[OT]Does anyone know how to wipe a laptop so it can be sold

[ohmydaze]

I'm a total computer retard. But since getting my MBP the wife had my lappy. But she never uses it so we are thinking of selling it. Is there any easy way i can wipe everything from it, remembering I'm not the most tech savvy person in the world!

[Rukks]

Do you have the original install disk....like an xp installation disk from dell or whatever company made the laptop?

If you have the disk then you can just reinstall xp and the drivers and it will be in like new condition.

Otherwise you can go through and manually uninstall all the programs you put on there and use a utility to wipe all your history and caches.

Key would be to reinstall windows cuz it will make the laptop perform faster hence making it easier to sell.

[Maxted]

Format?

[Ross]

Use this...

http://www.dban.org/

Don't just re-install the OS. It won't get rid of your files and they'll be easily recoverable to people who know how.

[StephanV]

+1 on dban, just used it myself a week ago. Default settings are all good, no need to mess around.

[Conall]

yeah +1 on dbans boot n nuke, its what i was gonna suggest

[Djtom420]

I'm a total computer retard. But since getting my MBP the wife had my lappy. But she never uses it so we are thinking of selling it. Is there any easy way i can wipe everything from it, remembering I'm not the most tech savvy person in the world!

if u dont wanna reinstall the os, try this http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download.

I use uit all the time on customer machines to either clean'em up or to wipe for sale. theres an opion to do a wipe of all things, including: cookies, passwords, firefox data, clean space, etc etc. very useful tool.

[Ross]

if u dont wanna reinstall the os, try this http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download.

I use uit all the time on customer machines to either clean'em up or to wipe for sale. theres an opion to do a wipe of all things, including: cookies, passwords, firefox data, clean space, etc etc. very useful tool.

That won't get rid of everything though.

[Djtom420]

That won't get rid of everything though.

Its will wipe all PRIVATE data. It will work I have used this hundreds of times on customer machines. He can even remove the programs if he wants all from this program. This program is very powerful.

Like i said, its just another option if he dosnt feel comfortable reinstalling the OS.

The dban software is not for the non-tech savy crowed. he will have to burn a disk and then figure out how to boot from it. not easy for the non techys. if the bios is set to just boot from the HD, he will never get it to boot. he'll have to go into the bios and make changes. unless he knows how to use the boot menu option on his laptop. he said hes technically retarded so cc cleaner would be the easiest way to get what he wants.

Sorry iv dealt with hundereds of non tech savy people i know how they think. Dban will be very hard for him. not to mention it looks like dban wipes (formats the drive) whats he gonna do with a formated hard drive? he may not understadn how to use the os disk and how to reinstall from scratch. Also if his resource disk is on a seperate partion what happens if he formats that at the same time?

sorry 10 years in IT.

Although Dban might be very usful for me, since the site says it cn be used in business. :-) thanks for the link

[ohmydaze]

I must emphasize that I am very much non techy!