Clean Reinstall Windows 11 Home?

Hi. I had bought a cheap windows 11 home laptop recently. I bought one because I needed a clean computer to check some things and download some files on it until I could finish clean reinstall windows 10 pro on my my dell xps laptop which I did. I even did a clean reinstall of windows 10 on an even older dell desktop. My dell xps laptop is my mainly laptop. I bought this to do this but also to have a spare windows laptop.


Now this cheap windows 11 home laptop, it came in S mode and had to get out of it in order to do downloads. This laptop is very slow... I knew it was slow but had no idea it was this slow.


The thing is I know I could still return this laptop back. I am slightly considering this... but most likely going to let someone else use it instead as they don't need a fast computer. But this computer is really slow which is the issue. I am slightly considering returning this one and buying another spare windows laptop but a bit faster one.



1. So If I want to return this laptop back, I have to do clean reinstall correct? I do not want to send it back the way it is because I have some sensitive files there. Thus just deleting it to recycle bin is obviously not good enough right? I do recall there is option to reset your computer and thus wipe it including the files. But this is not the cleanest way possible right? Does that mean I need to download the windows 11 installation files on a usb just like how I did with the windows 10 installation files when I did a clean reinstall on my windows 10? The thing is I want to make sure my computer is fully wiped clean. Thus I believe if you return a computer, they sell it as refurbished. But I wouldn't want that person say going to the computer and then checking to see what old files were there. So a clean reinstall is necessary for this? Is the steps very similar to like how windows 10 clean reinstall is? Or it's not worth it because I did have some sensitive files and programs there?


Now for people who only try the laptop out for a bit and do not like it. Let say they just web browse and youtube and never enter any sensitive information in it, they could literally return it like with no issue right? But if someone even entered their email password into it, they don't need to do any clean reinstall or reset before they return it. Just change their email passwords and it is good enough?



2. Now if I want to give this computer to someone else to use which is most likely going to be the case... they would only use it mainly for web browsing and email and documents, should I still do a clean reinstall? Or is it reset enough? The thing is I would want to delete all the files/documents I have on this computer first. But my concern is say they suddenly got malware or virus... if I do not clean reinstall windows 11 or do a reset, will the files I just delete and delete off recycle bin be enough? I assume not right? Such as say a hacker could literally go through the recycle bin and check my old files? Thus even if giving the computer to someone else, always do a clean reinstall? Or is that reset enough? I heard reset cleans it but with enough work, someone could still find the files?

If you are going to give it to someone as you said seems favourite. A clean install would be best. I wonder where you got it from as most manufacturers won't take a pc back.

Hi. Well I rather let someone use it instead of going through the process of returning it. But the thing is either way, I should still do a clean reinstall?


Because if that is the case, I'm not that sure then. The issue is this laptop is really slow which is the problem. Now had I bought a more faster laptop, then I would keep it. Does that make sense?


I bought it from one of the big box stores like target where they allow you to return it.


But is this clean reinstall process just like windows ten? My concern is if I do a reinstall, is it possible the wifi and drivers are not going to be there and things like that?


I did read these stores do a clean reinstall when you return it back to them right? But if you don't do a clean reinstall and return it or give it to someone else to use, is it possible they could access your old files? Or say you give it to someone to use while all you did was just delete the files and send to recycle bin... then say if that laptop gets malware or virus, then my old files could be found?

newmann said:

But is this clean reinstall process just like windows ten? My concern is if I do a reinstall, is it possible the wifi and drivers are not going to be there and things like that?

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Rather than a clean install, do a Reset, removing everything. This is effectively a 'factory reset' and will return it to the 'out of the box' condition - including all the OEM utilities and drivers.

newmann said:

I did read these stores do a clean reinstall when you return it back to them right? But if you don't do a clean reinstall and return it or give it to someone else to use, is it possible they could access your old files? Or say you give it to someone to use while all you did was just delete the files and send to recycle bin... then say if that laptop gets malware or virus, then my old files could be found?

Click to expand...

I don't know where you read that but it's wrong. Years ago, my wife bought a laptop from a big box store, and it had photos left on there by the previous owner. They never told us that the laptop was a return.

Bree said:

Rather than a clean install, do a Reset, removing everything. This is effectively a 'factory reset' and will return it to the 'out of the box' condition - including all the OEM utilities and drivers.

Reset Windows 11 PC Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to reset Windows 11 and Remove everything or Keep my files. You can reset Windows 11 when your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app, driver, or update. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

But do they also have the clean reinstall option as well like with windows 10 with the usb flash drive on windows 11? With windows 10, I did the clean reinstall with the usb because I read that wipes everything clean. But I thought windows 10 reset wouldn't wipe everything as clean as a clean reinstall?


Does that mean there is no way someone can get into the old files when you do the Reset? So even if you have malware/virus, this Reset in Windows 11 would clean it?

Winuser said:

I don't know where you read that but it's wrong. Years ago, my wife bought a laptop from a big box store, and it had photos left on there by the previous owner. They never told us that the laptop was a return.

Click to expand...

You mean you bought a new laptop and it came with old photos. But were they just there? So was the windows user that person's name and thus that big box store never did a clean reinstall before selling it? So it was sold new but was a return? Did you buy it at the store or online? Curious which big box store this was.

newmann said:

Hi. I had bought a cheap windows 11 home laptop recently. I bought one because I needed a clean computer to check some things and download some files on it until I could finish clean reinstall windows 10 pro on my my dell xps laptop which I did. I even did a clean reinstall of windows 10 on an even older dell desktop. My dell xps laptop is my mainly laptop. I bought this to do this but also to have a spare windows laptop.


Now this cheap windows 11 home laptop, it came in S mode and had to get out of it in order to do downloads. This laptop is very slow... I knew it was slow but had no idea it was this slow.


The thing is I know I could still return this laptop back. I am slightly considering this... but most likely going to let someone else use it instead as they don't need a fast computer. But this computer is really slow which is the issue. I am slightly considering returning this one and buying another spare windows laptop but a bit faster one.



1. So If I want to return this laptop back, I have to do clean reinstall correct? I do not want to send it back the way it is because I have some sensitive files there. Thus just deleting it to recycle bin is obviously not good enough right? I do recall there is option to reset your computer and thus wipe it including the files. But this is not the cleanest way possible right? Does that mean I need to download the windows 11 installation files on a usb just like how I did with the windows 10 installation files when I did a clean reinstall on my windows 10? The thing is I want to make sure my computer is fully wiped clean. Thus I believe if you return a computer, they sell it as refurbished. But I wouldn't want that person say going to the computer and then checking to see what old files were there. So a clean reinstall is necessary for this? Is the steps very similar to like how windows 10 clean reinstall is? Or it's not worth it because I did have some sensitive files and programs there?


Now for people who only try the laptop out for a bit and do not like it. Let say they just web browse and youtube and never enter any sensitive information in it, they could literally return it like with no issue right? But if someone even entered their email password into it, they don't need to do any clean reinstall or reset before they return it. Just change their email passwords and it is good enough?



2. Now if I want to give this computer to someone else to use which is most likely going to be the case... they would only use it mainly for web browsing and email and documents, should I still do a clean reinstall? Or is it reset enough? The thing is I would want to delete all the files/documents I have on this computer first. But my concern is say they suddenly got malware or virus... if I do not clean reinstall windows 11 or do a reset, will the files I just delete and delete off recycle bin be enough? I assume not right? Such as say a hacker could literally go through the recycle bin and check my old files? Thus even if giving the computer to someone else, always do a clean reinstall? Or is that reset enough? I heard reset cleans it but with enough work, someone could still find the files?

Click to expand...

If the laptop is that slow, there really is no point keeping it. You should just return it and buy one that is usable without complaints.

When you do a factory reset, you get the option of wiping everything clean, and making it difficult to recover any files. It is part of the built-in utility. That should be sufficient for the most part.

But if you are too concerned, then get CCleaner or similar program to wipe your disk clean (use Secure clean with multiple passes) and then do a complete reset.

TheMystic said:

If the laptop is that slow, there really is no point keeping it. You should just return it and buy one that is usable without complaints.

When you do a factory reset, you get the option of wiping everything clean, and making it difficult to recover any files. It is part of the built-in utility. That should be sufficient for the most part.

But if you are too concerned, then get CCleaner or similar program to wipe your disk clean (use Secure clean with multiple passes) and then do a complete reset.

Click to expand...

But is there a clean reinstall option similar to like how windows 10 has it with the usb for windows 11?

newmann said:

But is there a clean reinstall option similar to like how windows 10 has it with the usb for windows 11?

Click to expand...

It is not called reinstall, although that too is available under Settings/ Recovery. It is called Fresh Start.

You can either use that or use the Reset option and then choose to wipe everything completely.

newmann said:

But is there a clean reinstall option similar to like how windows 10 has it with the usb for windows 11?

Click to expand...

Sure you can clean install, but it easier to use "reset my pc". If you had lots of sensitive data on it, you could use reset option that wipes data securely to prevent people using special recovery tools but this take much longer.

Re laptop being slow, we cannot comment as you have provide no details of pc or software issues etc.

newmann said:

You mean you bought a new laptop and it came with old photos. But were they just there? So was the windows user that person's name and thus that big box store never did a clean reinstall before selling it? So it was sold new but was a return? Did you buy it at the store or online? Curious which big box store this was.

Click to expand...

She bought what we thought was a brand-new laptop. All the big box store did was retape the box and put it back in stock. It had a username and password that I bypassed. In the picture folder was photos from the previous owner. We didn't know anyone in the pictures, so I deleted them. I was going to take the laptop back but decided to do a clean Win 10 install.

As others have suggested earlier on, do a reset on your W11 laptop. This will be as secure as whatever it is that you did with your W10 machine and the USB stick.


As you do the reset, choose the option 'Remove everything' > 'Change settings' choose the option 'Data erasure On'. What this will do is the following: (I quote the following from the text in the link, and further highlighted the 'donate' ... 'your PC, use this option'.)

"Data erasure On removes files and cleans the drive. If you're planning to donate, recycle, or sell your PC, use this option. This might take an hour or two, but it makes it harder for other people to recover files you've removed."

This is as secure as it gets, short of substituting the HDD or SSD in your W11 laptop with a new one (if substituting is possible at all, it is not really possible in recent makes of laptops)

And who knows, perhaps your W11 laptop becomes lightning fast after the reset, and you may want to keep it!

In any case, back up your data before you do a reset!

Good luck!