How do I factory reset and remove all files and user data?

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relztrah

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Mar 25, 2019
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I am tasked with preparing a laptop for a new employee. I have one from a previous employee so I performed a factory reset as described here.

However I see that the previous employee's account is still there.


Screenshot 2024-10-02 151314.png

In fact, all her files are still on the laptop. How do I perform a factory reset that will in fact take this laptop back to off-the-shelf condition? We purchased it with Windows 11 installed, so of course I don't want to remove Windows 11, just all the user data.

Thanks in advance.
 
Thank you. I'm following the instructions and when I download the ISO file I see this:

validating.JPEG

But instead of several minutes I've been watching it for over an hour. Should I wait or cancel and attempt the download again?
 
I tried twice and had the same result. There's another method with the media creation tool. I used the Create Windows 11 Installation Media method and was able to download and run the media creation tool. But when I booted to the USB flash drive and ran install, the only options to install Windows is on the flash drive itself, not the C drive.

install tool.JPEG

I'm out of my league here and need this machine up and running by Monday. I'm going to leave it with our gurus. I did this a dozen times with Windows 10 doing a fresh install from the install DVD. But we don't have the DVD for Windows 11 and this machine doesn't have an optical drive anyway. I thought I could download the ISO file and burn it to a USB flash drive, but I got that never-ending Validating messsage.

Thanks anyway for your help. We collaborte with a local tech support company that sold us these machines, so they will know how to do it.
 
That makes me wonder if the storage drive is detected in the BIOS even, the drive is still bootable?

Also, would it not be easier to create a new local account and delete this local account?
 
axe0 said:
Also, would it not be easier to create a new local account and delete this local account?
Click to expand...
One of the gurus logged on to this machine remotely and did exactly this. Attempting to download the .iso file and running the media creation tool were complete unnecessary.
 
It sounds like you have escalated the issue. For Future Reference. What is the Make and Model # of the laptop?
If you have the Windows installer burned to the USB Flash and can boot to it. If not, try downloading it on your home computer without network restrictions of your work.
When you boot the installer, the first window will ask to Choose Your Language. In the next window you would see Install Now, press Next. then choose Custom Install.
In the Where Would You like to Install Windows? Picture in Post #5. If it doesn't list the internal SSD/HDD, make sure that drive is listed in the Bios.
Then you probably need to download the IRST driver for the drive, and save it to the Root of the USB Installer.
In the windows pictured in Post #5 where it asks to load drivers, browse to the Flash drive for the IRST driver.
It will now recognize the drive and you can install Windows.
 
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