Microsoft confirms a reset issue that can leave data on Windows 10 and 11 devices

A few days ago, Microsoft MVP Rudy Ooms discovered that the latest versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 would leave user data behind during wipe operations.

Windows administrators may have various reasons for resetting and wiping devices: Devices may be ready for use by the same or another user, or they may be sold or rented. Clear all data ensures that user data from previous users cannot be recovered. While there are other means, it comes to mind using encryption, reset and wipe using the built-in functionality is a simple way to prepare a device for use.

Microsoft confirmed the issue on the Windows 11 release status dashboard and revealed insights into the cause.

When trying to reset a Windows device with apps that have folders with analytics data, such as OneDrive or OneDrive for Business, files that have been downloaded or synced locally from OneDrive may not be deleted when selecting the “Delete all” option.

According to Microsoft, data can be left behind on devices with OneDrive or OneDrive for Business data. Microsoft notes that this affects only local data and not data that is displayed as a placeholder only on the local system.

Administrators may notice the issue by running local or remote resets on affected devices. Microsoft is working on a resolution at the time of this writing. The company posted two fixes for the problem, one of which uses the same method that Ooms suggested earlier this week.

1. Signing out of OneDrive or OneDrive for Business, or unlinking OneDrive before restarting, prevents the issue. There is a support page available that explains the process.
2. After performing a reboot on a device, deleting the windows.old folder will also remove any remnants of data that should not have survived the reboot operation.

closing words

It is always a good idea to scan systems after performing reset or wipe operations to ensure that no data is left behind after the operations are complete. Most Windows administrators who have performed reset operations on affected Windows 10 or 11 devices may not even realize that data may have been left behind due to the issue.

Now you: How do you reset/wipe your devices?

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