Selling computer, need suggestions

[mike13]

I will be selling my three year old DEll running Windows 10 in a week or two. I have deleted all my personal info. such as my Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music Videos etc  I called my internet provider and he helped me remove my email account, so all my emails and folders are gone. Now my only concern is my Microsoft account. I know how to use that WIZPLIZ thingy so that I do not need to enter my password, and the computer boots right to the desktop. However I still see my Microsoft Account NAME, which is my email once in a while. And sometimes when there is a huge update from Windows after it boots two or three times, it asks for my Microsoft Password.  How do I fix that, with out messing up my NEW computer, which I used that name and password to set up everything.  I guess I just need to remove that info from just the OLD computer that I want to sell. Suggestions, please. 

[bphlpt]

Why not just wipe the disk clean and sell the computer with a blank, empty drive?

Cheers and Regards

[jaclaz]

3 hours ago, bphlpt said:

Why not just wipe the disk clean and sell the computer with a blank, empty drive?

Cheers and Regards

Maybe the expected price for a demonstrably working computer with its operating system installed and perfectly working is different from that of the same computer with a blank, empty drive?

Or - even if the money is the same - it may restrict the amount of people interested in the object.

I mean, if you or me were to buy that it would probably make little difference[1], but for the average buyer?

The "proper" approach is to:

1) wipe the disk clean
2) re-install the OS 

In the case of the stupid Windows 10 most probably the best choice is to install with a local account (not an online Microsoft one) with a generic name (like "user") , so that the buyer can later create a new account as he/she wishes.

jaclaz

[1] as - no matter why - we would likely anyway wipe the disk clean and reinstall

Edited April 4, 2019 by jaclaz

[mike13]

Thanks bphlpt and jaclaz for the replies. If I do that RESTORE the computer to its original state when new, will that be just as good as wiping the drive ?? I believe there is an option to remove everything and just install the operating system etc.  two reasons I would rather NOT wipe the drive.  Would I have issues finding all the drivers ??  And, when I bought the computer it had Windows 8.1 Pro. on it. I then upgraded to Windows 10, and made that ISO disc or whatever, I believe at some point. Can I just use that  disc to reinstall windows 10, or will I have activation problems ? Thanks,  Mike      PS, I am assuming that if I did that restore to original state, I will get the opportunity to set up a local account, and my original Microsoft account and password will be OFF the computer ??

Edited April 4, 2019 by mike13

[Tripredacus]

Yes the Windows 10 DVD should be able to do a clean install. The surefire way to make a local account during Windows 10 setup is for the computer to not have internet access. On a notebook it may be difficult. If you have a physical wireless switch or Fn button combo to turn the wireless off, do that. If you can't, make sure there are no open wireless networks around if within your power.

[jaclaz]

@mike13

What we may (and will if you wish to go on) debate is how much to wipe (and how exactly to do the wiping). 

If you have a "recovery partition" you may want to image that disk "as is" and then restore - after the whole disk wipe - from the image the recovery partition only before re-installing the OS.

Otherwise you can reasonably simply (booted from a PE, i.e. the Windows DVD or  a bootable USB made of it) format ONLY the drive/volume (WITHOUT the /q switch) [1].

In the case of the recovery partition (cannot say, it depends on make/model), you can usually then use it to perform a "factory restore" (which will result in a "brand new" 8.1 OS installed) and later re-update to Windows 10.

The common procedure (that you may or may not "like") is:

1) create a valid, forensic sound or dd-like image of the whole disk
2) do the wiping of the disk or the (I repear, "full" ) formatting of the volume where the OS is installed
3) re-install windows 10 (offline, creating a "generic" local account) or get back to factory state and then re-update
4) ?
5) Profit

If for any reason the #3 doesn't work, you can still restore the image made in #1  and try again.

jaclaz

 

[1] this is a form of wiping, but instead of the whole disk you are only going to write 00's to the volume/partition, this is usually needed because there are in a NTFS volume a number of (invisible to you) artifacts/metadata/embedded files/whatever that you don't want anyone to be able to ever recover.

[mike13]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will just wipe the hard drive, and reinstall everything. That way I know I am safe. Will take longer, but that is OK. Thanks again, Mike