How To Wipe Clean Your Laptop To Sell It

Ane side effect of spending more time at dwelling during the pandemic is the realization that I have a lot of old tech lying around. A lot. Then, when I made a KonMari attempt at decluttering said tech, I unearthed several things I forgot I had -- including an old laptop I stopped using years ago because it was as well slow for my high-end computing needs.

While this laptop no longer sparked joy for me, it turned out to be a perfect fit for my mom. It simply needed to be cleaned up first, and I'm non merely talking near removing dust and mystery goo with a few swipes of a disinfectant wipe, though you'll desire to exercise that, also. The type of cleaning I'm talking about is restoring the laptop to like-new condition inside and out. Cleaning the outside is the easy office. Wiping the computer of all your apps, files, folders and other personal data isn't necessarily as straightforward. Of course, how much data scrubbing you need to do will likely depend on the recipient.

The big picture steps y'all take to refresh a laptop are the same regardless of whether information technology's a Windows laptop. Apple MacBook or Chromebook -- save your erstwhile data, remove all personal information, and so go for a manufactory reset. Information technology'south the actual step-by-step procedure that differs depending on the type of laptop you're dealing with. Beneath, you'll find everything you need to know and practise earlier giving your laptop a 2nd life. And with supply chain issues, shipping problems and fleck shortages making new devices harder to become, passing along a new-to-you laptop tin can exist a welcome holiday gift.

Last matter outset

I typically save the laptop's physical cleaning until terminal (why clean your fingerprints off twice?), but you may want to start at that place -- especially if it's been gathering dust in the back of a cupboard/under a bed/in the garage for the past several years. The basic equipment required for a good laptop cleaning is a can of compressed air and some disinfectant or alcohol wipes. For a slightly deeper make clean, you may also want to catch a screwdriver and remove the lesser comprehend of your laptop (if possible) so y'all tin can advisedly blow out whatever dust that's accumulated on the fans and vents.

Subsequently the laptop is clean, you tin also wipe downwardly the power adapter and any related accessories. Information technology'south also a good idea to ensure the power adapter is withal in good, working condition. If you're notwithstanding not quite sure where to start with the cleaning, check out ourconsummate guide to getting your laptop looking its best.

Gifting a used MacBook

macbook-air-2018-analisis-3 — Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

Before you lot even think about doing a factory reset on your MacBook, y'all demand to save any data you want to keep. Y'all may have already done this at some bespeak if yous migrated information from this old MacBook to a new i using using Apple tree'southward Migration Assistant. If that'south not the case, it's time to hook up an external drive and use MacOS' born Fourth dimension Machine tool to create a fill-in. If y'all have an iCloud business relationship, you lot can back up your data at that place as well.

Sign out of everything

You'll as well want to log out of all accounts before wiping your MacBook'south bulldoze. First with iCloud, Notice My Mac and iMessage. Then expect for private software accounts you may need to deregister. If you use a browser other than Safari, such as Chrome or Firefox, you should sign out of those likewise. Basically, if it's got personal account information, you'll want to sign out. (Here's how to find account settings in MacOS.)

2 other things you should do before a factory reset: Unpair whatever Bluetooth devices -- particularly if the MacBook is being gifted to someone in your household -- and reset the NVRAM. The latter is memory that holds onto settings that the MacBook needs before loading MacOS. On startup, press and agreeOption-Command-P-R to reset the NVRAM.

Perform a factory reset

If you've washed everything above, you're ready to return your MacBook to its out-of-the-box land. On an Intel-based Mac, reboot the system and press and hold Command-R to enter Recovery Manner. (Accessing Recovery Mode on new MacBooks running on the company'due south M1 fries is different, however.)

Read more:Before selling your MacBook, yous need to mill reset it

Once in Recovery Mode, y'all'll come across a window of MacOS utilities. Use the Disk Utility to erase your bulldoze. When that's complete, yous'll exist able to reinstall MacOS. Later it's done reinstalling, yous'll accomplish the Setup Banana. From there yous can cease and close it down or prepare it up for the recipient.

Gifting a used Windows laptop

As with gifting a MacBook, get-go past backing upward any important folders and files on your old laptop to cloud storage or an external drive. If you're doing the latter, go to Settings > Update & Security > Fill-in > Add a drive and select the external drive. Then click on Backup Now.

Sign out of all your apps

A lot of paid software requires you to sign in with an account, a production key or both. Earlier you lot wipe your laptop's storage, sign out of whatsoever accounts and deregister software licenses (if possible). If you need those product keys to re-register software on a new laptop, exist sure to salve that information. If you apply a browser other than Border, such as Chrome or Firefox, sign out of those as well. Basically, if it'south got personal business relationship information, sign out.

Reset the laptop

Ready to clean the drive and reinstall Windows? Go toBeginning > Settings > Update and security > Recovery. At the summit of the window, you'll see Reset this PC. Click on Get Started and select Remove Everything from the box that appears. From there, you can select to reinstall Windows from the local drive or download from the cloud. Afterward that, Windows cleans the drive of all software, settings and information. When it'south washed, the laptop volition start in its setup assistant style. You can and then stop and shut it down for a fresh-out-of-the-box experience or do some setup, which is nice affect, especially if information technology'south going to a family member then they can employ it correct away.

Unlink from your Microsoft account

If y'all used a Microsoft account to sign in to the laptop, the concluding matter you lot'll desire to exercise is remove the laptop from that account. Sign in to your account from another computer and click on the Devices tab at the pinnacle of the page. Notice the laptop that you're gifting on the list of devices, and at the bottom of the listing, y'all'll encounter the option to remove the device. Click it and you're washed.

Gifting a used Chromebook

Chromebooks are the easiest to refresh for gifting. That'due south mainly because of their cloud-based design. Google too makes it extremely piece of cake to wipe your data and securely clean the internal storage as well as remove the Chromebook from your Google account.

Check the AUE beginning

Earlier y'all even consider gifting an old Chromebook, bank check its auto-update expiration. Google simply guarantees Chrome OS and browser feature support on non-Google hardware for so long. Every device has a date on which it stops receiving updates, aka its AUE date. Electric current models receive updates for eight years; older models could potentially be a year or 2 away from reaching their AUE.

Google maintains an AUE listing, so finding the date your Chromebook will stop receiving updates is equally easy as locating your model on that list. The AUE can besides be found in your Chromebook'southward settings. Here'southward how to find the AUE from Google and in your Chromebook.

Give it a Powerwash

Powerwash is Google'southward built-in factory reset tool for Chromebooks. Once you've backed up folders or files stored on the Chromebook'due south internal drive, running Powerwash will deeply scrub the system and reboot. When it restarts, information technology'll be just like the day you unboxed it.

The actual Powerwash typically takes less than a infinitesimal to complete. A simple search for "powerwash" in your Chromebook's settings will bring yous right to the characteristic, merely here's everything you need to know about the process.

Remove the Chromebook from your Google account

Although you've removed your account from the Chromebook, you haven't removed the Chromebook from your account. Starting time by signing into your Google account and caput to the Security settings. If y'all employ the Chrome browser, you can as well click on your account avatar and select Manage your Google Account from the drop-down menu.

One time you're in the Security section, scroll down until you see a box labeled Your devices, which lists all the devices fastened to your account. At the bottom of the box, click on Manage devices and find the Chromebook you're gifting and select Sign Out.

Requite the Chromebook a skilful external cleaning, gather up any accessories and it'southward ready to manus off to your giftee.

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