How to delete EVERYTHING on a HP laptop to factory settings?

So my method is going to involve a few extra steps but that's to ensure that all of your friend's info is secured. Factory reset won't fully wipe the drive. The data like passwords and whatnot will still be in the computer until the person who buys the PC ends up overwriting that old data (your friend's information) by using it. The good news is, the average consumer wouldn't begin to know how to access that hidden data- but if your friend sold the laptop to someone who knew how to access it, he would be screwed- hence the need for extra steps.

1. So your friend needs to remove everything off the computer. Uninstall any web browsers that is not Microsoft Edge and any programs he may have used that involved putting in a username and password.

2. Download and install a program called "Ccleaner"

3. Open it up and select "Tools" and then "Drive Wiper"

4. Make sure in the Wipe option, "Free Space Only" is selected. DO NOT do entire drive or it will get rid of the operating system!

5. Under Security, select "Advance Overwrite (3 passes)"

What that is going to do is it will now make all of that super personal data inaccessible. I recommend you check out LinusTechTips on YouTube and find a video where he talks about hard drive, it's really hard for me to explain. Basically the data despite being removed from a reset or anything is still there but is waiting to be written over- but until it is written over, there is a chance you can still access those files. Hence the need for us to use Ccleaner.

Now to factory reset:

1. Swipe or put your cursor in right edge of screen, tap/click Settings, and then tap/click Change PC Settings.

2. Tap or click Update and Recovery, and then tap/click Recovery

3. Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, tap or click Get Started.

After that, just follow the instructions on the screen. Good luck!

(PS, the Ccleaner steps you don't have to do, but I would recommend you do it anyway if you are selling it to another person.)

go on the search bar and type "system restore"