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Giving My Laptop Away - Clean wipe?

Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
edited April 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
Hi guys, I'm getting a new laptop and am giving away my old one to my brother-in-law. For the obvious reasons, I want to wipe the hard drive on it clean without resorting to a "Nuke from Orbit". There are legitimate versions of Windows Vista and Office 2007 on the computer, and I don't want to go through the hassle of re-installing everything.

Is there an easy and thorough way that I can wipe everything on the laptop while keeping all the software licenses intact? He's not computer-savvy, so I'm not worried about him going in and retrieving deleted files or stuff like that. I just want to be able to hand off a clean computer that doesn't have all my random crap lying around, like Steam credentials.

Inquisitor77 on

Posts

  • FantasmaFantasma Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    You may try the following, let me know how things go:

    http://www.piriform.com/docs/ccleaner/using-ccleaner/wiping-free-disk-space

    Fantasma on
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  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    By "deleted files or stuff like that" you mean "all that porn?"

    Uninstall/delete all the stuff, clear your cache/personal data/temp folders, and then wipe the free space using Eraser because it's better than CCleaner.

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  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Okay, so I'm assuming you don't have the reinstall disk from the laptop? Because that would be the easiest way...it would actually be much quicker and easier to just throw it in, reinstall Windows (and Office), and call it good.

    Otherwise, you'll just want to go down the list and uninstall every program (that you don't want to leave) in the Control Panel. Then create a dummy account, and delete yours. Nuking your Steam folder and your user folder should eliminate all credentials and such.

    Even if he's not a l33t hax0r I'd still recommend running over the free space with Eraser once all that is done (either the uninstall method or the re-install method). It's dead simple, and while it takes a little while you can just let it do its thing overnight. That way if he resells it, or it gets lost/stolen/etc., your stuff isn't still on there.

    To summarize:

    - Reinstalling Vista from original media is the easier method
    - Otherwise just uninstall, and delete user and Steam folders
    - Even if you think it's silly, wipe the free space


    EDIT: For comparison, a full install of Windows (Vista or 7...XP was longer) and Office is maybe a 45-minute time investment, most of it unattended. Add another hour of mostly unattended time if you want to be nice and get all the updates installed (which will take several reboots).

    mcdermott on
  • illigillig Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Just bc he's not computer savvy, doesn't mean that he can't decide to get rid of the laptop ( or have it stolen or lose) it. So you should still treat it as if you're dropping it off at a hacker convention just to be safe. Besides, installing a fresh OS will make the machine perform better anyway.

    illig on
  • mcdermottmcdermott Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    illig wrote: »
    Just bc he's not computer savvy, doesn't mean that he can't decide to get rid of the laptop ( or have it stolen or lose) it. So you should still treat it as if you're dropping it off at a hacker convention just to be safe. Besides, installing a fresh OS will make the machine perform better anyway.

    That last is largely untrue for Vista, at least in my experience. My computer running Vista is just as snappy now as it was back when I got it, which was....about the time Vista came out? I've never done a reinstall. It doesn't get the same eventual slowdown that XP got.

    Neither, in my experience, does 7.

    mcdermott on
  • FantasmaFantasma Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    By "deleted files or stuff like that" you mean "all that porn?"

    Uninstall/delete all the stuff, clear your cache/personal data/temp folders, and then wipe the free space using Eraser because it's better than CCleaner.

    CCleaner can do all you list here.

    Fantasma on
    Hear my warnings, unbelievers. We have raised altars in this land so that we may sacrifice you to our gods. There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms, unbelievers, and bow before the forces of Chaos!
  • Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Hey now, all my porn is stored on an encrypted, password-protected external drive...

    Sounds like my "easiest" option is just re-installing everything. Unfortunately I no longer have the disks or serial keys from my original installs. Will it work if I just bum the disks from someone else, or will I need to have that information handy?

    Inquisitor77 on
  • MushroomStickMushroomStick Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    You'll at least need the product key, which will usually be on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

    MushroomStick on
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