As the title suggests I would like to know how to wipe an old laptop before selling it. Simply want to remove any sensitive or private information that exist so a buyer cannot act maliciously.
How do I go about doing so? Any videos/tutorials you recommend on this process?
For any specifics it is an HP laptop running Windows 10.
Please feel free to ask any other questions and I am greatly appreciative of any help.
You can do it the standard way, or you can do it the paranoid way:
The standard way: - Create a new User account with Admin rights. Sign out of the old account and sign in with the new user account. Delete the old user account and its files. Go to System/Recovery/Reset this PC and remove everything. That will leave the system in factory state.
The paranoid way: - download and run the Windows media creation tool. Create a bootable USB drive. Open the laptop, remove the hard drive and replace with a new one. Boot from the USB drive and reinstall Windows.
You forgot to make a pass of random character in unused space, you can totally recover a lot of data after installation of Windows in your “paranoid way”.
How can you recover ‘a lot of data’ from a brand new hard drive, genius??
you can bitlock the drive and clear the TPM
Fill it with some junk and delete it and fill it again then format it. Or run a multi pass eraser. Or just take the hard drive out and sell it without one.
I work in IT and recommend the hard drive replacement method.
One other thing that hasn’t been mentioned is that on some newer systems with m.2 drives (and yours may not have this) there is an option in BIOS / System Setup to wipe the drive. Seems to work properly (as in making the data unrecoverable) on the Dell systems where I’ve used it.
Wet wipes I guess?
If the data is even remotely sensitive and you simply can’t expose it you must destroy the drive. Don’t risk it.
If it doesn’t really matter just encrypt it then install windows over the encrypted drive.
For the record I have recovered data from a encrypted drive that had been wiped, encrypted, wiped and windows installed over it…
You Can always find traces of data with the right setup… and with a lab even more.
Use bleach bit to wipe sensitive data then install windows from USB
Imo Bleach bit is useless, it fails to over write “free space” I have personally recovered data (via recuva) after bleach bit was installed by a family member and it wrecked havoc on their system. Best not to use freeware cleaners even if you know what you’re doing.
Been a minute, but from what I remember there is an option to delete free space, though it’s not done by default. I used to use it often and it never wreaked havoc on my computer. Not sure if they deleted system files they shouldn’t or what, but with proper use it should work fine
I use a 50 bmg rifle to wipe my hard drives. Not great for resale value though…
I’ve shifted through this guys garbage, I have to say the shattered platters are harder to read but I still know what sort of pony videos he watches :p
I’m pretty surprised no one has mentioned bitlocker. If you have bitlocker enabled then everything is already encrypted. Well at least everything since bitlocker was turned on.
In that case. Just reset Windows (full/factory/wipe) and give it away. Don’t log in, just get it to the “welcome to windows” and shutdown.
Once the original bitlocker key is wiped anything remaining is just randomized garbage.
This is a good solution on the Pro versions of Windows.
Whoa. Home doesn’t offer BL? That’s annoying. Then use the veracrypt whole disk option and throw away that key.
Remove your hard drive. Replace with new. Re-install Windows. Drives are cheap.
Nuke that laptop from orbit; it’s the only way to be sure….
remove hard drive and put a new one in.
Dban.
Just full format the drives and reset it.
Unless you’re pedo or a politician, then just sell it as is.
Contrary to popular paranoia, criminals are not in the business of paying money to buy up the thousands of laptops for sale at any one time, in the hope their might retrieve some personal data of a random citizen after a lengthy data recovery expedition.
If you have been targeted and fished into selling this laptop, simply don’t.
TL;DR:
Factory Reset
More Info
“Start” (WinKey) > “Settings” > “Update & Recovery” > “Recovery” > “Reset This PC” > “Get Started”