Delete only Account Windows 10

Goooner

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Just bought a new pc and want to sell my old one.

It's running Win 10, I tried to make a recovery USB stick but it says it can't as there are files missing.

It was an original Vista install that got upgraded over the years, eventually up to 10. I've still got a sticker on the side of the machine with the original Vista product key.

I tried to just deleted the account, it's the only one and it's Administrator and the option to change to a standard account is greyed out.

I could just reformat the whole thing and sell it without an OS, but that would presumably make it less attractive to any potential buyer.

Any ideas?
 
You always need at least an admin account on a windows 10 PC. So you could set up another admin account and then remove the original one.

However, unless you wipe the hard drive (Easy Steps on How to Wipe a Computer Hard Drive), your files will be recoverable. How happy are you with potentially providing some low life with a means to steal your personal information?

Personally, I'd wipe the HD & reinstall windows 10 using the media creation tool.

And in either case, if the windows 10 install is personally reisterered to me (on the last (re)install of windows 10 I did in April 2020, I had to create a windows live account to complete the install), I'd forget that and install Linux (Mint or Ubuntu) on the PC instead - that way any purchaser could at least know the computer was working. And if they really wanted windows 10 they could probably find a means to get a cheap key.
 
The normal way with Windows 8 and Above is to trigger the reset function under Settings>Updates and Security>Recovery. That'll give you the option to perform a secure wipe and leave it with a fresh OS.
 
Personally, I just wipe the HDD, run a Windows10 Installation and boot into Audit Mode. At the OOBE Screen press CTRL-Shift-F3 and complete the installation adding Driver etc.

When you pass on the computer the buyer will now boot back to the OOBE Screen and complete Registration.
 
Personally, I just wipe the HDD, run a Windows10 Installation and boot into Audit Mode. At the OOBE Screen press CTRL-Shift-F3 and complete the installation adding Driver etc.

When you pass on the computer the buyer will now boot back to the OOBE Screen and complete Registration.

For sure the better way as it then allows the new user to interact and set the OS up with their personal stamp.
 

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