Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Erase a Computer Before You Sell It

Mac and Windows document the account step in opposite orders, and the drive itself may already erase in seconds because it was encrypted the whole time
ApplicabilityAny Mac signed in to an Apple Account, and any Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer signed in to a Microsoft account, that is about to be sold, given away, donated or recycled. Written from Apple, Microsoft and NIST documentation read on 2026-08-04. Apple's Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings carries an Apple Published Date of May 13, 2026; What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac carries April 20, 2026; Activation Lock for Mac carries June 5, 2026. Microsoft's two support articles show no visible published date. NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 2 is dated September 2025 and is the current edition; Revision 1 was withdrawn on September 26, 2025 and is not cited here. The Erase a current Mac section applies to a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip, running macOS Monterey 12 or later. The Erase an older Mac section applies to any other Mac. The time estimate covers the current-Mac steps, the older-Mac steps and the Windows steps together; you will only do one Mac branch, and only one platform.
Task time1 hr 44 min to 3 hr 39 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-08-04
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Selling, donating or recycling a computer is two separate jobs, not one: taking your account off the machine, and making the data on the drive unreadable. Most people treat a factory reset as if it does both at once, and that assumption breaks in two different ways on two different platforms. Apple's own instructions build the Apple Account sign-out into the erase process on a current Mac, but require it as a separate step done first, before the erase, on an older Mac. Microsoft's own instructions do the opposite of what a Mac owner would expect: you reset the PC first, then remove it from your Microsoft account afterward, at account.microsoft.com/devices, not before.

This page also answers the question that brings a lot of sellers here: how many times do you need to wipe a hard drive, and is a tool like DBAN still necessary? The current answer, from NIST's own 2025 guidance, is that a fixed pass count is outdated thinking for a modern drive, and this page will not print one. What it gives instead is the sequence Apple and Microsoft each publish for their own erase feature, an honest account of what that feature does and does not guarantee about the drive, and where to stop and read NIST's own guidance or speak to the manufacturer if the sale needs a sanitization record beyond an ordinary consumer transaction like this one.

Safety

NOTICE

MAKE A BACKUP BEFORE THE ERASE.
The erase removes all the files from the computer. You cannot get the files again after the erase.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
The computer that changes handsDo the erase on the computer itself.
The password for the account on the computerApple and Microsoft can both ask for this password during the process.
A second deviceUse a second device to do a check of the account password.
A power supply for the computerConnect the computer to power for the full length of the erase.
Internet connectionThe computer needs a network connection to finish the setup after the erase.
The BitLocker recovery keyFind this key before you reset an encrypted Windows computer.

Prepare the computer before you erase it

Estimated 30 min to 1 hr 15 min

NOTEApple and Microsoft both put a backup before the erase. The erase is permanent.
  1. Make a backup of the computer.
    • The erase removes all the files from the computer.
    • Apple and Microsoft both give this instruction before the erase.
    10m
  2. Move your files to the new computer before you erase the old computer.
    15m
  3. Make a record of the account name that the computer uses.
    • Apple states that the erase assistant can ask for this password.
    • Microsoft states that you need this account to remove the computer from it later.
    2m
  4. Do a check of the account password on a second device.
    3m

Decide what the erase does to the drive

Estimated 2 min

NOTEA modern drive often already has encryption. The built-in erase feature is enough for an ordinary sale.
Whether the built-in Windows erase meets a government or an industry data erasure standard
Manufacturer or standard verified
NO. MICROSOFT STATES THAT ITS DATA ERASURE FUNCTION IS TARGETED AT CONSUMERS AND DOES NOT MEET A GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Source: Reset your PC · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

NIST guidance on multi-pass overwrite for the Clear sanitization method
Manufacturer or standard verified
NOT NEEDED. NIST STATES A MULTI-PASS OVERWRITE IS NOT NECESSARY, WHICH REPLACES THE OLDER GUIDANCE THAT DBAN AND SIMILAR TOOLS WERE BUILT AROUND.

Source: SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

Data erasure standard that the built-in Mac erase feature meets
Unverified — do not rely on this value
APPLE DOES NOT PUBLISH A DATA ERASURE STANDARD FOR ERASE ALL CONTENT AND SETTINGS. CONSULT THE DRIVE MANUFACTURER FOR A CERTIFIED SANITIZE COMMAND.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Do a check of the drive on the computer for encryption.
    • FileVault is the Apple name for full-disk encryption on a Mac.
    • Device encryption or BitLocker is the Microsoft name for full-disk encryption on a Windows computer.
    2m
NOTICE

DO NOT USE A TOOL THAT PROMISES A FIXED NUMBER OF OVERWRITE PASSES.
NIST states that a multiple-pass overwrite is not necessary for a modern drive.

  1. Use the built-in erase or reset feature for an ordinary sale or a donation.
    • Microsoft states that its erase feature is for consumers, not a certified standard.
    • This page does not print a pass count for that reason.
    <1m

Erase a current Mac

Estimated 8 min to 18 min

NOTEUse this section on a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip. The Mac must run macOS Monterey 12 or a later version.
Mac hardware and macOS version needed for Erase All Content and Settings
Manufacturer or standard verified
Mac with Apple silicon or a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip, running macOS Monterey 12 or later

Source: Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

  1. Open the Apple menu on the Mac.
    <1m
  2. Select System Settings.
    • macOS Monterey 12 shows System Preferences instead of System Settings.
    <1m
  3. Select General in the sidebar.
    <1m
  4. Select Transfer or Reset.
    <1m
  5. Select Erase All Content and Settings.
    • Apple gives this feature only on a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip.
    • Apple also requires macOS Monterey 12 or a later version for this feature.
    <1m
  6. Type the administrator password for the Mac when the erase assistant asks for it.
    <1m
  7. Read the summary of the settings, the media and the data that the erase removes.
    <1m
  8. Select Continue.
    <1m
NOTICE

TYPE YOUR APPLE ACCOUNT PASSWORD IF THE ERASE ASSISTANT ASKS FOR A SIGN-OUT.
Apple states that this password is necessary to release Activation Lock on the Mac.

  1. Type your Apple Account password if the erase assistant asks for a sign-out.
    <1m
  2. Select the Erase All Content & Settings button to complete the erase.
    <1m
  3. Wait while the Mac restarts and finishes the erase.
    • The Mac can ask to connect to a Wi-Fi network during the restart.
    • Apple states that a setup assistant starts, as for a new Mac.
    5m

Erase an older Mac

Estimated 40 min to 1 hr 10 min

NOTEUse this section on a Mac without the Erase All Content and Settings feature.
NOTICE

COMPLETE THE ITUNES, ICLOUD AND IMESSAGE SIGN-OUT STEPS BEFORE YOU ERASE AN OLDER MAC.
Apple puts these steps before the erase step for a Mac without Erase All Content and Settings.

  1. Open iTunes on an older Mac.
    • Skip this step and the next step on macOS Catalina 10.15 or a later version.
    <1m
  2. Select Deauthorize This Computer in the Account menu of iTunes.
    • Select Authorizations first in that menu.
    • Type your Apple Account information when iTunes asks for it.
    1m
  3. Select your name in System Settings, or select Apple ID in System Preferences.
    <1m
  4. Select Sign Out.
    <1m
  5. Keep a copy of the iCloud data on the Mac when asked.
    • Apple states that this choice is faster, because the erase step removes the data later.
    <1m
  6. Open the Messages app.
    <1m
  7. Select Settings in the Messages menu.
    • Select Preferences instead of Settings on an older version of the app.
    • Then select the iMessage tab.
    <1m
  8. Select Sign Out.
    <1m
  9. Start the Mac from macOS Recovery.
    1m
  10. Use Disk Utility to erase the Mac from Recovery.
    5m
  11. Reinstall macOS from Recovery.
    30m
  12. Press Command-Q before the setup assistant starts.
    • Command-Q stops the Mac and leaves it in an out-of-box state for the new owner.
    <1m
  13. Reset NVRAM on a Mac with an Intel processor.
    • Apple gives this step only for a Mac with an Intel processor.
    • This step restarts the Mac to the setup assistant again.
    1m

Erase a Windows computer

Estimated 20 min to 50 min

NOTEMicrosoft puts the account removal after the reset, not before.
What the Clean data option does in a Windows reset
Manufacturer or standard verified
Removes files and cleans the drive, so a removed file is harder for another person to recover

Source: Reset your PC · tier 1 · accessed 2026-08-04

NOTICE

FIND YOUR BITLOCKER RECOVERY KEY BEFORE YOU RESET AN ENCRYPTED COMPUTER.
Microsoft states that this key is necessary to complete the reset on an encrypted device.

  1. Open the Settings app on the Windows computer.
    <1m
  2. Select System in Settings.
    • Then select Recovery.
    <1m
  3. Select Get started under Reset this PC.
    <1m
  4. Select Remove everything.
    • Microsoft states that this option is for a sale or a gift of the computer.
    <1m
NOTICE

SELECT CLEAN DATA IF THE COMPUTER LEAVES YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
Microsoft states that this option cleans the drive and makes a removed file harder for another person to recover.

  1. Select Clean data.
    <1m
  2. Select Cloud download or Local reinstall.
    • Cloud download gives the newest version of Windows.
    • Local reinstall is faster with a slow internet connection.
    <1m
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the reset.
    <1m
NOTICE

DO NOT RESTART THE COMPUTER DURING THE RESET.
Microsoft states that a manual restart during this step can make the reset fail.

  1. Wait for the computer to restart and finish the reset.
    • Microsoft states that the screen can stay black for up to 15 minutes during this step.
    15m
  2. Open the Microsoft account device page in a web browser.
    <1m
  3. Type your Microsoft account information.
    <1m
  4. Find the computer in the device list.
    <1m
  5. Select Show details for the computer.
    <1m
  6. Select More actions.
    • Then select Remove.
    <1m
  7. Select the box that says you are ready to remove the device.
    <1m
  8. Select Remove to complete the removal.
    <1m

Do a check on the erased computer

Estimated 4 min

NOTEThe first screen after the erase or the reset shows if the computer is clear.
  1. Start the computer after the erase or the reset.
    1m
  2. Read the first screen.
    • Apple states that a setup assistant starts when a Mac erase is complete.
    • A Windows computer shows the first-time setup screens when a reset is complete.
    1m
  3. A Mac can ask for a previous Apple Account after the erase.
    • Speak to the previous owner about the sign-out steps.
    1m
  4. Examine the first-time setup screens on the Windows computer for a sign-in request.
    1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

factory reset
Also called: hard reset, wipe the computer, wipe my laptop, erase all data, factory reset laptop before selling, factory reset enough to sell laptop
Erase All Content and Settings
Also called: erase this mac, reset mac to factory settings, wipe my macbook, erase macbook for new owner
Activation Lock
Also called: find my mac lock, mac locked to owner, icloud lock on a mac, sign out before selling mac
Apple Account
Also called: Apple ID, apple id account, icloud account
Remove everything
Also called: reset this pc, factory reset windows, wipe hard drive before selling, remove my account from laptop
Clean data
Also called: fully clean the drive, secure wipe windows pc, wipe laptop before donating, erase laptop before donating
media sanitization
Also called: dban, how many passes to erase a drive, secure erase a hard drive, cryptographic erase

When to use a professional

Stop if a Mac asks for a previous Apple Account after the erase. Activation Lock is still on. Speak to the previous owner about the sign-out steps.

Stop if you cannot find the Apple Account password or the Microsoft account password. Apple and Microsoft both refuse the erase without it. Speak to Apple Support or to Microsoft Support about account recovery.

Stop if you cannot find the BitLocker recovery key for an encrypted Windows computer. Speak to Microsoft Support about the key.

Stop if the computer is a company computer or a school computer. An administrator controls the erase on a managed computer. Speak to your administrator.

Stop if the sale needs a sanitization record beyond an ordinary consumer sale. Read NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 2. Speak to the drive manufacturer about a certified sanitize command.

Common questions

Do I need to sign out of my Apple ID before I erase my Mac?

It depends on the Mac. On a current Mac — Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip, running macOS Monterey 12 or later — Apple's own Erase All Content and Settings assistant handles the sign-out itself, asking for your Apple Account password partway through the wizard. On an older Mac, Apple's documented order is different and matters: sign out of iTunes, then iCloud, then iMessage, and only then erase the Mac from Recovery. Doing it in the wrong order on an older Mac is how a Mac ends up locked to an account the new owner cannot reach.

Does resetting my Windows PC automatically remove it from my Microsoft account?

No, and this catches people out because it works the opposite way to Apple's process. Microsoft's support article puts the reset first — Remove everything, with Clean data selected — and only afterward has you go to account.microsoft.com/devices to remove the PC from your Microsoft account by hand. Nothing in Microsoft's documentation says a PC left signed in after a reset gets locked the way an iPhone or a Mac can with Activation Lock; it reads as a privacy step, not one that blocks the new owner. Do it anyway, right after the reset.

How many times do I need to wipe a hard drive before selling it? Is a tool like DBAN still necessary?

According to NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 2, no, and that is a real change from older guidance. NIST states that hard drives were once erased with multiple overwrite passes, from a single pass up to as many as 39, and that for some modern drives this achieves very little added confidentiality protection. The 2025 revision is explicit that the standard Clear method no longer needs a multi-pass overwrite — the tradition DBAN was built around. For an ordinary sale or donation, this page has you use the erase or reset feature already built into your Mac or your Windows PC, and it does not print a pass count.

What's the difference between a drive that erases in seconds and one that takes hours?

It usually comes down to encryption. Many current Macs and Windows PCs encrypt the drive already, and on an encrypted drive the built-in erase or reset feature can destroy the encryption key rather than overwrite every stored block — NIST calls this cryptographic erase, and it is fast because the data becomes unreadable the moment the key is gone. A drive with no encryption has no key to destroy, so a full erase works through every block, which takes far longer. Either way, this page has you use the manufacturer's own feature, because it already knows which situation your drive is in.

Will a factory reset meet government or business data-destruction requirements?

Microsoft says no, in its own words: its data erasure function is targeted at consumers and does not meet government and industry data erasure standards. Apple makes no equivalent claim either way for its Mac erase feature — none turned up in Apple's documentation, and this page will not invent one. If the disposal needs a certified sanitization record, read NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 2 and speak to the drive manufacturer about a proper sanitize command, rather than relying on the consumer erase feature alone.

My Mac is too old for Erase All Content and Settings — what do I do?

Apple's own instructions give a several-part sequence, and the order is not optional: sign out of iTunes if the Mac predates macOS Catalina 10.15, sign out of iCloud, sign out of iMessage, then start the Mac from macOS Recovery and use Disk Utility to erase it before you reinstall macOS. Signing out first matters, because a Mac erased while still signed in to iCloud can stay tied to that Apple Account afterward. This page gives the full sequence, in Apple's own order, in the Erase an older Mac section.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settingsApple Inc. · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  2. Tier 1What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your MacApple Inc. · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  3. Tier 1Activation Lock for MacApple Inc. · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  4. Tier 1Before you recycle, sell, or gift your Xbox or Windows PCMicrosoft · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  5. Tier 1Reset your PCMicrosoft · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31
  6. Tier 1SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media SanitizationNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce · accessed 2026-08-04 · re-verification due 2027-01-31

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04

  1. v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Built from Apple, Microsoft and NIST documentation read by direct HTTPS fetch on 2026-08-04, no competitor or aggregator page opened: Apple 'Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings' (support.apple.com/en-us/102664, Published Date May 13, 2026), 'What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac' (support.apple.com/en-us/102773, April 20, 2026) and 'Activation Lock for Mac' (support.apple.com/en-us/102541, June 5, 2026); Microsoft 'Before you recycle, sell, or gift your Xbox or Windows PC' and 'Reset your PC', neither dated; and NIST SP 800-88 Revision 2, 'Guidelines for Media Sanitization' (September 2025, Final), read from the full PDF at the DOI on the CSRC citation page. Merges the backlog candidate 'erase-a-drive-before-a-computer-leaves-the-house' under rule 7, so this record also owns the media-sanitization question and deliberately prints no overwrite-pass count: NIST's 2025 revision states the multi-pass tradition DBAN was built around is not necessary for a modern drive. Windows' documented order (reset first, remove the device from the account afterward) is the opposite of Apple's; each vendor's own stated order is followed rather than forcing one symmetric sequence. No specification claims either vendor's consumer erase meets a government or industry sanitization standard; Microsoft states it does not, Apple makes no claim either way, and neither is invented here.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.