How to remove personal information from computer before selling

Hi Harper, great question — and it’s smart to think about this before selling your computer. Here’s a clear step-by-step guide on how to safely remove personal information so nothing is left behind:

1. Back Up Your Data First

Copy important files (photos, documents, etc.) to an external drive or a cloud service (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud).

Double-check that you have everything you need before wiping.

2. Sign Out & Deauthorize Accounts

Sign out of Windows/Mac account, email, cloud services, browsers, and iTunes (if on Mac).

Deactivate licenses for software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Adobe), so you can reuse them later.

3. Remove External & Hidden Storage

Unplug any USB drives, SD cards, or external hard drives.

If your PC has multiple internal drives, decide whether you’re including them in the sale.

4. Use Built-in Reset Options

Windows 10/11:

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC.

Choose Remove everything → Change settings → toggle Clean data to On.

This overwrites your files so they can’t be easily recovered.

After wiping, reinstall Windows or macOS so the new owner starts with a clean system.

This makes the computer more appealing for resale and guarantees none of your data remains.