Selling my xp computer - should I format?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian K
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Brian K

I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive and
reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and sp2?
Thanks for any advice, suggestions!
 
"Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
>I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive
> and
> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and
> sp2?
> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!
What I would do is format the drive. I would not install anything on the
drive; that is a job for the new owner.
Jim
 
Thanks for the suggestion, that thought had crossed my mind! But I figured it
would add value with xp sp2 already installed and running, especially for the
non computer savvy buyer.
 
You need to do a thorough, secure erasure of the disk first. Formatting may
still leave some of your personal information accessable. There are
numerous news reports and studies of the kinds of information that can be
gleaned from second hand disks, even after formatting and reinstalling base
software.

Here's a new player in the game, with good credentials:
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/Hughes/subpgset.htm (Disk Drive Secure Erase link on
the left side)

After that, I would reinstall XP, use a generic user name, and get it fully
updated with SP2 and current updates. As you suggest, that makes it more
appealing to someone wanting to use it immediately.

Val


"Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
>I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive
> and
> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and
> sp2?
> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!
 
I disagree with Jim for a couple of reasons. First, with no system
installed, how do you demonstrate that the computer works? I also think it
is a good selling point to say that there is a fresh system install with all
updates. Second, just formatting the drive is totally inadequate
protection.

After the system and updates are installed, defrag the hard drive. Then use
software to overwrite the "blank" space on the drive that still contains
data that can be retrieved with inexpensive software. Here's a freebie:
Eraser: http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP 1997 - 2007


"Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8F0A8A06-EE1D-4809-A672-68C842E781AB@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the suggestion, that thought had crossed my mind! But I figured
> it
> would add value with xp sp2 already installed and running, especially for
> the
> non computer savvy buyer.
 
To add to others, after wiping the disk and installing XP w/all updates, gather up
all of the documents and disks that were provided with the machine to transfer over
with the sale.

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375


"Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
>I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive and
> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and sp2?
> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!
 
"Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
>I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive
> and
> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and
> sp2?
> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!

If identity or data theft is of any concern to you, formatting is nowhere
near sufficient, and inappropriate.

Removing and recreating the partitions and formatting repeatedly will still
leave data that can be recovered by the determined.

The *only* way to be sure you have prevented others from getting this
information is to deny them physical access.

Better to spend the $50 to get a new 80-gig drive and install XP to that,
and keep the old drive. You can either use it for reference, for extra
space or physically destroy it to the point where the platters are
shattered.

The security from this approach is easily worth the price of the drive, and
you will probably be done faster than with using wipe utilities (which may
cost a significant percentage of the price of the drive).

If you plan to sell a functioning system, install the new drive, install XP,
and then motherboard drivers, and then basic device drivers. Then activate
Windows, and then install SP2, and all updates. You will have to verify
the Windows install to do the IE7 update.

There is no point whatsoever in installing SP1, as it's covered by SP2.

This is fairly painless if you have a highspeed internet connection.
Download SP2 as one file from here, perhaps burn it to CD and install it
offline:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

It's 266 meg but I have found this method to be faster and more reliable
than the online installation.

Don't install any apps from this point; just create a bare, functioning,
up-to-date Windows install. The only thing you might want to install for
the purchaser is something like AVG Free anti-virus.

HTH
-pk
 
On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 01:30:07 -0400, "Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null>
wrote:

> "Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
> >I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> > transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> > anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> > including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive
> > and
> > reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and
> > sp2?
> > Thanks for any advice, suggestions!


> There is no point whatsoever in installing SP1, as it's covered by SP2.
>
> This is fairly painless if you have a highspeed internet connection.
> Download SP2 as one file from here, perhaps burn it to CD and install it
> offline:
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
>
> It's 266 meg but I have found this method to be faster and more reliable
> than the online installation.
>
> Don't install any apps from this point; just create a bare, functioning,
> up-to-date Windows install. The only thing you might want to install for
> the purchaser is something like AVG Free anti-virus.


Personally, I wouldn't go to any extra trouble to install any updates,
anti-virus, etc. (unless a buyer requested that you do so). I think
all you should do is have Windows installed for the purpose of
demonstrating that the computer works (as Ron Badour pointed out). If
you sell the computer to anyone who knows what he's doing, the first
thing he will do with it is reinstall Windows anyway. That's what I
would do if I bought it. I would have no confidence that the previous
owner had installed it correctly, and I'd want to redo it myself to be
sure.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
 
Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 01:30:07 -0400, "Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null>
> wrote:
>
>> "Brian K" <BrianK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:5BF4EADA-B3FE-4A7E-A6D4-B08D641172EA@microsoft.com...
>>> I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have
>>> already
>>> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer
>>> with xp
>>> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove
>>> everything,
>>> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the
>>> drive
>>> and
>>> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1
>>> and
>>> sp2?
>>> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!
>
>
>> There is no point whatsoever in installing SP1, as it's covered by
>> SP2.
>>
>> This is fairly painless if you have a highspeed internet connection.
>> Download SP2 as one file from here, perhaps burn it to CD and
>> install it
>> offline:
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
>>
>> It's 266 meg but I have found this method to be faster and more
>> reliable
>> than the online installation.
>>
>> Don't install any apps from this point; just create a bare,
>> functioning,
>> up-to-date Windows install. The only thing you might want to
>> install for
>> the purchaser is something like AVG Free anti-virus.
>
>
> Personally, I wouldn't go to any extra trouble to install any updates,
> anti-virus, etc. (unless a buyer requested that you do so). I think
> all you should do is have Windows installed for the purpose of
> demonstrating that the computer works (as Ron Badour pointed out). If
> you sell the computer to anyone who knows what he's doing, the first
> thing he will do with it is reinstall Windows anyway. That's what I
> would do if I bought it. I would have no confidence that the previous
> owner had installed it correctly, and I'd want to redo it myself to be
> sure.

Excellent advice.

I suppose the exception would be to do the extra leg work if and only if
the PC is being given to a close friend or family member who knows you
are handy with computers (and this would be done as a recognized
courtesy). Otherwise, I agree with Ken: just perform a basic install.
 
Brian K wrote:
> I recently purchased a new computer with vista, and since I have already
> transfered all my files and settings I don't need the old compuer with xp
> anymore. I'm thinking of selling it, but i want to remove everything,
> including personal files, programs, data, etc. Should I format the drive and
> reinstall xp, or is that too drastic? Also, should I reinstall sp1 and sp2?
> Thanks for any advice, suggestions!



To protect your personal information and data from any future users
of average skills, you should, at the very least, format the hard drive.
You can do this using the original Installation CD. Simply boot from
the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to delete,
create, and format partitions as part of the installation process. (You
may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to
boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

If you wish to do a more thorough job of protecting your personal
data, WipeDrive
(http://www.whitecanyon.com/wipedrive-erase-hard-drive.php) meets U.S.
DoD standards for securely cleaning surplus unclassified hard drives,
and could be used before formatting and reinstalling the OS and
applications.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Thanks guys for all your help and advice. I'm pretty clear now on what i need
to do and how to go about it. Thanks again!

You guys seem very knowledgible, perhaps you can help me with another
problem I have posted in the msn discussion thread:
MSN and WMP 11, trouble streaming videos 6/18/2007 7:18 PM PST

Thanks! ;-)
 
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