Under “Reset this PC” click “Reset.” (Click “Get Started” in Windows 10.).Go to Settings → System (Update & Security in Windows 10) → Recovery.
These are different depending on whether you have an HDD or an SSD.įollow these instructions for different versions of Windows to reset your PC: How to Wipe a Windows 10 and 11 Hard Drive
There are a number of good third-party tools you can use to securely erase your disk, which we’ll get into below.
Secure Erase Using Third-party Tools: If Reset doesn’t make you feel completely comfortable that your data can’t be recovered, or if you have a PC running Windows 7 or older, you have another option. This can be done easily in Windows versions 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 for either an HDD or an SSD. If you’re just recycling, donating, or selling your PC, the Reset function makes it acceptably difficult for someone to recover your data, especially if it’s also encrypted. Reset: In most cases, wiping a PC is as simple as reformatting the disk and reinstalling Windows using the Reset function. Now that you know what kind of drive you have, there are two options for wiping your PC: Click on “Defragment and Optimize Your Drives.”. Most desktops and laptops sold in the last few years will have an SSD, but you can easily find out to be sure: How to Completely Wipe a PCįirst, you’ll need to figure out if your Windows PC has a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). Once you’re backed up, you’re ready to wipe your PC’s internal hard drive. Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 all have basic utilities you can use to create a local backup on an external hard drive that you can use to move your files to a new computer or just to have a local backup for safekeeping. If you’re not backing up an off-site copy, now is a great time to get started. And the third copy should be kept in an off-site location like the cloud. Your second copy can be kept on an external hard drive or other external media. Your first copy is the one on your computer. First Things First: Back Upīefore you break out the Louisville Slugger (or follow our simple steps below), make sure your data is backed up as part of a 3-2-1 backup strategy where you keep three copies of your data on two types of media with one off-site. But, there are much easier and more reliable, if less satisfying, ways to make sure your Windows PC is as clean as the day it left the factory. Truly, physical destruction is one way to go (more on that later). You always have the option of taking a baseball bat to the thing. 
Are you hanging on to an old PC because you don’t know how to scrub the hard drive clean of all your personal information? Worried there’s data lurking around in there even after you empty the recycle bin? (Yes, there is.)
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