Deleting Personal Info & History & Reset

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Markus_M86

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Hi, I am going to be selling my laptop computer, probrobly on Ebay, and I wanted to know if there is some sort of software that I can use to clean out my personal information from the computer. I have used this computer to purchase stuff over the internet and I'm afraid if I sell it, and I think I deleted my info, the buyer might still be able to find my credit card numbers or something. I called geek squad at best buy and they want to charge me $150 to clean out my computer and set it back to origonal settings. I feel like I would totally be getting ripped off there. Is there some way I can do this myself? Or do I really need to let a professional do it?


P.S: Also, How do I go about reseting my laptop to the original factory settings?
 
I'm sorry but I am really stupid at this stuff. Can you go into more detail please, if you don't mind? thank you.
 
after you have pullled off any important data. Put in your windows disk and restart computer. will propt you to install windows. choose to format existing partition. It will tell you you will loose all data. thats ok cause thats what you want. after reformat follow the steps to reinstall os.
 
Ok, Thanks for that. But I'm still a little leary about personal data. I heard that even if you delete history or temp files, they are still embedded into your computer.
 
ps will also need the drivers disk that came with your laptop to reinstall drivers. ie chipset, video, lan
 
there are programs out there that will wipeout everything. http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/ is the website for the ulitmate boot disk. It has a few my favorite is darik's boot and nuke. it formats your disk rewrites to it and formats again 3 times. when I sell computers I run this before reinstall with 3 rewrites the chances of personal data remaining is next to impossible.
 
You may have a problem on Ebay if you include the OS with the sale. Given Micorsoft's EULA (End User Lisc. Agrrement) you can't resell Windows. I would just reinstall Windows, as outlined above, and then do not activate it. Let the new buyer worry about that!

On second thought, just sell the laptop with no OS installed and guarentee that the laptop is no DOA or your money back. If the new owner was able to use your key and activate...you lsot your Windows key and reactivation on your new puter. If you don't care and have a second copy of Windows then just install and not activate. Is is a Dell? If it is the OS goes with the puter anyway.
 
You could take the harddrive out. And sell it without the harddrive. But Deleting the partition and then reformating will do it also.
 
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