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How to wipe old desktop, BUT keep operating system intact for a friend to have.

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julius44

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Posted May 4, 2011 at 4:45PM

Hello good afternoon to you all. I currently have a windows XP desktop purchased since Jan 2006. I've ordered a new desktop via mesh pcs, which should arrive within 2 weeks, a friend of mine wishes to purchase my desktop for £100, and ive said that this is fine with me. Nearly all of my music, files, etc, is already on my external hard drive so thats ok.

My only problem seems to be setting the desktop back to factory settings as I seem to be having problems with this on the desktop...so i'm looking for an alternative way to completely set it back to factory settings BUT retain the operating system on the desktop, as i'm not too sure I still have the re-installation disk......I want to make sure that NOTHING on the hard drive can be gotten to...or 100% erased, but the operating system must be 100% totally intact on the desktop please so that my friend can use the desktop immediately

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted May 4, 2011 at 5:15PM

  1. Uninstall everything you no longer require
    1. Remove all folders you nolonger require
    2. Delete all documents phots etc. from the my documents folder
    3. Use CCleaner to clear all temp files
    4. Use CCleaner to clean the registry
    5. Use Cleaner (Tools Drive wiper) to Wipe free space (you can set the number of passes 7 will be good enough so that nothing can be recovered) but it will take along while to complete its probably an overnight job.
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alan14

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Posted May 4, 2011 at 5:19PM

As *Fruit Bat /\0/* said, here's a link to CCleaner

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julius44

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Posted May 5, 2011 at 11:04PM

Hello fruitbat and Alan14, thanks you both for your advice, but I have ccleaner on my desktop, and I cant seem to find the tools drive wiper that you have mentioned @ ccleaner at all. Can you put me in the right direction please, many thanks.

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted May 5, 2011 at 11:13PM

What version of CCleaner? latest is 3.06.1433

Drive wiper is in this and the previous versions.

Open CCleaner. Click Tools (Chest on the left column)

2nd Column bottom option is Drive Wiper

In the Wipe box set to free space only (or you will lose everything)

In the Security box set to NSA(7 passes)

In the Drives Box tick all your drives

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Les28

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 8:26AM

It might be an idea to create a new user account with full administrative rights in your friends name, log into that new account and then delete your old user account completely before writing over the free hard drive space which would now include your erased old user profile.

Are you going to uninstall any programs you installed first, you did mention just selling with just the operating system?

Examples here

link text

link text

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woodchip

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 9:18AM

You nee a Program that Wips free Space after you have removed all the above, but this will not clear every thing, A|s Programs load files all over the place and Regedit stores some Info that is unrecognisable by mere mortals

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woodchip

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 10:16AM

A program hear that will do it.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wipefreespace/

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julius44

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 6:57PM

hello woodchip thanks for your post, but ive clicked on the link for the prgram u mentioned, and it seems kinda complicated to use...from what i'm reading on the home page its NOT straigghtforward to use. I'm looking for something more or less that just 1 click and it does the rest.....with this program it does not seem to be straightforward.....see the link here:

http://wipefreespace.sourceforge.net/

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woodchip

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 7:03PM

Yes you are right, it looks like its been compiled by a Linux Programmer.

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted May 6, 2011 at 7:08PM

Wiping freespace is what you can do in Ccleaner

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