I have recycled a couple of old office computers for home use. The question is, short of reformatting the disks and reinstalling the OS , is there any other way to totally clean up a computer ?

for Windows 10, here is the solution

Reset your PC

Resetting lets you choose whether to keep your files or remove them, and then reinstalls Windows. To get started, go to Settings > Update & security > Reset this PC > Get started and choose an option.

Option What it does

Keep my files

• Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files.

• Removes apps and drivers you installed.

• Removes changes you made to settings.

• Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)

Remove everything

• Reinstalls Windows 10 and removes all your personal files.

• Removes apps and drivers you installed.

• Removes changes you made to settings.

• Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)

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

Restore factory settings

• Reinstalls the version of Windows that your PC came with (either Windows 8 or Windows 8.1) and removes your personal files.

• Removes apps and drivers you installed.

• Removes changes you made to settings.

• Reinstalls any apps your PC manufacturer installed on your PC.

This option isn't available on all PCs.

Above is the theory. Any "real life" experience , especially the ones that didn't turn as planned and the solution, are much appreciated.

Personally with a business computer I would lookup the main board and such and get a new operating system and start from scratch. But to be honest to expect obsolete business computers to run win 10.. if they could they probably would not have been trashed.

if they could they probably would not have been trashed.

You can't be more wrong. You can't imagine the number of things that are discarded everyday that are still in perfect working condition.

In my home I'm currently using seven computers for different tasks. It would make no sense to use brand new top of the line computers for what I'm doing. Five years old computers are perfectly ok. Most of them are still under Windows 7, will never be updated and that's perfectly fine. I just want to get rid of old junk, docs and applications that take space and may mess with my home control applications, that's it

if they could they probably would not have been trashed.

You can't be more wrong. You can't imagine the number of things that are discarded everyday that are still in perfect working condition.

In my home I'm currently using seven computers for different tasks. It would make no sense to use brand new top of the line computers for what I'm doing. Five years old computers are perfectly ok. Most of them are still under Windows 7, will never be updated and that's perfectly fine. I just want to get rid of old junk, docs and applications that take space and may mess with my home control applications, that's it

I am saying if they could run windows 10 .. that means quite heavy resources. So a relatively new computer.

If you had said windows 7 i would have replied differently.. but if that is all you want to do then go to the software part and de install all non essential software and delete all documents. No need for a fresh install then. I just like fresh installs myself on computers that have been used by otheres before.

I have recycled a couple of old office computers for home use. The question is, short of reformatting the disks and reinstalling the OS , is there any other way to totally clean up a computer ?

If you want to have a clean PC there is no safe way around reformat and reinstall.

I would not try anything different.

I reinstall my PC and laptop at least after two years just to get it "fresh and clean".

The essential data are all stored on a second partition which I do not touch.

That data partition is synced/mirrored between the two devices.

Of course this requires some plan how to get it back on the feet (inventory, data backup).

I am saying if they could run windows 10 .. that means quite heavy resources. So a relatively new computer.

Not really. Windows 10 can run old computers or with very light configuration (ARM processor / 2gb RAM / 10 GB Hard disk). I'm just more comfortable with Win 7 and uncomfortable with some privacy issues with Win 10

I am saying if they could run windows 10 .. that means quite heavy resources. So a relatively new computer.

Not really. Windows 10 can run old computers or with very light configuration (ARM processor / 2gb RAM / 10 GB Hard disk). I'm just more comfortable with Win 7 and uncomfortable with some privacy issues with Win 10

Less than a minute on google will point you to bundles of free programs or instructions that deal with Win 10 "privacy issues". Even done manually it takes less than 5 minutes.

I am saying if they could run windows 10 .. that means quite heavy resources. So a relatively new computer.

Not really. Windows 10 can run old computers or with very light configuration (ARM processor / 2gb RAM / 10 GB Hard disk). I'm just more comfortable with Win 7 and uncomfortable with some privacy issues with Win 10

Less than a minute on google will point you to bundles of free programs or instructions that deal with Win 10 "privacy issues". Even done manually it takes less than 5 minutes.

Then 5 more minutes on google will show you that the above instructions and programs don't really solve anything.

But let's stay on topic which is how to efficiently clean a 2nd hand computer without having to reinstall the OS.

Above is the theory. Any "real life" experience , especially the ones that didn't turn as planned and the solution, are much appreciated.

I have recycled a couple of old office computers for home use. The question is, short of reformatting the disks and reinstalling the OS , is there any other way to totally clean up a computer ?

The short answer to that is no. There are always going to be traces of some kind. This is why people that have child porn and illegal material on their computers get caught even after deletion. Once deleted the stuff is still there and becomes known as ghost files. There is special software available to resurrect deleted files, the police have it, I have it and so do many others.

The only sure way is to do a complete reformat and install an OS from scratch.