Be sure that you have the licence keys for any paid-for software that you run. Once you're done with your files, don't forget your programs. You can make automated file backups by clicking Start > Settings > Update & security > Backup, and you can create a system image of your entire PC by selecting Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and clicking Create a system image.īeware that this could take up a lot of space on an external hard drive, so make sure you have enough room. You can either do an automated backup, or manually drag and drop the files you want onto an external hard drive. It sounds obvious, but it bears repeating: make sure all of the files on your computer are backed up before you wipe it. See our guide to wiping a hard drive with data shredding software

You can perform this process before factory resetting the operating system - it's a pain to do it after, because that way round, you have to set up a whole new laptop, simply to wipe it!

Using data-shredding software is a smart way of ensuring that your personal files are gone, and gone for good. Want some more help with resetting your Windows 10 PC? Our friendly tech team can help you with one-to-one support on a range of tech issues. But, if someone were to use data-recovery software on your second-hand computer, they could piece the data back together quite easily - photos, files, the lot. The data could still be hidden in a format that the computer itself can't 'see'. Scroll down for more on how to factory reset Windows 10.Ī factory reset isn't a guarantee that all the data on the computer will be wiped. The exception is with Windows 10, which gives you a built-in data shredding option as you're performing the factory reset, so you can skip straight from Step 1 to Step 3.

Use data shredding software to clear your computer.

For instance, you might wish to reset, restore or reinstall Windows to fix bugs or to get a speed boost if the operating system has been dragging its feet.ĭispose of your PC responsibly with our guide to recycling an old computerįor a 'complete wipe' of your computer (if you're getting rid of it), we recommend three steps, in the following order: We explain step by step how to reset your Windows 10 computer and remove all your dataĮven if you're not recycling your old computer or giving it away, you might have cause to do a factory reset. If you're getting rid of an old computer, it's important to completely wipe your data from it.

Windows hard reset