This is the time of year when PC makers offer irresistible deals on new hardware. If you've taken advantage of a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal[1] to replace your old Windows PC with a shiny new model, congratulations! So, what are you planning to do with that old, not yet obsolete device?
You might be planning to hand it down to a family member or reassign it to another employee in your small business. Maybe you're going to donate it to a local charity or put it up for sale.
Whichever option you choose, your top two priorities should be safely expunging your personal data from the old device and restoring its operating system so the new owner can be productive right away. And as with all things Windows, there are multiple ways to accomplish this goal.
In this post, I'll outline the three best alternatives you have, with some thoughts on when you should choose each one. (Spoiler: The most important question is who you're planning to give that PC to.)
But first, a few things you should do before you begin resetting that old PC.
See also: Buy the laptop best for you: Windows 10 or MacOS, plus 10 more things to consider[2]
Before you start
If you're still waiting for your new PC to complete its journey from the factory to your home or office, you can put the interregnum to good use by making sure you've saved what needs to be saved from your old PC and then getting it ready for its new owner.
First, take an inventory of your legacy software (older Windows desktop apps that are not available from the Microsoft Store), and make sure you have any activation codes or installer files you'll need to reinstall