform my Dad's second-hand laptop to a fast, smooth and nice PC; that I would turn on every now and then and feel proud of myself for having done it
I tried cleaning my own PC in Jan 2k23, and reinstall windows using pendrive and was very disappointed with the results, months later, you made this marvelous tutorial and glad that I came across it
I wish every tutorial ever, in every niche, was this much accurate and truthful
Thank you from Pakistan (subbed already ;) )
@@iqratahir4688 Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad that the video was helpful for you, and thanks for subscribing. Have a great day! -- Jason :)
Did exactly what you said in your video twice. Getting this Window “There Was a problem resetting your PC No Changes were made”
Hi! You can try starting the "Reset this PC" program a different way. Hold down the shift key while clicking "Restart" from the Windows Start Menu. The PC should boot to a "Choose an option" screen. Click on "Troubleshoot" and you should see an icon for "Reset this PC" in there. Hopefully it will work better from the Recovery Console. Let me know if that works for you. Good luck with it! -- Jason
Thank you.
You're welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful. -- Jason :)
Thank you
You're welcome! I hope everything went well. Cheers -- Jason
Thank you for this video I got a new PC and this old laptop I was using I wanted to wipe because it had a bunch of stuff that lagged it a lot and programs and I now want to just use it for making music and nothing else thank you for the video
You’re welcome! I’m glad it helped! :)
I would recommend downloading the iso from the office manufacturer or to clean install windows set it up then install the drivers then put it back in the oobe
Hi! Erasing the partition and performing a clean install alone will not prevent someone from using a data recovery program to recover data that was previously saved on the drive. People like the "Reset this PC" program with the "Erase everything" and "Clean data: YES" options because it actually overwrites every bit/byte of the hard drive except for the cleanly installed Windows operating system files, so any portion of the hard drive that previously contained data get overwritten and cleared out which will make the data will be unrecoverable by people using 3rd party utilities data recovery utilities. I actually put this to the test by loading 400GB of my personal data on a mechanical hard drive, ran "Reset this PC" and then tried to see if Recvua or Disk Drill (a $85 program) could recover anything and it couldn't. See: th-cam.com/video/j5dO3iG1_S0/w-d-xo.html Have a great day! -- Jason
Tha k you very much it worked very well
Awesome -- I'm glad it helped! :)
Wish you were close and could fix my computers. I always have to buy a new one!
Thanks! The remote support programs now-a-days make getting help easy. Most computer problems that I run into are not hardware related so I end up fixing most of them without ever making a trip out to the problematic PC. Feel free to leave me a comment if you need some advice on a problem that you're having. Have a great day! -- Jason
I just subscribe to your channel because you take time in explaining stuffs and that's good of you thanx
Thank you so much for your comment! I feel that the step-by-step method provides everyone with most (if not all) of the answers they're looking for. Thanks for subscribing! Cheers -- Jason
Very helpful vid buddy! Have liked and scribed😊⚙🗑
I’m glad it helped you! Thanks so much! - Jason
thanks man
You're welcome! I'm glad the information was helpful. Cheers -- Jason
Thanks 👍
You're welcome! Happy New Year
-- Jason
Thanks
No problem! Have a great day -- Jason
I read that some people use Dban to ensure personal files can not be restored ! would that be preferable before selling my laptop ? or is this method sufficient enough. Thank you for the great video Mr.Jason
Hi! Microsoft added the "Remove everything" and "Clean data: Yes" options to secure erase all of the user data from the hard drive before the computer is sold, donated or discarded. It is a good quick/easy option for anyone wanting to wipe their data without needing to be a tech wizard to figure out the process. The benefit of using the "Reset this PC" program is that the computer will end up with a perfectly fresh copy of Windows when the installation is complete so the next owner will be up-and-running right when they turn the computer on. Some people have asked me if the process really does make their data unrecoverable, even if a data recovery tool is used. The short answer is YES, and I made a video where I used several data recovery programs to try to recover data files after the "Clean data: YES" setting was used. See: th-cam.com/video/j5dO3iG1_S0/w-d-xo.html
Like you mentioned, DBAN is a powerful tool that can be used to securely erase all data from a hard drive. If you have the patience to figure out how to create bootable DVD or flash drive (Using Rufus, etc) that contains the DBAN utility, feel free to use it! It allows your to perform a secure erase that can overwrite the hard drive more times that the Reset this PC procedure does. Overwriting everything one time is enough but DBAN can overwrite the data 7 or more times if you're a government spy -- LOL! The drive will be completely erased and it will not contain a copy of Windows when DBAN is finished with it.
Have a great day! -- Jason
@@JasonBagnell
Thank you so much 💓
Good stuff, I’m about to sell my laptop and I was trying to stop em from getting my data
Perfect! You're good-to-go as long as you used the "Remove everything" and "Clean data: Yes" options. Have a great day -- Jason
Thank you for your video. I'm wiping my PC right now. After wiping a PC to keep it, what are your suggestions about getting rid of programs, files, services that windows probably installed for its purpose, that it's never the customer's one? I'm not an expert at all, but I would like to speed my pc, even if I bought it 9 years ago.
Hi! You can search TH-cam for videos about "how to speed up windows" and lots of them will appear. I made a video a while back about how I setup and configure new Windows 10 PCs for my clients. Most of the methods I used also work on Windows 11 as well. See: th-cam.com/video/cQEw4mLvIsA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mnyml4pJVo6fCQor Take a look and hopefully you'll have luck optimizing your freshly reloaded PC's performance. Have a great day! -- Jason
Hey Jason would this be a good guide to follow after buying a second hand pc? Would this keep MY data safe as opposed to the sellers like you said in the video?? Thank
Yes!! That's a great spin on the topic of my video! :) Let's say you just bought a used Windows-based computer and want to make sure that nothing from the previous owner will be spying on you. Using the Windows Reset procedure will definately clear out everything from the previous owner and make the PC safe to use. Thanks for you comment and have a Happy New Year! -- Jason
This worked for me
Awesome! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Have a great day -- Jason :)
Hi! I viewed your video and found all the steps that i need to reset my old laptop. The only question I have is how should I deal with my local OneDrive folder, to make sure that it is not synched back to the cloud once it is erased by the reset?
Thanks - Guy
If you do not want your OneDrive folder to get synchronized back to the computer after the Reset process is complete, do NOT enter your email address when it prompts you at the end. You might have a “I don’t have Internet” or “Continue with limited setup” option. If it makes you enter an email address to continue, you can type in No@thankyou.com” and enter a random password. The password will fail and the installation should continue using a Local account instead of a Microsoft account, which will not synchronize to anything.
Here’s another video I made that might help you: th-cam.com/video/UdyP_bHSUlE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uwIRtYyldkh5OIjx
Cheers! - Jason
Hey awesome video and help! I’ve been dealing with malware on my PC (don’t worry, I’m not using my PC right now) and I’m thinking of a total reset. Would this work on removing all malware including ones that could be hidden in the root? And do you have a video for backups?
I just want to be thorough before using my PC again. Thanks so much!
Thanks! Make sure you have a backup copy of any files you want to keep and then run the "Reset this PC" using the "Remove everything" option. Because you're keeping the computer for yourself and not selling, donating or trashing it, you don't need to use the "Clean data: Yes" option because it would make the process take much longer to complete. When the Reset is finished, all of the malware, programs, harmful left-overs, data files, etc from before will no longer be present on the computer and it should run well.
I made another video that goes more in-depth about how "Reset this PC" can clear all data from multiple drives. See: th-cam.com/video/7ceHpGlhp9E/w-d-xo.html Notice that at 0:28, I open C: and there is a C:\DATA folder and there are a few extra files in the C:\ directory. After the reset is complete, those files and the C:\DATA folder are no longer present (at 3:34). The same will be true for any of the malware files you're concerned about.
I have two other videos you might be interested in. They show how to perform a "Clean install" of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Both videos show how to quickly delete all of the partitions from the PC's hard drive before the new/fresh installation occurs. For Windows 10: th-cam.com/video/bP03Y-l9NOM/w-d-xo.html For Windows 11: th-cam.com/video/ZMKl9wBJYD0/w-d-xo.html
Best wishes and have a great day!! -- Jason
Thanks💞🙏
You're welcome 😊
Hi Jason, thanks for posting this well presented and clearly explained vid, you are a great teacher! BUT, I have a Yoga 730 with factory installed Win 11. It automatically reinstalls Win11. Problem is that it forces me to my MS account for the Win 11 reinstall. MS account demands my login credentials reintroducing my personal data again. There's NO option not to reinstall Win11. Besides putting a sledge hammer on this piece what advise do you have to get all data cleared before selling this piece of art?
Hi! Some people do this: If you ran "Reset this PC" with the "Remove everything" and "Clean Data: YES" options, some people just turn off the computer and hand it over to the buyer at the point where it asks them to connect to a network or enter their Microsoft Account. They simply let the buyer finish performing the Windows 10/11 setup process. If you want to log into the laptop to see (for yourself) that your data is no longer present, connect the computer to your network and then enter "No@ThankYou.com" as the E-Mail address with a bogus password. The Microsoft Account verification phase will fail and it will then create a "local account" and take you to the Windows Desktop screen where you can dig through the drive to make sure that you data is no longer present. Some people trust that "Clean data: YES" does it's job while others like to look for themselves. There is another trick that might bypass the Microsoft Account requirement. See video on this topic here: th-cam.com/video/UdyP_bHSUlE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3nHKBqSbV-HPqwLH Have a great day! -- Jason
Hey Jason great video ! Quick question, if in the additional setting ( 2:55 ) i hit "No" for Download windows, will it erase it from the computer and not install it back again ? I'm trying to reset a new computer i just got from scratch ( it did not have windows when i got it, and i'm trying to send it back without ^^ )
Hi, that's a good question! I just booted up one of my Windows 11 Virtual Machines and took a look at the settings. I selected "Remove everything" and then chose "Local reinstall" and then clicked on "Change settings". I noticed that the default setting for "Download Windows" was set to "No, Reinstall Windows from this device". When I clicked the button to change the setting to "Yes", the description text changed to "Download and reinstall Windows".... so it looks like either way, Windows will be reinstalled during the process. I'm not sure why that question is there because it previously asked whether I wanted to do a "Cloud download" or "Local reinstall". It seem like toggling between Yes and No may just change what was selected earlier.
If you are returning the PC and want to make sure that your data is longer on the drive, run the Reset This PC program and select "Remove everything" and set the "Clean data" option to Yes. That will ensure that your data cannot be recovered by someone using a data recovery program. Give the company a call and ask them if they mind having you return the computer with a copy of Windows loaded on the drive. They will probably accept it regardless. If not, the process for removing all partitions from the hard drive can get somewhat technical and I haven't created a video about it. You can search TH-cam for some answers but I see that most of the videos don't show you how to erase the drive/partition that Windows is currently running on and other videos get very complicated.
I hope that you find this information helpful! Cheers -- Jason
Thanks for your advices Jason, i did it, removed everything and every save of windows and now everytime i turn on the pc it goes directly to the Bios and the ssd are 100% clean from previous data 🙌🏻
Thanks for the video was selling my pc and wanted to make sure everything was erased off of it
Glad I could help!! Have a great day -- Jason :)
Nice video
Thank you!! :)
ty homie
I'm glad you found the video helpful! Have a great weekend -- Jason :)
4:13 What is the reason to pulling out the network cable? I did yet it came up with an error due to it not being able to download windows without an internet connection. Thanks, a great and helpful video!
Hi! If you're resetting the PC so it can be sold or discarded, it would be best to not enter any personal information into the computer unless it is absolutely necessary. Microsoft is making it increasingly difficult to complete the Windows setup process without connecting the PC to the Internet or attaching the computer to a Microsoft account before it lets you reach the desktop screen. Sometimes if you pull the network cable, it will give an option that says "I don't have Internet". If you've already entered a WiFi password or plugged the computer in using a network cable, that option will not appear.
So I basically recommend keeping the PC offline to see if it gives you the "I don't have Internet" choice which will allows the Setup process to complete using a "Local" account instead of a "Microsoft" account. A local account will not initially contain any of your personal information (E-Mail address, One Drive files, etc). If you are keeping the computer for yourself, feel free to leave it plugged in and join a Microsoft Account if you want to. If you're forced to enter a Microsoft Account and can't get around it, I've found that using "no@thankyou.com" as the username and a bogus password will cause the Setup program to skip joining a Microsoft Account and it will continue using a Local account instead.
I actually made a video a wile ago about how to skip creating a Microsoft Account during the Windows setup process. See: th-cam.com/video/UdyP_bHSUlE/w-d-xo.html Check it out if you are trying to complete the Windows setup process without joining a Microsoft account. Have a great day! - - Jason
thank you
You're welcome -- I'm glad you found the video helpful! :)
Thank you so much I just got a pc from my cousin all his stuff was on there lol
You’re welcome! This process makes it really easy to get rid of the previous user’s files. I’m glad you found it helpful!