Solve : Preparing for resale?

1.	Solve : Preparing for resale?
Answer» I have a compaq presario 700, that I plan to list on Ebay, however; I want to make sure there is no personal information left on the system. How do I restore to factory settings.....as if it just came out of the box?Sell it without the hard drive...Compaq should have recovery partition. Watch your computer screen, while it's starting, and at the BOTTOM you'll see something like: [F11 - Recovery] PRESS that key on next reboot, and follow on-screen instructions.Quote from: Broni on September 20, 2008, 08:22:41 PM Compaq should have recovery partition. Watch your computer screen, while it's starting, and at the bottom you'll see something like: [F11 - Recovery] Press that key on next reboot, and follow on-screen instructions. Make sure that you save any and all DATA first Thanks, I just bought a back up drive from BB....and Im starting to back up everything.1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above. 2) If you are very paranoid, a) make backup of your data (as you are doing; VERIFY that the backup is good), b) make a set of Recovery Disks (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00809678&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3559331#WhenCreate), c) download and run Darik's Boot & Nuke, d) use Recovery Disks to restore computer to 'factory fresh.' 3) If you are just paranoid, use Broni's suggestion: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00809678&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3559331#WhenCreate. The HP links are for Vista - is this your operating system?Quote 1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above. DRM yer killin me....Quote from: patio on September 21, 2008, 01:08:15 PM Quote 1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above. DRM yer killin me.... He's got three options of paranoid... That's not bad...considering. You forgot Option #4...Don't Sell.There is an addendum to option #1.. #1a - use sledgehammer Quote from: Broni on September 21, 2008, 02:03:47 PM There is an addendum to option #1.. #1a - use sledgehammer And melt the drive. You'll laugh at me, but...Once, when dealing with a mega paranoid drive, I took it apart, broke the electronics into pieces and broke the platters up with pliers; when I got the glass fragments in my eyes was the first time that I realized that many platters use a glass substrate instead of metal So, caution alert: WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN DESTROYING HARD DRIVE PLATTERS. Or, leave the drive assembled and use Broni's sledgehammer - then melt the drive!

Answer»

I have a compaq presario 700, that I plan to list on Ebay, however; I want
to make sure there is no personal information left on the system. How do
I restore to factory settings.....as if it just came out of the box?Sell it without the hard drive...Compaq should have recovery partition.
Watch your computer screen, while it's starting, and at the BOTTOM you'll see something like:
[F11 - Recovery]
PRESS that key on next reboot, and follow on-screen instructions.Quote from: Broni on September 20, 2008, 08:22:41 PM

Compaq should have recovery partition.
Watch your computer screen, while it's starting, and at the bottom you'll see something like:
[F11 - Recovery]
Press that key on next reboot, and follow on-screen instructions.

Make sure that you save any and all DATA first Thanks, I just bought a back up drive from BB....and Im starting to back up everything.1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above.

2) If you are very paranoid, a) make backup of your data (as you are doing; VERIFY that the backup is good), b) make a set of Recovery Disks (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00809678&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3559331#WhenCreate), c) download and run Darik's Boot & Nuke, d) use Recovery Disks to restore computer to 'factory fresh.'

3) If you are just paranoid, use Broni's suggestion: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00809678&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3559331#WhenCreate.

The HP links are for Vista - is this your operating system?Quote

1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above.

DRM yer killin me....Quote from: patio on September 21, 2008, 01:08:15 PM

Quote
1) If you are mega paranoid, use Patio's suggestion in reply #1, above.

DRM yer killin me....

He's got three options of paranoid... That's not bad...considering.
You forgot Option #4...Don't Sell.There is an addendum to option #1..
#1a - use sledgehammer Quote from: Broni on September 21, 2008, 02:03:47 PM

There is an addendum to option #1..
#1a - use sledgehammer

And melt the drive.

You'll laugh at me, but...Once, when dealing with a mega paranoid drive, I took it apart, broke the electronics into pieces and broke the platters up with pliers; when I got the glass fragments in my eyes was the first time that I realized that many platters use a glass substrate instead of metal

So, caution alert: WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN DESTROYING HARD DRIVE PLATTERS.

Or, leave the drive assembled and use Broni's sledgehammer - then melt the drive!

Solve : Preparing for resale?

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