How to Wipe Your Data from a Windows 10 Laptop Before Selling It

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

If you're selling or giving away a laptop or PC with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, or 7 installed, you should wipe it clean. Data that has been “deleted” can often be recovered, meaning your personal information could be at risk.

How do I wipe data from a laptop before selling it?

To avoid a data breach, you need to know how to clean your laptop before selling or donating it. In this guide, I'll walk you through the steps to prepare your desktop, laptop, or tablet for sale or donation without compromising your personal information or losing expensive software.

• 1. Transfer Data/Software to the New Computer
• 2. Wipe It Clean (3 Methods)
• 3. Sell or Give Away Your Old Laptop/PC

1 - Transfer all necessary data/expensive software to the new computer

If the used laptop or computer contains important data, make sure to back it up beforehand. You can do this by uploading your files to cloud storage. Alternatively, you can transfer all necessary data and applications directly to your new laptop or computer.

To transfer Microsoft Office, games, or other files with license keys from an old computer to a new one, you need PC transfer software. Todo PCTrans is a tool that makes it easy to migrate programs and data from one PC to another. Here's an example of how to transfer Microsoft Office to a new computer. You can also use data transfer software to move data from one PC to another.

Step 1: Run Todo PCTrans tool and select the transfer direction.

Download and install Todo PCTrans on both computers. Launch Todo PCTrans on both machines and choose the transfer direction in PC to PC mode.

"This is the old computer" - Transfer Office from the current, old computer to a new one.

"This is a new computer" - Transfer Office from your previous device to this new one.

Select transfer direction

Step 2: Connect the source and target computers.

Choose a way to connect your current computer to the target computer: by entering the account password or the verification code. You can view the verification code by clicking on it at the top of the "Computer-to-Computer" main screen on the target computer. 2. Select the transfer direction, then click "Connect."

Step 3: Choose the version of Office to transfer

• Hover over "Applications," select Microsoft Office, and then click "Move."
• Wait for the transfer to complete, and then click "OK."

Select applications.

Step 4: Save the product key to activate Microsoft Office.

On the screen that appears, click Product Key. In the list, click Copy to save the activation key.

You can also choose to back up your computer to another computer or an external storage device.

2 - Erase Everything on Windows 10/8.1/8/7 PC/Laptop

How to completely erase all data before selling your laptop? After backing up your data and applications, you can remove everything from your computer using one of the following methods: 1. **Use the manufacturer's recovery option**: Many computer manufacturers provide a factory reset option, which typically deletes all personal data and returns the device to its original state when you first bought it. Consult your laptop's user manual or the manufacturer's website for specific instructions. 2. **Use built-in tools from the operating system**: - **Windows**: Go to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Recovery" > "Reset this PC." Then choose "Remove everything." - **macOS**: Open "System Preferences" > "Startup Disk" > "Erase," then select "Secure Erase." - **Linux**: Boot from a Live USB/DVD, and use a partition tool like "GParted" to delete all partitions or command-line tools like "shred." 3. **Professional data erasure software**: You can also use specialized software like DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) or Eraser, which are designed to securely overwrite information on the hard drive, making it unrecoverable. 4. **Physical destruction**: If the laptop contains sensitive data and you don't plan to reuse it, consider physically destroying the hard drive. However, keep in mind that this will make the laptop unsellable. Make sure to back up all important data and disable automatic logins for online accounts before proceeding with these steps. This ensures that your personal information remains secure.

• Method 1: Reset Windows 10
• Method 2: Remove the Hard Drive
• Method 3: Remove the Device from Your Microsoft Account

Method 1: Reset Windows 10 (Factory Settings)

If you want to remove all files, programs, and settings, this is a great option. You can reset your Windows PC or laptop by following these steps:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings.

2. Click on 'Update & Security'.

3. In the left sidebar, select the “Restore” menu.

4. Under “Reset this PC,” click on “Get started.”

5. Select “Remove everything” to delete all data, including personal files. (If you want to keep your personal files, select the first option, “Keep my files,” in the “Reset this PC” window, but I don't recommend it.)

In the next window, select the second option to delete the files and clean the disk.

This process may take a while, depending on how much data you have on your Windows computer. Be patient, and share this article with other users who want to wipe their laptop before selling it.

Method 2: Wipe the Hard Drive with a Dedicated HDD Eraser Tool (Recommended)

If you want to make sure the data on your disk is permanently erased, you should use – Partition Master Tool. This Disk/Partition Eraser can permanently wipe, format, and delete partition data with simple steps.

This software erases data according to the DoD 5220.22-M standard, overwriting it twice so that it's gone for good. To wipe your data, follow these steps:

We have two options for clearing your data. Please choose the one you need.

Option 1: Erase Partition

1. Right-click the partition you want to wipe and select "Wipe." 2. In the new window, set the time you want to spend wiping the partition, then click "OK." 3. Click "Execute 1 Task" in the bottom-right corner, review your changes, and click "Apply."

Option 2: Erase the disk

1. Select HDD/SSD, then right-click "Erase Disk". 2. Set the number of times to overwrite the data (up to 10 times). Click "OK". 3. Click "Perform 1 Task" and then click "Apply".

Method 3: Remove the Device from Your Microsoft Account

To help make sure your information isn't stored on the computer, remove it from your Microsoft account. Follow the steps to remove the computer from your Microsoft account.

Step 1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices, sign in, and locate the device you want to remove.

Step 2: Choose "Show details" to see information about the device.

Step 3. Under Device name, click Manage and then Remove computer.

Step 4: Review the device details, check the box next to "I have this device and am ready to remove it," and then choose Remove.

Click “I'm ready to remove this PC now” to proceed.

Step 5: Remove it from your Store account after you uninstall it from Microsoft.

Step 6: Find the device you want to remove, and select “Unlink.”

Step 7: Review the device details, then select “Unlink.”

You've wiped all the data from your desktop or laptop, so you're ready to sell or give away your old computer.

3 - Selling/Giving away used Windows 10/8.1/8/7 laptops/PCs

Before you sell your desktop or laptop, you need to figure out how much money you can get for it. To do this, look up what people are selling similar devices in the same condition for. You can use platforms like eBay and Craigslist to research this.

Conclusions

Now you know how to reset your Windows 10 computer and wipe your laptop clean without leaking your data. If you plan on selling or giving away your laptop, you can use a data destruction software to erase your privacy with peace of mind. The next owner won't be able to access your files.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Erasing Data Before Selling a Laptop/Desktop Computer

We've covered quite a bit about how to sell your laptop and how to erase everything on it. Here are some common questions to help you get more details.

< strong > 1. How do I wipe all the data from my laptop before selling it?

Before selling your notebook, wipe all data following the Quick Start Guide:

How do I wipe all the data from my laptop before selling it?

Go to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Recovery". At the top of this window, you'll see "Reset this PC." Click "Get started," then select "Remove everything" from the pop-up. Be patient, as this could take a while, depending on how much data you have.

2. How do I factory reset my Windows computer before selling it?

You can reset your Windows PC to its original settings before selling it:

1. Right-click the Windows 10 Start button and select "Settings." 2. Go to "Update & Security." 3. On the left sidebar, choose the "Recovery" option. 4. Under "Reset this PC," click "Get started." 5. Select "Remove everything" to delete all data, including personal files.

**3. How do I wipe my laptop before donating it?**

1. Open System Settings. 2. Click on "Update & Security." 3. Select "Recovery" from the left menu. 4. Under "Reset this PC," click "Get started." 5. In the next window, choose "Remove everything."