Selling PC - Deleting info

[Downward]

Hi
Sold my PC - I need to get rid of as much stuff of it as possible.
Can't find Windows Disk so can't do a clean Install.

Any ideas of how to restore it ?

 

[nigelnorris]

Do you need to sell it with windows on? If not just download any old win98 boot disk or linux bootable and wipe it.

Very difficult to clean it without a reinstall, there's so much stuff hiding in the registry and other dark places.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Shame, if you had a indows disk you could boot and nuke. If you want to securely delete something you could use a shredder program, something which overwrites the disk sectors data was written on a silly number of times. If the data has been moved around the disk a bit you will still be able to get bits back using basic data recovery. After lots of overwriting data may still be recoverable by expensive means but your average Joe wouldn't have the means and no-one would be bothred unless you were the boss of HSBC and it was your work computer.

 

[Downward]

Selling it to someone at work I know so not all that concerned but just want to delete the family pics and just get it running as fast as it can.

 

[Downward]

Just listening to music on it through Media player and it won't play CD's I have burned to the PC as I need a licence !
Crazy

 

[abc_123]

Create a new user then logout and in as the new user then delete the old user when it asks if you want to delete the files say yes, assuming it is windows

 

[Downward]

Create a new user then logout and in as the new user then delete the old user when it asks if you want to delete the files say yes, assuming it is windows

Good thinking
Just unistalling all the crap at the mo !

 

[RyanW]

try and borrow an XP disk from a friend, use the key that should be stuck on your puter, before you do this, go to the website of your PC maker and download all the required drivers and such.

i cant explain all to well, but there are more thne enough guides out there

 

[Downward]

try and borrow an XP disk from a friend, use the key that should be stuck on your puter, before you do this, go to the website of your PC maker and download all the required drivers and such.

i cant explain all to well, but there are more thne enough guides out there

I can go get XP from BT but don't want to risk it not working - Done this before with a kosha product key - Can of worms.

 

[abc_123]

Good thinking
Just unistalling all the crap at the mo !

Saves alot of dicking around with windows disks

 

[nigelnorris]

Create a new user then logout and in as the new user then delete the old user when it asks if you want to delete the files say yes, assuming it is windows

If you do this and you've installed any programs to run under current user rather than all users they will stop working when you delete the profile.

Also won't delete user info from the registry so there's loads of info about you on there if the new owner wants to snoop.

 

[Downward]

How do I delete all my Firefox bookmarks, cookies, history etc etc ??

 

[abc_123]

they should be deleted with the user files

 

[abc_123]

once you have deleted the user go into windows explorer and if the user directory still exists delete it by hand

 

[abc_123]

If you do this and you've installed any programs to run under current user rather than all users they will stop working when you delete the profile.

Also won't delete user info from the registry so there's loads of info about you on there if the new owner wants to snoop.

not as much info as there is in the rest of the files and the op already stated that he knows the new owner so not that much of problem, the likleyhood of any of the programs being installed to run only on a particular user is remote on most pcs and the op would know that anyway as he would have installed them