Wipe Data or Factory Reset on Windows 10/11 (2024)

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Difference Between Wipe Data and Factory Reset

Here I will describe the difference between Wipe Data and Factory Reset on Windows, you can read it carefully to know the details.

What Is Factory Reset on Windows?

A factory reset is the complete restoration of an electronic device to its factory settings. It deletes all the information stored in the device by reformatting the hard drive. If the device is not working properly, it is necessary to factory reset it from time to time. It is generally done to completely remove the data from the device, and the device has to be rebooted, requiring a reinstallation of the software.

✨ Advantages:
🧊 It will help you to restore the normal functioning of your regular system so that you can fix system failures and errors.
🧊 It cleans up unwanted junk and garbage files and make the system work smoothly and efficiently.
🧊 It makes your device like new again and calibrates your system with the latest version of Windows.
🧊 It will clean up all the problems like screen freezing and system lag.

What is Wipe Data on Windows?

Data wiping is the process of overwriting the data on a particular hard drive to such an extent that the original data is unreadable. This is an especially important step when you are selling or otherwise disposing of a computer, drive, or USB drive that has sensitive private data on it.

✨ Advantages:
☕ You can reuse the original hard drive. You can eliminate data you don't need without having to buy additional hard drives, which will save you money.
☕ The erased data cannot be retrieved by any recovery original, which is a great safeguard for your data privacy.

In short, after Windows performs a factory reset, the files may still be recovered by some professional recovery software. But once you perform a data wipe, the files cannot be recovered. The following section will provide you with the methods to perform these two operations separately on Windows 10/11.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10/11

If you want to perform a factory reset, there are two cases here: one is that your computer can boot normally, and the other is that it cannot boot normally.

If Your Computer Boot Normally

1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings. Navigate to Update & security > Recovery to summon the Recovery Settings window.
2. At the Reset this PC section, select Get Started.

3. Select the Keep my files or Remove everything option according to your demands.

4. Click Reset to start factory reset in Windows 10/11.

If Your Computer Does Not Boot into Windows

1. Start your computer and it will automatically boot into Windows Recovery Environment mode when Windows 10 does not boot properly. Or press F8/F12 continuously while your computer is booting until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
2. Then click Troubleshoot -> Reset this PC.

How to Wipe Data on Windows 10/11

Windows does not come with software that can help you wipe data. So when you want to completely erase the data on your hard drive, you need to use the help of third-party software. AOMEI Backupper Professional is a powerful disk wiping software which can help you securely clean up all data on Windows.

You can choose to wipe partitions or unallocated space on the disk or delete all data on the disk. All data you delete with this software cannot be recovered after erasure. Learn how to wipe hard drive on Windows 10 via AOMEI Backupper in the following tutorial.

📌 Note: After wiping your data will not be recoverable. If there is any information you want to keep, you can create a file backup.

1. Download and install this software on your computer. After installation, launch AOMEI Backupper.

2. Then navigate to Tools -> Disk Wipe.

3. Then you will be asked to select your desired wiping type. If you want to delete everything of your computer, select Wipe disk to delete all partitions and wipe all sectors on the disk.

4. Select the hard drive you want to wipe data and click Next to continue.

5. On the Wiping Method page, choose Fill sectors with Zero. Then click Start to begin the zero filling process.

🎉 Tip: You can also choose another three wiping methods like Fill sectors with random data, DoD 5220.22-M, and Gutmann.

Summary

After reading this article, I believe you have learned the difference between Wipe Data and factory Reset. You can choose the operation you want to perform according to your needs.

The professional tools mentioned in the article can also help you clone your system to HDD/SSD. When you want to replace the old hard disk, this will save you a lot of time and effort and save you the trouble of reinstalling the system.

Yuka, our dedicated editor at AOMEI Technology, is committed to bringing you valuable insights and guidance in data protection. Her mission is to empower everyone with her knowledge in computer backup and recovery, disk cloning, file synchronization, and more. Yuka's goal is to do her best to make complex tech tasks simple and ensure that your digital world remains safe and secure.