Microsoft Windows is the most popular operating system in use around the world, especially for home users. Most new computer come preinstalled with Windows and of course you can install Windows yourself if you are the type who likes to build their own computer.
Watch Video: How to Wipe Your System Drive & Reinstall Windows if Needed.
Eventually there will come a time when your computer gets too old and slow or is starting to have some type of hardware failure. When this happens you will most likely want to get rid of your old computer by disposing of it or giving it away to someone else who might need a computer. But before doing that, you will need to make sure your personal data is deleted from the PC. In this article, we will be showing you how to wipe your system drive and reinstall Windows if needed. This way, you can either just wipe the drive and leave it at that or you can wipe the drive and have a clean copy of Windows installed for the next user.
When it comes to wiping data from your computer, many people think you can simply delete the files and then empty the Recycle Bin and they are gone for good. Unfortunately, that is not the case and it’s fairly easy to recover deleted files with software that you can actually get for free. Even if you format your hard drive, it’s still possible to recover data even though it takes a bit more work.
The method we will be using is built into Windows and even though it uses a drive wiping technique, it is not as effective as using a dedicated drive wiping app as you can do with an app such as EaseUS BitWiper, NIUBI Partition Editor or DoYourData Super Eraser which use government grade wiping methods.
Before doing this procedure, make sure to backup any files you want to save since everything will be erased. Then to start the process, you will need to go to the Windows settings app and then to the System section. Then go to Recovery and click on Reset the PC. On the next screen that appears, choose the option that says Remove everything.
Next, you will need to choose how to reinstall Windows. Either of the options should be fine but if you do not have an internet connection, you should choose Local reinstall rather than Cloud download.
On the next screen where it shows Additional settings, you will need to click on the link that says Change settings.
This next step is the important one because it will enable the wipe feature during the Windows reinstall. For the section that says Clean data, you will want to change it from No to Yes. The Download Windows option can be enabled if you have an internet connection and want to get the latest Windows installation files rather than use your current installation files for the reinstall.
Once you click the Confirm button, you will be shown a summary screen of what will take place and then you just need to click on the Reset button to start the process.
Once the wipe and reinstall begins, your computer will be automatically restarted several times to complete the installation. If you do not need to have Windows reinstalled, you can also turn off the computer during the reinstall process but just keep in mind that you will have a non-functioning computer if you do not complete the installation.
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