Wiping your Windows laptop? Here's the simplest way to erase all personal data

When you replace your old but still functional Windows PC with a shiny new model, you have several options for that gently used device. You can give it away to a friend or family member. You can donate it to a charitable organization like Goodwill (which partners with Dell Reconnect). You can even trade it in for credit or sell it on a third-party site like Swappa or Back Market. 

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Whichever course of action you take, though, your most important task is to permanently delete all your personal files from that PC before you pass it along. With a desktop PC, that might be as easy as swapping out the system drive for a new one. But that's usually not an option with a laptop, where replacing storage can be impossible or prohibitively ...