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HarperWhite's avatar
HarperWhite
Iron Contributor
May 08, 2025
Solved

How to remove personal information from computer before selling

Hi everyone, I'm preparing to sell my computer and want to ensure that all my personal information is completely removed before handing it over to the new owner. I'm not very tech-savvy, so I'm look...
  • DanielRomero's avatar
    DanielRomero
    Oct 21, 2025

    Honestly, when I sold my old rig, I didn’t overthink it — just grabbed DrWiper, ran the Wipe Disk option, and let it nuke everything clean. Took like 20 minutes and poof — no trace of my stuff left. It’s dead simple, perfect if you just wanna remove personal information from computer before selling without messing around.

    I followed this guide: (works great)

    https://www.wintechhow.com/how-to-permanently-delete-files

     

NF's avatar
NF
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Oct 15, 2026

The simplest option is to use Windows built-in Reset this PC feature. You normally do not need third-party wiping software.

Before resetting:

  1. Back up anything you want to keep.
  2. Disconnect external hard drives, USB drives and memory cards so they are not affected.
  3. If BitLocker/device encryption is enabled, make sure you have your BitLocker recovery key before starting. Microsoft specifically recommends this before resetting.

For Windows 11:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to System > Recovery.
  3. Select Reset PC.
  4. Select Remove everything. Do not select Keep my files.
  5. In the reset settings, enable Clean data or the option to clean the drive.
  6. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall.
  7. Review the settings and start the reset.

Microsoft specifically recommends Remove everything with Clean data when selling, donating or recycling a PC. Remove everything deletes personal files, applications and settings. Clean data also cleans the drive, making deleted files harder for another person to recover.

 

Source: Reset your PC | Microsoft Support