Deleting personal data without nuking os

[ExalyThor]

Hi! Someone wants to buy my pc but also wants me to keep the os. How can I delete my personal data and keep the os intact? I can only think about the browser and steam which are tied to the c partition which may contain personal data. Photos and things like that are obvious, dont mention them.

[homeap5]

Create new admin user, login, delete old admin user, delete whole directory in c:\users\ related to your old account. That's all. Some leftovers may remains in registry, but not so important. You may search registry for your name and check. Check also "all users" folder just in case.

[TechyBen]

If selling/giving away the PC *and* you want to be certain it's non-recoverable, you will need to "erase" the data after deletion with random data/zeros. There is free software for this (Eraser by heidi, use "free space erasure" after you delete your data).

 

If windows 10, it does allow a fresh windows install and with the "erase/secure delete" option will delete your user data too. However it will lose installed programs.

 

Many times a folder with personal data will be left behind, so my opinion is to erase the entire HDD and reinstall windows if selling the PC. However, if it is your own and you are keeping it, no need to worry about going that far.

 

What version of Windows?

[homeap5]

57 minutes ago, TechyBen said:

If windows 10, it does allow a fresh windows install and with the "erase/secure delete" option will delete your user data too. However it will lose installed programs.

As far as I know, all Windows versions allow a fresh install, not only win10. You must only using installation media, but that is not what OP asks. He wants to "keep the os intact". Nuke everything and install from zero is always an option - but in that case he can also sell computer without system. Everyone can install Windows, it's not hard.

 

[TechyBen]

3 minutes ago, homeap5 said:

As far as I know, all Windows versions allow a fresh install, not only win10. You must only using installation media, but that is not what OP asks. He wants to "keep the os intact". Nuke everything and install from zero is always an option - but in that case he can also sell computer without system. Everyone can install Windows, it's not hard.

 

No. Windows 10 specifically has an "erase disk" process separate to the previous versions (It may have been added in with 8, I forget). Windows 7 and below just reinstall the OS, delete the folders/quick format. Even then, you have to click "I am selling PC/please erase personal data" as it also takes longer:

 

No One could get your folders/files back after that. You need to erase/write over to confirm data destruction.

In Windows 7 and below, people can get your files back!!!