Question Clean Windows install on a reformatted HDD - - - how did it know my login before I entered anything ?

[a_nameless_man]

Acer Aspire A315-51 Laptop

I formatted a hard drive that was in my PC to remove all data, and prep the HDD for a clean fresh install of
Windows 11 Home so I could sell the PC. The OS was installed by way of a flash drive. I made sure the PC was disconnected from the internet.

After the installation was complete, Windows knew the name I had given my PC previously, and even kept my local log in info. How did it know my info after a clean install on a fully reformatted HDD ?

This is scary seeing as how I refurb and sell computers. I used Gparted in Linux Zorin to reformat the HDD. This isn't the first time I've done this to a PC but It's the first time it seemed to already know my info.

 

[Lutfij]

I used Gparted in Linux Zorin to reformat the HD.
If you did use a recreated bootable USB installer for your OS, you should've seen a window where you select which drive to install the OS onto. If you have only one physical drive hooked up to the laptop, then you should be able to remove all partitions to wipe your slate clean.

 

[a_nameless_man]

I used Gparted in Linux Zorin to reformat the HD.
If you did use a recreated bootable USB installer for your OS, you should've seen a window where you select which drive to install the OS onto. If you have only one physical drive hooked up to the laptop, then you should be able to remove all partitions to wipe your slate clean.

That is exactly what I did. This isn't my first time doing this. There's only one drive in this laptop and it was fully wiped clean using Gparted. I used Zorin OS to create the Win 11 USB installer prior to wiping the HD. That PC has a totally different login from the laptop I updated with Win 11. I am clueless how it picked up my original login and computer name with a clean install on a freshly wiped HD. It preset this info before I connected to the internet to do updates. I usually do a generic login on a computer I plan to sell. This one won't let me. I may have to recreate the bootable USB flashdrive and wipe the HD again.

 

[U6b36ef]

Not sure but one idea might be Microsoft syncing. .... I know you can sinc your favourites and some other stuff across PCs. ... Does it do PC name as well, I do not know myself?

Solution might be what the person said above, but am too tired to try and understand it. Just put in my idea, on the slightest chance it might help.

 

[a_nameless_man]

Not sure but one idea might be Microsoft syncing. .... I know you can sinc your favourites and some other stuff across PCs. ... Does it do PC name as well, I do not know myself?

Solution might be what the person said above, but am too tired to try and understand it. Just put in my idea, on the slightest chance it might help.

Yes, it knows the PC name and my login. I don't have anything synced between devices. I asked a local pro, and he said it may have been something caught in memory for fast boot. I do know that my A315-51 had that option. I thought it was part of the OE install and would have been removed when I did a clean install of Win 10 several years ago. Maybe it held the info in memory some how, and when I installed Win 11, it used that info for the fresh install. I'm only guessing on that.

 

[ubuysa]

If you use a Microsoft account then it does sync.

 

[a_nameless_man]

If you use a Microsoft account then it does sync.

I do not and will not have a Microsoft account. I also was not connected to the internet before, during, or after the Windows 11 install.