The right order matters
Most "prepare your PC to sell" advice lists the right steps in the wrong order. The one that bites people: if a buyer prices your machine by scanning it — like we do — get your offer before you factory reset. The scan needs a working Windows install to read the hardware. Reset first and you'll be setting Windows back up just to run it. The right sequence is: back up → get your offer → accept → then wipe.
1. Back up everything you want to keep
To an external drive, another computer, or cloud storage. The commonly-forgotten items:
- Documents, photos, and anything on the Desktop and in Downloads
- Browser data — export bookmarks and saved passwords (or confirm they're synced to your account)
- Game saves that aren't cloud-synced, and any local project files
- Two-factor recovery codes or authenticator backups stored on the machine
- Anything living only in local email folders
2. Sign out and release licenses
A factory reset removes your accounts from the machine, but a few services count devices and should be released from your side first: deauthorize apps that limit activations (some audio/creative software), sign out of streaming and game launchers, and if the PC is joined to a work account, disconnect it. Check that your Microsoft account's device list no longer needs this machine after you're done.
3. Get your number
However you're selling: know what the machine is worth before you talk to any buyer — it's the difference between negotiating and being told. Our take on valuation is in how much is my gaming PC worth?; if you're in the Columbus area, the free app turns the question into an itemized cash offer in seconds, with no obligation.
4. Factory reset — properly
Once you've accepted an offer (or listed the machine), wipe it: Settings → Reset this PC → Remove everything, with Clean data switched on so the drive is scrubbed, not just cleared. Leave it plugged in; it takes a while and restarts several times. The illustrated version for Windows 11 and 10 is at our Windows reset guide — and if you're not comfortable doing it yourself, say so; we can help reset it at pickup.
5. Physical once-over
- Dust it gently — compressed air through the vents and filters. Don't open the case up for deep cleaning right before a sale; a slipped cable helps nobody.
- Round up what belongs to it: the power cable at minimum; Wi-Fi antennas, original boxes and unused accessories if you have them.
- Leave the parts alone. If you were quoted on the scanned hardware, the machine that's handed over has to match it — swapping a part after the scan changes the deal for any buyer, ours included.
The short version
- Back up
- Sign out / release licenses
- Get your offer (scan happens here — before the wipe)
- Reset Windows with "Remove everything" + "Clean data"
- Dust, gather cables, hand it over as scanned
Worried about the handover itself? Read is it safe to sell a used PC?