Windows laptop:
Prepare to set up
This course is for anyone who has been given a pre-owned Windows laptop computer. This step-by-step guide shows you how to delete the previous owner’s settings so you can safely set up your computer for your own use. If you have a brand-new Windows laptop computer, you can skip this course and move on to the Windows laptop: Set up course.
Sign in to save your progress
Transcript
Welcome to the Windows laptop Prepare to set up course. A preowned Windows laptop is one that has been permanently passed on to you by a family member or friend. You'll need that person to help you complete some of the steps in this video, so make sure they're close by when you're ready to begin.
A Windows laptop computer is a personal computer. It's also sometimes called a Windows PC or a PC. Windows laptops combine the computer, along with a screen, keyboard, and a built-in mouse, known as a track pad, all in a single device. For this demonstration we'll use a mouse, so check that it's properly connected to your laptop before you begin this course. You might like to ask a family member or a friend to help you with this.
To follow along with this demonstration, your Windows computer must have the latest edition of Windows, which is Windows 10. Windows 10 is the operating software that makes your computer work and provides good security. It works on most Windows computers from 2015, and may work on some older computers. All Windows 10 computers work in a similar way, but each computer maker does things a little differently and Windows 10 is also being updated all the time. That means some of the screens in this video might appear a bit different, or in a different order, to those on your computer. Don't worry though, you should still be able to follow along.
It should take just over an hour to complete all the steps on your computer and watch the video. You should carry out all the steps in one sitting, because, if you take a break, the reset process may stop, and you'll need to start over. You can, however, pause or rewind the video at any time to check any steps you're unsure about.
Before you start enjoying your computer, you'll need to prepare it for use by doing what is known as a reset. This wipes the computer's memory, so it thinks it's a brand new computer, and makes it ready for setting up. It's important to only reset a computer that belongs to you, not one that you've borrowed. A Reset erases all the previous owner's applications, accounts and passwords, so you can safely use the computer. And, of course, you should reset your computer to protect your security and privacy if you plan to pass it on to someone else in the future.
Before you start the reset, make sure your Windows laptop is: installed with Windows 10, plugged into mains power, properly connected to a mouse, and switched on. Because your computer is switched on, it should be showing something on the monitor. If the screen is black, your computer might have gone to sleep. Gently press the space bar on the keyboard once to wake up the computer. If nothing happens, briefly press the power button to turn your computer on. If the screen asks you to choose a language, your pre-owned Windows laptop is already reset and prepared for setting up. That means you can close this video and go to the Windows laptop: Set up course to finish setting up your computer.
On the other hand, if you see a sign in screen, you'll need to reset the computer, and this video shows you how to do this, step-by-step. To sign in, you'll need the previous owner's password or PIN, so make sure that person is standing by to help with this. Without their password or PIN you won't be able to reset the computer.
Remember it's good practise never to share PINs or passwords with others, so ask the previous owner to enter theirs onto the sign in screen for you. Once the computer is fully reset, their password or PIN will be erased and you'll be able to create your own password or PIN to keep your computer and your information secure.
Great! So now that the computer is successfully signed in, the first thing you'll see on the monitor is a screen with icons for files, programmes and other features on your computer. This screen is known as the desktop, and you'll see this each time you sign in. From here, we are going to look at the settings options.
Click on the Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen. The start menu will pop up. Just above the Start button, you'll see an icon that looks like a cogwheel. This is the Windows Settings icon. Go ahead and click it now.
Now you'll see Windows Settings. Look through the options until you see Update & Security. Then click on it. The Update & Security menu opens. In the menu on the left click Recovery. The right side of the screen changes to show the Recovery options. You should now see Reset this PC at the top. Under Reset this PC, you'll see that your computer provides some information, letting you know that you can keep personal files or remove them. We'll be removing the previous owner's personal files, so go ahead and click on Get Started. A solid blue box means you should carefully check what action you're about to take. In this case, you'll be permanently erasing files and information. Your computer now wants to be sure that it's okay to remove all the previous owner's personal information, files and applications. When you're ready, click on Remove everything, and your computer will say it's getting things ready. This will take about a minute, so stay by the computer for now.
After a short moment, the information will change to show Additional settings. Now, click on Change settings. Next, you'll see an option called Data erasure which is currently switched off. Data erasure deletes all the previous owner's data, information and applications. This is the most secure way to reset a pre-owned computer. Click on the switch to turn Data erasure on. Then click on Confirm to continue with the reset.
There are a few more steps to go, so your computer won't start erasing data right away. If your computer had an earlier edition of Windows installed you may see a message asking about a previous Windows installation. You can ignore this and just click Next to keep going with the reset. After a moment, you'll see Ready to reset this PC. This is the previous owner's very last chance to backup any files or photos, so if they are close by and ready for you to proceed, click Reset now.
The Reset may take the computer around 30 to 60 minutes to complete, depending on how much data and software has to be erased. You don't have to do anything during this process, so it's a good time to thank the previous owner for their help and take a well-earned break. You can come back to your computer to check on its progress at any time during the reset. A percentage on the screen will show how close each stage of the reset is to finishing.
During the reset your computer will show a number of different screens. First, you'll see the Preparing to reset screen. Next, your computer may restart several times. Finally, you'll see either a black screen that shows the Windows logo, a screen with the name of the computer maker, or just a plain black screen. All these screens are a normal part of the reset process.
Once you see a screen asking you to select a language, your laptop is reset and is ready to set up. Congratulations! You're now prepared for the next step. When you're ready, watch the Windows laptop: Set up course to finish setting up your laptop.