How to Factory Reset a Laptop Before You Sell, Gift or Recycle It

To factory reset a laptop, back up what you want to keep, sign out of the accounts linked to the hardware, then run the reset built into the operating system: "Reset this PC" on Windows, "Erase All Content and Settings" on recent Macs, or Powerwash on a Chromebook. If the machine is leaving your hands, choose the option that removes everything and, on Windows, also cleans the drive. Most of the effort goes into the preparation; the reset itself runs largely on its own.

Prepare first: the hand-over checklist

1. Back up your files. Documents, photos, browser bookmarks, saved game data and the Downloads folder. Copy them to an external drive or cloud storage, then open a handful of files from the copy to prove they work.
2. Export what lives inside apps. Locally stored email, notes, licence keys for paid software, and any authenticator app that runs on the laptop rather than your phone.
3. Deactivate licences. Some music, video and design programs limit how many computers can use one licence. Sign out or deauthorise so that slot is free for your next machine.
4. Check your sign-in methods. Synced passkeys and passwords carry on elsewhere, but anything stored only on this laptop disappears. If you are unsure which is which, read how passkeys differ from passwords and set up replacements before you wipe.
5. Find your encryption recovery key. If the drive uses BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on a Mac, keep the recovery key to hand. A reset started from recovery mode may ask for it.
6. Plug in the charger. A reset can take an hour or more, and power loss halfway through can leave the laptop unable to start.

A reset is also a natural moment to slim down what you are carrying over. Our guide to freeing up space on a Mac or Windows PC helps you weed out old installers and duplicate media before you copy everything across.

How to factory reset a Windows laptop

1. Open Settings, choose System, then Recovery. On Windows 10 the path is Update & Security, then Recovery.
2. Next to "Reset this PC", select Reset PC.
3. Choose "Remove everything". The "Keep my files" option is meant for fixing a troubled system you plan to keep using.
4. Pick Cloud download or Local reinstall. Cloud download fetches a fresh copy of Windows and helps when local system files are damaged; Local reinstall uses the files already on the drive.
5. Open the additional settings and switch on the option to clean the drive, labelled "Clean data". It takes longer, but it makes recovering your old files much harder for the next owner.
6. Confirm and let it run. The laptop restarts several times and finishes on the first-time setup screen.

If Windows no longer starts, the same tool lives in the recovery environment. After a few failed start-ups Windows usually opens it by itself; choose Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC.

When the reset is done, sign in to your Microsoft account on another device and remove the old laptop from the list of registered devices.

How to erase a MacBook

On a MacBook with Apple silicon or the T2 security chip, running macOS Monterey or later, open System Settings, choose General, then Transfer or Reset, and select Erase All Content and Settings. The assistant signs you out of your Apple Account, turns off Find My and removes your data and settings in one pass, then restarts to the setup screen ready for its next owner.

Older Intel MacBooks without that option are wiped from macOS Recovery: erase the internal disk in Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall macOS from the same menu. Sign out of your Apple Account and switch off Find My beforehand, because Recovery will not do it for you, and a laptop left with Activation Lock on can stop the next owner at setup.

Chromebooks

A Powerwash returns a Chromebook to its out-of-the-box state. Sign out, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R, choose Restart, then confirm Powerwash. Files saved locally, including the Downloads folder, are removed; anything synced stays with the account rather than the hardware.

Reset or wipe: which option fits?

Mistakes that come back to bite

• Trusting a backup that was never opened, then finding a folder missing.
• Leaving Find My or a device lock active, which blocks the new owner.
• Forgetting a subscription tied to that machine's licence and paying for a slot you no longer use.
• Assuming the reset covers a memory card or external drive. Those need wiping separately.
• Running the reset on battery alone.

Before it goes for recycling

Electronics retailers and local recycling programmes often accept old laptops; check what yours takes and whether batteries go separately. If family recordings sit on the machine, convert and store them in a format that will still open in years to come, as described in our piece on turning MP3 recordings into MP4 files for archiving, and keep two copies in different places.