Window's tool to wipe out your data leaves some behind - Here's how to fix it
Nobody’s perfect, and we all make mistakes. Ever accidentally sent an email before you finished writing it or spilled coffee on your keyboard? You’re not alone.
What happens when you accidentally delete a file? It may end up in your computer’s digital trash can, but that’s not always the case. Don’t panic. There are a few ways to recover deleted files. Tap or click here to learn how.
Of course, there are times when deleted data should stay deleted, such as when you sell or pass on your PC. It’s imperative that you’ve entirely erased a device in any case. Windows 10 and 11 have a built-in data wiping tool, but it is leaving some stuff behind.
Remove everything?
When you want to reset your Windows PC to factory specs, you can choose to keep your files, keep your preinstalled apps, or keep nothing.
In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, then click on Reset this PC under Get started.
In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Recovery, then click on Reset PC under Reset this PC.
In either case, there’s an option to Remove everything. This should remove your files, apps and drivers, changes you made to settings, and any apps your PC manufacturer installed.
It turns out that Remove everything doesn’t necessarily do that.
RELATED: Tech tip: How to unsend an email before it goes through
Some data is left behind
Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Rudy Ooms recently blogged that Microsoft’s built-in data wiping tools are not performing as expected.
Free tool from Microsoft to recover deleted data
If you’ve ever accidentally deleted a computer file that you needed, you know the panic that ensues immediately after it happens. It’s a terrible feeling, knowing that you don’t have access to the file anymore, especially if it’s something you’ve been working on for a while.
Microsoft's May update could speed up your old PC
It’s unsurprising to hear that Windows 10 has yet another update coming from Microsoft. The operating system gets patches and upgrades all the time. They just tend to be…problematic, to put it mildly.
Over the span of the past few months, Microsoft’s updates have caused a range of problems from unusual crashes to deleted files. One was even bad enough that some users couldn’t boot up their PCs! Tap or click to see how the last major Windows 10 update broke the operating system.