I'm selling my old computer...what do I need to delete?
TV ClubHouse: archives: I'm selling my old computer...what do I need to delete?
Spygirl | Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 04:29 pm     Hey everyone! I just sold my old computer and the buyers are coming to pick it up tomorrow afternoon. Can someone tell me exactly what I need to do to ensure that alllllllllllll of my personal information is deleted from this machine? Thanks in advance! |
Rissa | Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 04:41 pm     Spygirl. Do you have the original OS (operating system) disks? If you do then you go to your DOS prompt and reformat the hard-drive. This will absolutely 100% erase everything. Then you put in your original Windows disk and reload just that. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not format until you are sure you have gotten all your files copied that you want for your new computer and until you are very sure you have the Windows disk. Also, make yourself a backup floppy before formatting as well. You do this through the control panel (add/remove programs - startup disk). |
Spygirl | Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 04:58 pm     I've definitely gotten everything off of the old computer that I need. I have several Windows 98 CDs...how do I tell if the one I have is definitely the correct one to reinstall? (and thanks so much!!) |
Kaili | Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 07:14 pm     Look for something that says system restore. I'm not sure how it works with 98, but that's what I use for ME. |
Twiggyish | Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 08:04 pm     Excellent advice Rissa! |
Whit4you | Friday, July 26, 2002 - 04:59 pm     Guess it's to late to help now but for future reference.. there are a # of programs that will do a wash... they write bogus data over all the old data ... deleting stuff even empyting the recycling bin doesnt work... reformatting is a pretty safe bet unless your selling it to an FBI agent and truely have something to hide lol. Anyhow try typing "Harddrive wash" in yahoo... or asking on a computer tech forum I'd guess Norton's utilities still does a disk-wash. |
Spygirl | Friday, July 26, 2002 - 05:13 pm     Thanks everyone!! I did all the standard deleting and actually did the reformatting route. I was unsuccessful in re-loading Windows, but the buyers said they did not care. They took the disk and the computer and said they would take care of it I don't care because I got $50 more than I thought I would get for it! WHOOHOOO! |
Riviere | Sunday, July 28, 2002 - 05:05 am     First, you don't delete anything, you never ever sell or donate a computer without removing the hard drive(s) period to keep, reinstall to a new pc or demolish.. Selling a working cpu and the peripherals is fine, but any info written to drives will always be there, no program today is capable of erasing or junkwriting over every byte (as Norton learned yrs ago so stopped promising it could be done). This is too late to help you but if it helps someone else.. Better to install a brand new clean hard drive which are cheap now than sell your old used one reformatted and you'll get more $ with no worries.. (yes I work for the government heheh, and security is a big topic these days). |
Spygirl | Sunday, July 28, 2002 - 09:01 am     I didn't have anything of importance of there, but I'll keep that in mind for next time. I changed all my passwords when I moved to the new computer, so the best they'll get is maybe a paper I wrote about some obscure family therapy theory..lol |
Whit4you | Monday, July 29, 2002 - 08:56 am     Riv - if you do a wash then a format - the only way to realy retrieve the info would be via some high tech measures - not something your average newspaper computer buyer would be capable of doing The only reason to destroy your HD is if you have info on there that could seriously damage your life - kiddie porn, terrorist activities, high level embezzeling and stuff like that - and frankly I don't care to give someone like that the suggestion to destroy their HD I'd hope they were caught...lol. But like if you were having personal convo's with friends on the net that you don't want others to find .. or say risque pics of you that you sent to that cyber lover ..or what have you that info is more at risk just being on the net then it would be if you did a wash or wash/format and sold your computer.... |
Riviere | Monday, July 29, 2002 - 11:06 pm     Hi Whit, if you believe that, okie dokey. I do keep 'sensitive' 'personal' info on my HDs and I'd never want a byte of it reanimated to fall into anyone's hands, so I still own every HD I ever owned since 1985.. But then, I never sell my computers anyway, I built most of them part by part.. True the 'average' buyer of a used pc may not be high tech, but why risk it? Hard drives are dirt cheap now, selling a used erased and reformatted HD is the weakest link, if the rest of the hardware is fine. To me, selling one of my computers with a used hard drive is like advertising "buy my old house, and oh by the way, my diary and address book are in the bedroom" so I just can't bring myself to do it. It's easier than anyone thinks to retrieve 'erased' data, any moron buying a used pc really could do it fast and steal an identity for example.. If I was in the market for a used pc I would not want it with used hard drives anyway. The seller could just install new or drop the price and I could install my own drives.. This is not paranoia, it's common sense practice of techies for years. |
Hillbilly | Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 08:03 pm     I's have a question along these lines...i's still has my old 386 computer in ma closet with vga monitor that i first tried to sell recently ($50)....only to find that it was sold old that i's couln't even give it away fer free. I's been told that they's won't let ya take it to tha dump...so how do yu's dispose of an old computer in an safe environmental way?.... |
Bigd | Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 08:23 pm     Hey Hillbilly. I'm so glad to see you. Did you try donating to the library or a school or even a technical college? |
Reader234 | Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 08:37 pm     It is hillbilly!! All I know is a feller down the street has a business that takes old computers and disects them for the parts!! Dont right know what its called, but I hear there is trace elements of gold in them there puters and fellers have businesses scaping old puters for gold!! but I's jest a female, and its too technical fer me!! {now look what youve done made me do!! I honestly couldnt help myself, my speech just slipped out, and these fingers just typed what they heard me say!!} |
Hillbilly | Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 09:01 pm     howdy bigd and reader...yeah...i tried givin it away but nobody wants it...it really is just junk now....even the salvation army didn't want it ... the local dump won't take it because of the lead that might leach into the ground water or something like that...it's kinda like the time i kept trying to throw my old trash can away...the garbage men kept leaving it at the curb.... I really would like to clean out my house, it just crammed to the ceiling with stuff I need to get rid of. I need the room desperately. |
Bigd | Tuesday, August 27, 2002 - 09:02 pm     Maybe you could sneak it into the backseat of a car in the junkyard???? |
Sia | Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 02:43 am     Hillbilly, how about if you leave the computer in the trunk of your car, park on the street in front of a store and leave the trunk-lid up while you go inside to shop? Maybe someone will STEAL IT from you and you won't have to dispose of it. Or leave it in your unlocked car on the street or at the mall and see if it's stolen. Don't lock your car doors, as you don't want the windows broken! LOL, I really don't know. One final thought: donate it to a local high school or Adult Basic Ed program at the tech school in your area, any institution that teaches computer repair. |
Halfunit | Saturday, August 31, 2002 - 03:48 pm     Hillbilly - In my neck of the woods, there is a quarterly event for people to dispose of hazardous materials (motor oil, batteries, freon, etc). Your local fire department, city hall, chamber of commerce, etc., may know of something. You could also drop it off at the Goodwill bin after hours....!! |
|