[SOLVED] How to install W10 on a PC for resale?

box o rocks

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I'd like to (re)install Win 10 Home on my PC for re-selling. I'd like to quit the install after it re-boots and reaches the beginning of the actual set-up part. The part where the screen lists countries and asks "Let's Start with Region. Is this right?" But if I stop there and shut down, unplug the power supply, come back later, and hook it back up and re-boot (like a new owner would do), it sometimes thinks there is an error and begins troubleshooting. What am I doing wrong?

If you need more info, let me know. I didn't want to fill the post with unneeded words.
 
Solution
I'd like to (re)install Win 10 Home on my PC for re-selling. I'd like to quit the install after it re-boots and reaches the beginning of the actual set-up part. The part where the screen lists countries and asks "Let's Start with Region. Is this right?" But if I stop there and shut down, unplug the power supply, come back later, and hook it back up and re-boot (like a new owner would do), it sometimes thinks there is an error and begins troubleshooting. What am I doing wrong?

If you need more info, let me know. I didn't want to fill the post with unneeded words.
To avoid that use Windows 10 Reset this PC.
Click the Remove everything button.
Click the Change settings option.
Turn on the Data...
I'd like to (re)install Win 10 Home on my PC for re-selling. I'd like to quit the install after it re-boots and reaches the beginning of the actual set-up part. The part where the screen lists countries and asks "Let's Start with Region. Is this right?" But if I stop there and shut down, unplug the power supply, come back later, and hook it back up and re-boot (like a new owner would do), it sometimes thinks there is an error and begins troubleshooting. What am I doing wrong?

If you need more info, let me know. I didn't want to fill the post with unneeded words.
To avoid that use Windows 10 Reset this PC.
Click the Remove everything button.
Click the Change settings option.
Turn on the Data erasure.
Once the reset is complete, it's not necessary to continue with the "out-of-box experience (OOBE)" .... this is the setup part for the next owner.
 
Solution

box o rocks

Distinguished
Apr 9, 2012
748
10
18,985
To avoid that use Windows 10 Reset this PC.
Click the Remove everything button.
Click the Change settings option.
Turn on the Data erasure.
Once the reset is complete, it's not necessary to continue with the "out-of-box experience (OOBE)" .... this is the setup part for the next owner.
Thanks. I'll try that. But what is the difference doing it that way or just installing to a new empty hard drive?
 
Thanks. I'll try that. But what is the difference doing it that way or just installing to a new empty hard drive?
The difference: You won't see the troubleshooting appears.

If you are installing Windows 10 on a new hard drive, you could power off when you see the "out-of-box experience (OOBE)" screen and Cortana makes her first appearance.
Do not turn it back on.

The troubleshooting begins because you are turning off and on more than twice.
 

box o rocks

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Apr 9, 2012
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The difference: You won't see the troubleshooting appears.

If you are installing Windows 10 on a new hard drive, you could power off when you see the "out-of-box experience (OOBE)" screen and Cortana makes her first appearance.
Do not turn it back on.

The troubleshooting begins because you are turning off and on more than twice.
OK. I guess instead of asking "what's" the difference, I should have asked "why" is there a difference? To the uninformed like me, it would seem that a hard drive erased in Win10 Reset is the same as a newly formatted hard drive.

Btw, is the OOBE screen the one I described above?
 
OK. I guess instead of asking "what's" the difference, I should have asked "why" is there a difference? To the uninformed like me, it would seem that a hard drive erased in Win10 Reset is the same as a newly formatted hard drive.
That's a question for Microsoft.
The Remove everything Reset PC option is like a regular clean install and your hard drive is erased and a fresh copy of Windows is installed.

But when you boot up the Reset PC option, might not trigger the troubleshooting if you power off at the OOBE screen.

It still might trigger it if you power off and power on many consecutive times.
Btw, is the OOBE screen the one I described above?
Yes.