Erasing a Hard Drive

> Meetinghouse Technology > Computers

When a clerk computer reaches the end of its replacement cycle (usually every five years), the technology specialist is required to erase the hard drive before the machine is disposed of by the facilities management group (FMG). The easiest way to reset the PC is to use the tools already built into Windows.

STEP 1

Turn on the PC and log in to Windows.

STEP 2

Right-click the Start menu and click settings.

STEP 3 Windows 10

Click Update & Security.

STEP 3 Windows 11

Click System.

STEP 4 Windows 10

Click Recovery.

STEP 4 Windows 11

Click Recovery.

STEP 5

Under “Reset this PC,” click Get started.

STEP 6

Select Remove everything.

STEP 7

If you are simply reimaging for reuse or repurposing the machine for additional internal Church use, click next. If you are shipping it off for disposal, click Change settings and toggle the option to On for data erasure, then click Confirm.

STEP 8

Once you click Next, you will receive one final prompt that summarizes what you have requested and asks you to confirm. Click Reset to start the reset process.

STEP 9

After you confirm and click Reset, it will say “Preparing to reset this PC. It will restart automatically.” You will also see a percentage. Once the PC has finished preparing and reaches 100%, it will reboot the machine and start the reset process. The reset process can take anywhere from 25 minutes to a few hours, depending on the options you have chosen. You should see a progress percentage upon reboot; once it reaches 100%, the reset is complete, and the computer is wiped and ready for reuse or surplus.