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| I'm helping a friend this weekend. Her mother died and she wants to sell her mother's computer after it is cleaned up. I was planning to use something like DBAN to wipe the drive first, but those programs typically wipe out the OS, too. She wants the computer to have the OS on it when she goes to sell it. I have not been able to find any disks with the OS. Is there some way I can securely wipe the hard drive and end up with the currently-installed OS (Win XP Home Edition) back on it if I don't have the installation disks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If retail full version key.. might search & probably find it on torrents... en_windows_xp_home_with_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-92413.iso |
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| Your bigger problem will be the drivers. Get those first and save to external media. Assuming this is a store bought computer and not a home build you can use any XP Home CD to install the operating system. The difference is when it comes time to add the 25 digit code you use the one fixed to the computer case and not the one on the CD. After loading XP grab some security then go for the XP updates, there are well over 100 to install and most will install automatically. About half way through IE8 pops up asking you to instal and stops all progress until you give it instructions. |
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| It sounds like you have two mutually exclusive requirements. The only way to be completely secure is to remove the hard drive. Whether it's sold with or without the OS, the resale value will be pretty low. If there's sensitive data on the drive, I'd just pull it. Sell the computer with no drive or OS. If it has the MS Windows license key, it has some value because it can be used to activate a VM. |
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| Too bad its not a laptop, as there would probably be software on the computer to make your recovery disks and that would solve your problem.. |
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- Posted by ravencajun (My Page) on Mon, Oct 3, 11 at 14:32
| do your self a favor and use this little program to capture and save the drivers so you will have them should you need them. Double Driver |
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