The choices provided appear to be nearly identical statements in the exact same dialogue box; however, they result in drastically differing consequences. On an SSD (solid-state drive), the differences between these options equate to whether your lost data can be recovered or if it is irretrievably “gone”.
All recent phones and Macs now encrypt by default. When you perform a reset, you essentially discard the encryption key, which makes the information unrecoverable. In devices that don't encrypt by default, a reset merely makes the area available again for reuse.
People ask about this issue for one of two reasons. Either they wish to erase their data from a device prior to selling it, or they have accidentally reset a device and would like to recover their data. The answer differs by device and by year, and either way, getting it incorrect will be expensive.
Any current mobile phone has a factory reset that is essentially cryptographic wiping: the device loses its encryption key and all data instantly becomes unreadable. This is effective in terms of security, but it is also final and no recovery is possible.
A Windows PC is going to show more varied results. When resetting an older mechanical hard drive, there could still be lots left over.
Modern phones, iOS and Android. All data will be permanently removed, which is secure for disposal. When you reset the device, the encryption keys are destroyed, thereby making recovery impossible if it was a mistake. However, you should check your backups by looking at your account online.
Windows PC, keep my files. Windows is completely reinstalled but your user folders remain. This means that you will generally still have access to your Documents folder and other similar items. All applications installed on the machine are deleted.
Windows PC, remove everything. A quick wipe and a full wipe are options in Windows. A full wipe overwrites all data on your device. On a mechanical drive, a quick wipe does not.
Older devices and mechanical drives. It’s frequently just a file system rewrite. Until you overwrite it, the data will remain recoverable, so this is also a concern for those who resell their machines.
To be honest, almost certainly not, and we would prefer to tell you so. When you reset a modern phone, the encryption key is deleted from your phone. Your files may be backed up in iCloud or Google, so look there instead.
Yes, effectively. With encryption turned on for an SSD, all data is deleted once you perform an erase operation. Older mechanical disks require the full erase method or a proper erase of the drive.
It depends on whether it's an SSD or a mechanical drive. If it is a mechanical drive and hasn't had much written to it since, then it is frequently recoverable. You shouldn't continue to use the machine from now on.
Prices are from £300 +VAT for a drive, and are fixed following the free initial diagnostic. In addition, if the diagnostic finds no recoverable data then you will be charged nothing.