Transfering desktop to someone

Hello,

Any recommendation as to whether and how I can transfer my PC to a new person without uninstalling everything i.e. safely removing personal data?

Thanks.

If by safely you mean that the new person has no way of recovering your data, then I'd suggest a reinstall is required, preceeded by wiping the disk with a program designed to securely wipe the disk clean.

Of course, the really safe way is to hit the hard disk with a mallet, and use a new one. :lolflag:

Thanks.

I should probably say "safe within the constraint of not having to re-install and delete everything on disk".

I'm selling my desktop on ebay. What are the odds that someone would be interested in my data, you think?

PS: I'm also including the original Vista CD-ROM that came with the PC. Any idea how to transfer ownership and such?

Better safe than sorry. You really should at least format your hard drive and reinstall.

spamalot said: What are the odds that someone would be interested in my data, you think?

Rhetorical question I guess, only you know the answer to that one, but given you seem ok with a basic deletion, I'd still go with a reinstall of the operating system, give the new owner a nice clean start.

Quick and easy to do.

OK, thanks, I'll go ahead install Vista for the new user. That still leaves open the question of ownership. I mean warranty is gone but software updates and such might require ID identification. Any thoughts?

PS: what I had in mind was something like creating a new user and deleting the current one, but I haven't thought it through.

spamalot said: OK, thanks, I'll go ahead install Vista for the new user. That still leaves open the question of ownership. I mean warranty is gone but software updates and such might require ID identification. Any thoughts?

Don't know what is in the EULA for Vista regards transferring the software, but I wouldn't think there would be any problems providing the original disk is kept with the installation, the software updates are validated by having a genuine serial key ect, not through personal identification of the owner.

Only my opinion, I have never read an EULA, and never expect to. :p

No way would I sell an PC on ebay without first wiping the hard drive. You could end up selling it to a grandma, or on the other hand, it could be a forensic analyst wanting to practice data recovery, or a flat out criminal. You don't really know.