{"id":12093,"date":"2022-05-05T11:59:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T17:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/?p=12093"},"modified":"2022-05-06T06:52:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T12:52:42","slug":"wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11","title":{"rendered":"How to wipe your data on Windows 10 and 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you are selling your used PC (laptop\/desktop) or you are returning your device to your organization, company or school, it is important to wipe and clear your personal data from the device to protect your privacy and security. The Windows 10 and Windows 11 Operating Systems (OS) have the built-in capabilities to help you do it. <!--more--> Here I will explain how you can do wipe your PC. If you rather follow a step-by-step video instead of using this article, you can watch my video posted on my YouTube channel.<\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i-DLvLDDNHY\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1>Wiping data on Windows 10<\/h1>\n<p>1) Open Start menu and select Settings<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12094\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12094\" style=\"width: 431px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12094\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"431,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739206&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Windows 10 Start &gt; Settings&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Windows 10 Start &gt; Settings&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings-126x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 Start &gt; Settings\" width=\"431\" height=\"1024\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings.jpg 431w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings-126x300.jpg 126w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12094\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Windows 10 Start > Settings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>2) Click on Update &#038; Security<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12097\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12097\" style=\"width: 1994px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12097\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1994,455\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739270&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Settings &gt; Update &amp;#038; Security&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-300x68.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-1024x234.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security.jpg\" alt=\"Settings &gt; Update &amp; Security\" width=\"1994\" height=\"455\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security.jpg 1994w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-300x68.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-1024x234.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-768x175.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_update_and_security-1536x350.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1994px) 100vw, 1994px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12097\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Settings > Update &#038; Security<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>3) Open Recovery tab from the left-hand menu. Then click on &#8220;Get started&#8221; button under Reset this PC<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12096\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12096\" style=\"width: 1220px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12096\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1220,1180\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739309&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Windows 10 Recovery tab&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started-300x290.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started-1024x990.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 10 Recovery tab\" width=\"1220\" height=\"1180\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started.jpg 1220w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started-1024x990.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_recovery_get_started-768x743.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1220px) 100vw, 1220px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12096\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Windows 10 Recovery tab<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>4) Select Remove everything from the Reset this PC window<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12098\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12098\" style=\"width: 1032px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12098\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-01\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1032,693\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739375&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Reset this PC &amp;#8211; Remove everything&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01-1024x688.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01.jpg\" alt=\"Reset this PC - Remove everything\" width=\"1032\" height=\"693\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01.jpg 1032w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-01-768x516.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1032px) 100vw, 1032px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12098\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reset this PC &#8211; Remove everything<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>5) If you do not wish to download and install a fresh copy of Windows, you can use the Local reinstall option. This will not only cut down the time, but also can be down without an Internet connection. Regardless of which option you pick, your Windows key will be reused automatically.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12099\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12099\" style=\"width: 1029px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12099\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-02\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1029,690\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739424&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Local or cloud reinstall&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02-1024x687.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02.jpg\" alt=\"Local or cloud reinstall\" width=\"1029\" height=\"690\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02.jpg 1029w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02-1024x687.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-02-768x515.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1029px) 100vw, 1029px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Local or cloud reinstall<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>6) This is an important step. Click on the &#8220;Change settings&#8221; option. These settings will allow you to select data wiping option on the next screen.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12100\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12100\" style=\"width: 1029px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12100\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-03\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1029,692\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739459&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Select Change settings&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03-300x202.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03-1024x689.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03.jpg\" alt=\"Select Change settings\" width=\"1029\" height=\"692\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03.jpg 1029w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-03-768x516.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1029px) 100vw, 1029px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12100\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Select Change settings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>7) Select &#8220;Clean data&#8221;. This option will wipe all your personal data and programs from your computer. Then press Confirm.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12101\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12101\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12101\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-04\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1034,695\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739506&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Clean data? Yes&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04-300x202.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04-1024x688.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04.jpg\" alt=\"Clean data? Yes\" width=\"1034\" height=\"695\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04.jpg 1034w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-04-768x516.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1034px) 100vw, 1034px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12101\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clean data? Yes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>Summary page before resetting&#8230;<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12102\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12102\" style=\"width: 1029px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12102\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-05\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1029,689\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739564&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Summary page of Reset this PC&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05-1024x686.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05.jpg\" alt=\"Summary page of Reset this PC\" width=\"1029\" height=\"689\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05.jpg 1029w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-05-768x514.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1029px) 100vw, 1029px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Summary page of Reset this PC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>After selecting &#8220;Next&#8221; on the summary page, your PC will start wiping data. This will result in one or more reboots. If this is a laptop, please make sure to plug in the power cable.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12103\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12103\" style=\"width: 1031px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12103\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_pc-06\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1031,691\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651739600&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Reset this PC processing&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06-1024x686.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06.jpg\" alt=\"Reset this PC processing\" width=\"1031\" height=\"691\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06.jpg 1031w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_reset_this_PC-06-768x515.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1031px) 100vw, 1031px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reset this PC processing<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<h1>Wiping data on Windows 11<\/h1>\n<p>This is very similar to what we did on Windows 10 above.<\/p>\n<p>1) Open Start menu and select Settings<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12105\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12105\" style=\"width: 1298px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12105\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1298,1588\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651747962&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Start &gt; Settings&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-245x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-837x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1.jpg\" alt=\"Start &gt; Settings\" width=\"1298\" height=\"1588\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1.jpg 1298w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-245x300.jpg 245w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-837x1024.jpg 837w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-768x940.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-1-1255x1536.jpg 1255w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1298px) 100vw, 1298px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12105\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Start > Settings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>2) Under System tab, select Recovery<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12095\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12095\" style=\"width: 2398px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12095\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2398,1329\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651748033&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;System &gt; Recovery&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-300x166.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-1024x568.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2.jpg\" alt=\"System &gt; Recovery\" width=\"2398\" height=\"1329\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2.jpg 2398w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-1024x568.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-768x426.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-1536x851.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-2048x1135.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-672x372.jpg 672w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-2-1038x576.jpg 1038w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2398px) 100vw, 2398px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12095\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">System > Recovery<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>3) Select &#8220;Reset PC&#8221; button<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12106\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12106\" style=\"width: 2409px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12106\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2409,777\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Sanuja Senanayake&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1651748090&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;System &gt; Recovery: Reset this PC &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-300x97.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-1024x330.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3.jpg\" alt=\"System &gt; Recovery: Reset this PC\" width=\"2409\" height=\"777\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3.jpg 2409w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-300x97.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-1024x330.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-768x248.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-1536x495.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3-2048x661.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2409px) 100vw, 2409px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12106\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">System > Recovery: Reset this PC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p>At this point, the rest of the process is same as the Windows 10. If you are confused or need more guidance, please check my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=i-DLvLDDNHY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube video<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are selling your used PC (laptop\/desktop) or you are returning your device to your organization, company or school, it is important to wipe and clear your personal data from the device to protect your privacy and security. The Windows 10 and Windows 11 Operating Systems (OS) have the built-in capabilities to help you &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wipe-your-data-on-windows-10-and-11\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to wipe your data on Windows 10 and 11<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,25],"tags":[18,10,19],"class_list":["post-12093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computer-science","category-ce","tag-computing","tag-tech","tag-tutorials"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wipe_data_win_10_11_start_settings_w10-3.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12093"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12112,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12093\/revisions\/12112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanuja.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}