How to Wipe Clipboard Data Before Selling a PC

Resetting the PC with Remove everything wipes its clipboard history, pinned items and any clipboard manager's data, because it removes all personal files, apps and settings. Turn on Clean data during the reset so removed files are harder to recover. Before you reset, clear the clipboard's cloud copy and unlink your phone, because the reset only cleans the PC you're selling, not your account or your other devices.

The short version

1. Turn off clipboard sync and select Clear clipboard data (this also clears the cloud copy).
2. Unlink your phone from Phone Link.
3. Back up the files you want to keep.
4. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC, choose Remove everything, and turn on Clean data.
5. After the reset, remove the PC from your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/devices.

What the reset removes and what it doesn't

Step 1: Clear the cloud copy and stop syncing

If you ever turned on clipboard sync, text you copied may have gone to Microsoft's cloud and to your other devices. Clear it while you're still signed in:

1. Open Settings > System > Clipboard.
2. Turn off Clipboard history across your devices (on Windows 10, Sync across devices).
3. Next to Clear clipboard data, select Clear. Microsoft says this clears everything on the device and in the cloud except pinned items.
4. Press Win+V and delete any pinned items you don't want kept elsewhere.

How to disable Windows clipboard cloud sync covers sync in more detail. If someone else shares the same Microsoft account on another PC, read can shared Microsoft accounts leak your clipboard? before you assume the cloud is clean.

Step 2: Unlink your phone and keyboard apps

A phone paired through Phone Link can share its clipboard with the PC. Turn off clipboard sharing and remove the phone from Phone Link. Phone Link clipboard access: a privacy checklist shows where the settings are.

If you use SwiftKey with clipboard sync to Windows, turn that off in SwiftKey too. Do SwiftKey and Gboard cloud clipboards reach Windows? explains how that sync works.

Step 3: Back up, then reset with Clean data

Clipboard history isn't a backup. Anything you need from it (a pinned address, a saved snippet) has to go into a file or a note first.

1. Back up the files you want to keep, for example with Windows Backup or to an external drive.
2. Open Settings > System > Recovery.
3. Next to Reset this PC, select Reset PC.
4. Choose Remove everything.
5. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall. Either works for a sale.
6. In the reset settings, turn on Clean data.
7. Confirm and start the reset.

Microsoft recommends Clean data if you plan to sell, donate or recycle the PC. It takes longer, but it makes it harder for anyone to recover the files you removed. Keep my files is the wrong option for a sale.

On Windows 10, the same option is under Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get started.

Step 4: Remove the PC from your Microsoft account

Once the reset is done:

1. Go to account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in.
2. Find the PC, select Show details, then More actions > Remove.
3. Confirm the removal.

This step is from Microsoft's "Before you recycle, sell, or gift" guidance. It stops the old PC counting as one of your devices.

Step 5: Check the devices you're keeping

The reset doesn't touch your other PCs. If they used clipboard sync with the PC you sold, open Win+V on each one and delete anything you don't want there. Unpinned items clear on their next restart anyway; pinned items don't, so check those by hand. How to clear clipboard history on Windows 11 has the steps.

If you're giving the PC away without a reset

A reset is the only reliable way to hand over a PC. If you're only passing it to someone in your household under a new user account, at least:

1. Select Clear clipboard data and delete every pinned item in Win+V.
2. Turn off Clipboard history if the new user won't use it.
3. Open each clipboard manager you installed, clear its history, then uninstall it. Some apps leave their data folder behind after uninstalling, so check your user profile for a leftover folder with the app's name.

For Edge Drop, the GitHub build stores its data in %APPDATA%\Edge-Drop. Where Edge Drop stores data on disk lists every file, and how to uninstall Edge Drop cleanly covers removing the folder.

FAQ

Does Reset this PC delete clipboard history?

Yes. Remove everything reinstalls Windows and removes your personal files, apps and settings, and the clipboard history goes with them. Keep my files also removes your apps and settings, but don't use it for a sale.

Does Clear all in Win+V remove pinned items?

No. Clearing history keeps pinned items. Delete each pin from its See more (...) menu.

Is a reset enough for a work or medical PC?

Follow your organization's device disposal procedure instead. Regulated data usually needs a documented sanitization process. Clipboard rules for HIPAA and PCI covers how such PCs should handle the clipboard while they're in use.

Related reading

• How to Clear Clipboard History on Windows 11
• Does Windows Clipboard Sync Upload What You Copy?
• Can Shared Microsoft Accounts Leak Your Clipboard?
• How to Disable Windows Clipboard Cloud Sync

Sources

• Reset your PC (Microsoft Support) — Remove everything, Clean data, cloud download and local reinstall.
• Before you recycle, sell, or gift your Xbox or Windows PC (Microsoft Support) — back up, reset, and remove the device from your Microsoft account.
• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — Clear clipboard data clears the device and cloud except pinned items; sync settings.

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