Wiping laptop before selling?

cazkins

Hello,

I recently bought a new Acer laptop to replace my last Toshiba that couldn't keep up with my constant downloads. I've put the Toshy up on Ebay but I need to wipe the hard drive clean before selling. I've looked online at how to do this but I'm worried about either not cleaning it well enough or wiping Windows. Because the laptop has the OS pre-installed, it didn't come with a Windows Vista disk.

Does anyone know how I could wipe everything off the laptop before selling, but without wiping the OS?

Many thanks for any help with this, sorry if I'm being a bit dumb but I've never had to do it before

fwor

There really is no way to completely clear everything without a clean Windows install.

However, Ccleaner should help a lot - it will get rid of a lot of hidden data that you would not want a new owner to be able to access.

stevemcol

---I agree. Delete everything you want to remove, the run the 'wipe free space' option in CCleaner. Set the wipe mode as secure as you want but the more thorough the wipe, the longer it will take. Leave it running overnight perhaps.

free4440273

dban is another option (very good ) but that will indeed wipe everything inc. OS! after using ccleaner, do a search for duplicate files -- sometimes files are thrown into sub-directories esp. if the laptop has been used extensively over time.

MoneySavingUser

dban

or eraser: http://eraser.heidi.ie/ - with eraser you can delete all your files and programs and then tell eraser to overwrite all the now empty space on the drive - this way it can't be recovered - and the os stays on it ok

you should also check things like appdata folder and remove things from there

robmar0se

What i do as follows assuming only one hdd/ntfs partition:

1. Create new user "user" with admin priveledges.
2. Sign into this new user, and delete old users and their files (this deletes all user personal data/files/folders within user designated folders).
3, Uninstall all progams that are personal etc, eg some programs hold personal data, eg Sage. Also remove all non-system folders that you may have created on the root directory (C: drive)
4. Goto control panel/system/ and turn off system restore, this will remove all restore points.
5. reboot and and turn restore back on, this creates new restore point.
6. Reset virtual memory to zero, reboot in safemode and remove pagefile.
7. reboot, and run "Clean Disk Security" (freeware), this will remove pretty much all hidden stuff as well as overwriting the unused space to the extent that others would not be able to "undelete" anything.
8. Turn virtual memory back on.
9, If you wish you can then run clean disk, and then defrag the hard drive.

There is a certain amount of duplication in this, but you should be pretty sure you will deliver a system with the OS intact, and your personal stuff irretrievable. If I have forgotten anything no doubt someone else will either suggest a better way, or remind me if I have forgotten anything,

PS I suffer from paranoia!

jon_r_2

hi i bought this laptop with many progs pre-installed,as it has no internal disk drive,if i wipe this machine will every program be deleted,ie microsoft office and samsung pc studio.Or will it keep these intact and just wipe any remaining data.

robmar0se

jon_r wrote: »

hi i bought this laptop with many progs pre-installed,as it has no internal disk drive,if i wipe this machine will every program be deleted,ie microsoft office and samsung pc studio.Or will it keep these intact and just wipe any remaining data.

Dangerous question...
I do not know any PC/laptop that doesn't have a hard drive of sorts, but I'm prepared to be corrected.

Assuming you do have a hard drive, wiping it will remove all data, programs and the operating system (Windows?), everything! Please see previous posts, some of this may be retrievable unless you run a program to overwrite was was there before (eg Clean Disk Security).

SteveJW

Don't most netbooks and laptops that come without system discs have a hidden partition that contains the files for a factory restore. A certain key combination at startup restores the machine to how it was when originaly supplied

Wipe hardrive with whatever program you prefer, Crapcleaner etc, do a factory restore at startup.

You will need to download all updates etc

Assuming it has a hard drive, as previous poster says all have a hardrive of sorts.

If you provide model of machine maybe people can offer clearer advice

santer_2

You could put the files you do not want into a folder, then set the shredder for 35 passes and let it get on with it overnight, as long as the folder is not too large because some shredder programme use a lot of drive space for the multiple wipes

http://www.fileshredder.org/

TakeThis

Of course the Toshiba has the option for a Factory Restore, together with the option to create Recovery Discs. The OP was probably prompted to make them every time they switched the computer on.

Perhaps if they look into the computer manual, they will find instructions on how to return the laptop software to 'out of the factory' status.