Windows Factory Reset

Question

Hello,

Will a windows factory reset on a device meet the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) clear or purge standards for data sanitization?

Will a windows factory reset on a BitLocker encrypted device meet the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) clear or purge standards for data sanitization?

Is there Microsoft documentation that discusses the topic of sanitization?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hello Karen McCarthy,

When you use the Wipe or Factory Reset options through Intune remote actions, it initiates the Windows reset process on the device. This process rebuilds the operating system using runtime system files found in the Windows Component Store (C:\Windows\WinSXS).

So, this is primarily a Windows query. I suggest modifying the tags in the query with relevant ones like "Windows for business" to get a better response from the right experts.

But, as per my research, it does not. Refer to: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/how-push-button-reset-features-work?view=windows-11#remove-everything

"The data erasure functionality is targeted at consumers and does not meet government and industry data erasure standards."

Hope this helps!

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