How am I best sorting my Windows 11 laptop ready to sell?

JamesUK

JamesUK

JamesUK

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Hi, I have a Dell G5 5500 laptop that I am selling, as I recently got a new one.

In the time I had my Dell laptop, I have upgraded the SSD, so in the process, don't have the recovery image etc
I was wanting to do a clean install and have the setup at the point where the person can put their name etc in, what they want to call their profile, like it would be when you just get one new.

But that is where I feel a bit stuck, because I don't have the Dell recovery image now, none of the build in Dell software would be then included if I do it that way.

During a fresh installation of Windows 11, how do I know when I am at a point where it can stop the installation, so when the person gets it, they just finalise it to their liking?

Would you, just not bother with the Dell built in software, and sell it as I have mentioned above?

Regards
James
 
I presume there's nothing critical to national security on there?

Unless you are massively concerned that someone is going to try to recover your data, a factory reset will be fine

Give your PC a Fresh Start - Microsoft Support

Fresh Start in Windows 10 lets you perform a clean reinstallation and update of Windows while keeping your personal data and most Windows settings intact.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com

Select no to keep files, data, apps etc and once it's done it'll reboot to the windows user setup screen. Shutdown/hold power button to turn off and you're done.
 
Last edited:
As above really.

Mind you I sold a MacBook earlier this year which was returned. The guy logged out of everything and uninstalled anything he put on. I reinstalled chrome getting MacBook ready to be sold again and wham it logged into his Google account. Literally every password he had was stored and visible, crypto website logins, bank account login and password etc.

He’s lucky I was feeling honest that day messaged to notify him and then wiped and reinstalled os.
 
TBH no-one uses bundled usually bloatware/trial software that any prebuilt system comes with, so you'd be saving the new owner time/hassle :)

I'd just nuke it and put everything on clean :) Mention you've done so ready for the new owner if you want. If they really want the rubbish that's usually bundled, I'm sure they can download it themselves, but I've yet to ever hear of someone wanting pre-bundled rubbish ;) So don't even worry about it mate.
 
coupe69 said:
As has been mentioned a vanilla copy of Windows will be absolutely fine. Nobody wants the bloatware shipped with OEM images.
Click to expand...

First thing you should do with a new PC is wipe the drive and put a clean OS on it tbh. There is all sort of crap on OEM images.
 
Thanks guys, I have reinstalled windows 11 on it now, just to make sure, i turned it off at the point after it installed, it then asked me to set my country.
This is the right point to turn it off isn't it ready to sell?
 
JamesUK said:
Thanks guys, I have reinstalled windows 11 on it now, just to make sure, i turned it off at the point after it installed, it then asked me to set my country.
This is the right point to turn it off isn't it ready to sell?
Click to expand...
Did it ask you to install windows again? Trying to avoid doing that.
 
Best way to sort it before selling
Either as quartz said
Keep the ssd and put a new one in
Or do a secure erase before reinstalling windows
Either with ssd manufacturers tool
Though in the past I used corsair toolbox
And checked if stuff was recoverable and it was
So I always double check now
Some motherboard you can secure erase in the bios
Usually I use parted magic
It's got a great secure erase tool for both ssd and m2

I would never sell anything without secure erasing it first
 
Just backup what you need and do a factory reset or wipe the partition and re-install, you could do a secure erase before reinstalling windows to be extra safe.
 
Hi, sorry to bring this topic back.
I am just in the process of about selling my laptop, I done the above, which i thought would work fine (reinstalling Windows 11 on a blank drive) and pressing the power button until the laptop turns off at the point it asks to select country and region)
I tried turning it on before just to make sure it started back at that point, so when the person gets it, it will feel like they have just got it fresh.
And i was greeted with a recovery screen saying it looks like windows hasn't loaded correctly.

And then 2 options, either advanced repair options or restart pc. i have been testing this and if i go to restart pc, it then does go back to the set region screen, which is good.

I have tried this now a few times, and for a few times it then did go back to the set region screen, but every couple of times, it would go back to this recovery screen.

I really want this to just get to the person and know it will start at the correct screen, so they don't have to contact me and say its not working correctly if they are a total novice.

Does anyone know why it might be doing this?

James
 
Because you're holding the power button
To shut it down
It thinks it's crashed/ had improper shutdown
Doing this 3 times in succession
Is one method to force it into recovery options
But sometimes even once is enough

I would probably just finish installing windows
Before getting rid of it
Just make a local account with no password
They can do whatever they want after that
 
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