Preparing To Move To The New Computer

[Mrs. Muddled]

Hi!

 

Well, that new Compaq Presario I bought is still sitting here in its virginal state. I have removed it from the box and I have read every piece of paper that came with it.

 

Other than that, I'm still in my deer-caught-in-the-headlights state. You would not believe how many hours I have sat in front of this thing - preparing for the BIG move to the new computer.

 

I have been backing up everything I can think of that my husband and I will want to have on the new machine. Even today I came up with yet another program ... Itunes. Can't forget that! The new WD Passport has it all.

 

So, I'm going to give the computer to a family member. I have been reading all the documentation that comes along with Darik's Boot and Nuke, Eraser and Active@ KillDisk.

At this point my brain hurts. During this quest I discovered Secunia PSI and spent the afternoon doing amazing things with programs that required updating. What a neat program that is! I'm impressed! I'm now wondering why I thought I needed a new computer.

 

I want to clear out personal stuff before I give away this computer. Even with all my reading, I'm still not sure what I actually must get rid of, other than the obvious ... which CCleaner takes care of anyhow. Do I need to hit it with something as heavy as Darik's Boot and Nuke ... or ?

 

I would like some guidance here. Guidance that I will understand. I need to know exactly which files I need to tell one of these programs to delete. I don't want the computer left in such a state that my daughter wont be able to use it.

[TCH-Thomas]

I would personally reformat it and reinstall everything I wanted back providing I have backups/access to the installation files of all programs.

[Madmanmcp]

The simplist way is to use the "Restore Disk" and put it back to factory default, the state you originally received it. Computers come with two different ways to do this. One is the CD/DVD Restore, you boot the computer with this disk in the drive and it runs through the steps. The second is on a partitioned drive, usually the "D:" drive and at bootup it gives you a chance to press a function key to start the restore.

 

A "Restore" basically does an fdisk and a format of the drive and then copies the "image" back onto the hard drive. You end up with a computer setup exactly as it was when you purchased it. This wipes out everything you put on it.

[Mrs. Muddled]

Hmm? From everything I'm reading regarding wiping the hard drive clean so that it can't be recovered ... the a/m method would still leave the information recoverable. It's not that there is anything all that exciting on this computer, but I don't really want my personal documents etc recoverable by whoever ultimately ends up with this hard drive.

 

Are you familiar with the products I mentioned above? What are your thoughts on them? If you check this page you will see the opposite advice ... thus my concern.

 

I've found the Gateway Operating System Windows XP Home Edition CD for reinstalling your operating system. Do I just put that in the CD drive and let 'er rip? Will it clear everything off the hard drive without me having to make a million decisions - and then I am assuming I would have to do a Windows Update to bring XP up to today's standard?

[TCH-Andy]

If you want to be 100% certain that everything has gone, and could not be retrieved via undelete programs, then you can use one of the wipe and clean programs like Active@ KillDisk you talk about, and then use the original CD to reinstall a new OS.

[Mrs. Muddled]

Yes Andy, that is exactly what I want to do. My limited knowledge tells me that it is fairly simple to undelete pretty much everything with the undelete programs on the market. I just don't want anyone to be able to 'experiment' with my computer somewhere down the road. When I think of all the information that was on old computers that I gave away years ago ... I cringe.

[TCH-Bruce]

Some people are extra paranoid when it comes to this. Unless someone is knowledgeable about undeleting and recovering information you have nothing to be concerned with. You say you are giving the machine to someone you know. Simply FDISK the drive and reformat it. Then install the OS fresh and apply the updates. I'm sure they are not concerned with any information you may have had on the machine.

 

I have sold several machines to friends with doing nothing more.

 

If I were donating it to charity or a school I would wipe the disk with one of these utilities.

[Mrs. Muddled]

I hear you Bruce. I agree with your comments. I don't have a problem with our daughter taking it ... but I have a feeling it wont be long before she gets herself a laptop ... and then my computer goes out into the wild. That was the prospect that concerned me. I'm really not paranoid. Honest!

[dcumpian]

I hear you Bruce. I agree with your comments. I don't have a problem with our daughter taking it ... but I have a feeling it wont be long before she gets herself a laptop ... and then my computer goes out into the wild. That was the prospect that concerned me. I'm really not paranoid. Honest!

 

Recovering a deleted file is one thing, recovering usable information from a drive that has been fdisked, reformatted and then had a whole bunch of new files written to it (O/S install) would be hugely expensive and most likely beyond the capabilities of anyone that would end up with your PC. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

Regards,

Dan