There is no single Windows button that deletes every trace of your activity. For a PC you will keep, clear the specific browser or activity records you want removed. Before giving away or recycling a computer, back up your files, reset Windows with Remove everything, consider the optional Clean data setting, and remove the device from your Microsoft account. If you suspect malware, use Windows Security first and consider a clean Windows installation if the problem persists.
This guide covers Windows 10 and Windows 11; the instructions do not establish equivalent steps for macOS or Linux. Choose the procedure for your goal: clearing local activity, preparing a PC for transfer, or recovering from a suspected infection.
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Choose the right way to clear traces
“All traces” can mean several different things: personal files on the drive, installed apps and settings, local browser history, Windows activity records, or information associated with an online account. A Windows reset addresses the selected device installation; it does not, by itself, establish that every account-associated record has been deleted.
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| Goal | What to do | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Keep using your PC but remove browser records | Clear selected data in each browser. | Selected local browser data; account-associated records may have separate controls. |
| Keep personal files while refreshing Windows | Use Reset this PC with Keep my files. | Keeps personal files, but removes apps and settings. |
| Sell, gift, or recycle your PC | Back up, reset with Remove everything, optionally enable Clean data, then remove the device from your Microsoft account. | Removes files, apps, and settings from the reset device; clean data is intended to make removed files harder to recover. |
| Recover from suspected malware | Try Windows Security; if the problem continues, reinstall Windows from installation media using a clean installation. | Rebuilds the Windows installation on the selected drive and can help remove malware from it. |
These are different levels of cleanup, not interchangeable versions of a universal erase. For data subject to a required sanitization standard or unusually sensitive information, Microsoft’s consumer Clean data feature is not established as sufficient.
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Before resetting: protect files and check encryption
Back up any files you need before starting a reset. An external drive is one possible destination; use any backup method you trust. If device encryption or BitLocker is enabled, make sure you can access the BitLocker recovery key before proceeding. Microsoft recommends both precautions in its Reset your PC guidance.
Read the reset screens carefully and verify which drives and data are included before confirming. Labels and workflows can differ by Windows version and device.
Reset Windows while keeping personal files
Use Keep my files if you want Windows reinstalled but want to retain personal files. The reset removes apps and settings, so you may need to reinstall programs and reconfigure Windows afterward. This is not the right choice for preparing a PC for another owner because personal files are retained.
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- In Windows 11, open Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC. In Windows 10, open Settings and go to the recovery options described on Microsoft’s reset page.
- Choose Keep my files and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Review the choices for the reinstall source. Cloud download obtains a fresh copy of Windows. Local reinstall uses files already on the PC; it may be faster on a slow connection, but may not include the latest updates.
- Confirm the reset only after reviewing what will be retained and removed.
Cloud download is a choice about where Windows setup files come from; it is not a promise to erase additional account data.
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Use Remove everything
For a transfer, Microsoft’s built-in starting point is Reset this PC > Remove everything. This removes personal files, apps, and settings from the Windows installation being reset. Start from Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC on Windows 11, or the recovery route in Settings on Windows 10, then follow the prompts. You can also start a reset from the Windows Recovery Environment if Windows will not load normally. Check the selected drives and data coverage on screen before proceeding.
Understand Clean data’s limits
If offered, enable Clean data when preparing the PC for another person. Microsoft says that, when enabled, it “removes files and cleans the drive” and “makes it harder for other people to recover files you’ve removed.” That describes increased difficulty, not guaranteed or impossible recovery. Microsoft Support’s Reset your PC page states: “The data erasure functionality is targeted at consumers and does not meet government and industry data erasure standards.” Do not rely on this consumer feature where a formal sanitization standard is required.
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Remove the device from your Microsoft account
After resetting, use Microsoft’s guidance for preparing a PC for resale, recycling, or gifting to remove the device from your Microsoft account. This is account housekeeping in addition to resetting the PC, not a replacement for removing local data.
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Microsoft Edge browsing data
To clear selected local Edge data, open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, choose the data types you want to remove—such as browsing history, cookies, and site data—and confirm. Microsoft’s Edge browsing-history instructions describe the available controls. Edge can also be set to clear selected data when all InPrivate windows close, but InPrivate is not a general method for erasing other Windows records.
Clearing browser data on the PC does not necessarily remove history associated with an account. Microsoft notes that browsing history associated with an account may be viewed through that account; use the relevant account controls if your goal includes account-associated data.
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Windows activity history
Windows activity history can include information about apps and services used, files opened, and websites browsed. It has privacy controls separate from a browser’s clear-history command. Microsoft’s activity history and privacy guidance describes the controls, including a version-specific note that some Windows 11 updates provide a Clear activity history control for older cloud-stored activity history. The setting and its effect vary by Windows version and account; check the privacy settings and dashboard that apply to yours rather than assuming one control clears every cloud record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you suspect malware or persistent infection
A reset for ordinary cleanup and a recovery installation for suspected malware serve different purposes. Microsoft recommends trying Windows Security first. If the problem continues, a clean installation from Windows installation media removes Windows, personal files, apps, and settings from the selected drive and can help remove malware from that Windows installation. It is not a guarantee against every possible persistence mechanism.
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- If the problem persists, follow Microsoft’s instructions to create Windows installation media and perform a clean installation. Review the drive-selection and deletion prompts carefully: the clean installation removes data from the selected drive.
- If recovery options do not work or the PC will not start, create the installation media using another working PC. Manufacturer recovery media may also provide device-specific drivers and factory applications.
A USB flash drive can be used for installation media if needed; Microsoft does not prescribe a particular brand or capacity in the cited guidance.
What a Windows reset does—and does not—establish
A reset changes the Windows installation and data on the device according to the options you select. Browser and Windows activity controls are separate, and account services can have their own records or privacy controls. The cited Microsoft instructions establish that these controls exist; they do not establish that resetting a PC deletes every service’s server-side retention.
Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft’s reset guidance. The reset instructions also apply to Windows 11, but Settings names and workflows can change with updates. For a regulated or high-assurance sanitization requirement, use an applicable standard-compliant process rather than treating a consumer reset option as proof of compliance.
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