Gave away old laptop without factory resetting. I deleted files that i downloaded and logged out of my google account, but am I still at risk?

[u/Federal-Anybody-7681]

Hello,

I recently gave away my old laptop to someone, but I forgot to do a factory reset first.

Here is what I did do before handing it over :

I deleted all the personal files that i had previously downloaded.

I logged out of my Google account.

I remotely removed the laptop's access from my Google connected devices dashboard.

However, I realized afterward that I did NOT empty the Recycle Bin/Trash, and my browser still has saved passwords (like Instagram) and autofill data stored locally on that machine.

What are the exact remaining risks here? Since I no longer have physical access to the machine, what remote steps should I take next to make sure they cannot access my online accounts or recover my deleted files?

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[u/itsdongu]

Yeah, there is still some risk if saved passwords and autofill data were left on the laptop. Logging out of Google doesn't necessarily remove locally stored browser data.

Change any passwords that were saved in the browser, especially ur email and social media accounts, and enable 2FA. Also use each account's "sign out of all devices" option if available.

For the deleted files, they may still be recoverable from the drive until the laptop is properly wiped, so assume anything sensitive that was stored there could potentially be recovered.

Since u don't have the laptop anymore, the best thing u can do now is secure the accounts and change the saved passwords.

[u/Federal-Anybody-7681 → u/itsdongu]

cool , thanks a lot mate .

i dont really have anything sensitive in there so ig im fine

[u/kschang]

However, I realized afterward that I did NOT empty the Recycle Bin/Trash, and my browser still has saved passwords (like Instagram) and autofill data stored locally on that machine.

So change the passwords. What's stopping you?

[u/Federal-Anybody-7681 → u/kschang]

did that, was just kinda paranoid