Windows Prep Before Sale

[Chris Loudon]

Hi guys,

 

I have a couple of spare PCs both of which came ready with Windows 10 Pro that I'm looking to sell. Obviously I want to hand it on with a fully activated OS ready to go but short of creating a temporary offline account I was wondering if there was a better way of doing it.

 

Is there a point in the Windows 10 setup routine that I can safely switch off the PC so that when new owner boots it up for their 1st time, the setup process continues allowing them to configure things as they wish?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Stahlmann]

You could completely wipe the drives and then include a flash drive with a windows installation. Idk how you could do it so the config pops up.

[Looking for a job Linus]

4 minutes ago, Chris Loudon said:

Hi guys,

 

I have a couple of spare PCs both of which came ready with Windows 10 Pro that I'm looking to sell. Obviously I want to hand it on with a fully activated OS ready to go but short of creating a temporary offline account I was wondering if there was a better way of doing it.

 

Is there a point in the Windows 10 setup routine that I can safely switch off the PC so that when new owner boots it up for their 1st time, the setup process continues allowing them to configure things as they wish?

 

Thanks.

 

 

When windows 10 asks for language setup, the first actual setup screen during install.

 

1. Press Shift+F10 to access Command Prompt.
2. Type “shutdown /s /t 0” (without the quotes) and press enter.

[Simone_ltt]

5 minutes ago, Chris Loudon said:

Hi guys,

 

I have a couple of spare PCs both of which came ready with Windows 10 Pro that I'm looking to sell. Obviously I want to hand it on with a fully activated OS ready to go but short of creating a temporary offline account I was wondering if there was a better way of doing it.

 

Is there a point in the Windows 10 setup routine that I can safely switch off the PC so that when new owner boots it up for their 1st time, the setup process continues allowing them to configure things as they wish?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Try Erasing everything

In the next step, you'll use the recovery options to securely erase and reset the device to the factory settings to allow the next owner to set it up as their a new computer.

To use the "Reset This PC" feature to securely erase everything on the computer and reinstall Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.

4. Under the Reset this PC section, click the Get started button.

    

5. Click the Remove everything button.

    

6. Click the Change settings option.

    

7. Turn on the Data erasure toggle switch.

    

   Quick note: If you have multiple drives, you'll also see a "Data drives" option to erase your files from all drives. If you see this option, and it's because you have an external drive connected, it's recommended to disconnect the drive and follow the steps again.

8. Click the Confirm button.

9. Click the Next button.

    

10. Click the Reset button.

     

    Quick tip: Once the reset is complete, it's not necessary to finish the out-of-box experience (OOBE) as this is the part that will allow the next owner to set the device as their own.

After you complete the steps, the hard drive will be wiped out beyond recovery, removing your files, accounts, settings, and apps, and then Windows 10 will apply a fresh installation. The process could take a few hours, but it's worth it, as it'll be almost impossible for most people to recover your data.

[Electronics Wizardy]

You can enter audit mode when isntalling windows, then install drivers and other things you want, then sys prep the system, so the new user sees the setup  screen.

 

1 minute ago, Looking for a job Linus said:

When windows 10 asks for language setup, the first actual setup screen during install.

 

1. Press Shift+F10 to access Command Prompt.
2. Type “shutdown /s /t 0” (without the quotes) and press enter.

also pressing the power button will do this aswell if you just want to turn it off.

 

 

[Chris Loudon]

Perfect, thanks for the tips.

 

Kinda thought it was something like that but wanted to check here first.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Windows