When selling computer equipment...

I am getting a Nook tablet which will render my netbook unnecessary. I figure I can sell it on CList to recoup the money spent on the tablet. What do I need to do to sell the netbook re: old files, etc.

Is it easy to return to like purchased condition? Just delete stuff or move things to a thumb drive?

That would work for 95% of the purchasers out there. The thing is, for the other 5%, undeleting and recovering a lot of stuff will be very easy.

If you have the original install disks, you probably want to reformat the drive and do a fresh install. Frankly even that's not foolproof, but it will stop 95% of the remaining 5%.

look for a program call KILLDISK, run it, then run your restore.

Sell it without a hard-drive in it?

sell it to me for very cheap and rest easy knowing I have no desire to know your secrets and wont do anything dastardly with said netbook

seriously

MG Bryan wrote: Sell it without a hard-drive in it?

This is what I would do. Or buy used drive to sell with it. My drives usually end up hanging in salt water for a week or so off the dock and then smashed and trashed. By the time the landfill gets them there isn't anything recognizable as a hard drive left.

Toyman01 wrote:

MG Bryan wrote: Sell it without a hard-drive in it?

This is what I would do. Or buy used drive to sell with it. My drives usually end up hanging in salt water for a week or so off the dock and then smashed and trashed. By the time the landfill gets them there isn't anything recognizable as a hard drive left.

it would be easier to just open up the hard drive, remove the disc, and break it up...unless you need the stress relief, then I say smash away...

4cylndrfury wrote:

Toyman01 wrote:

MG Bryan wrote: Sell it without a hard-drive in it?

This is what I would do. Or buy used drive to sell with it. My drives usually end up hanging in salt water for a week or so off the dock and then smashed and trashed. By the time the landfill gets them there isn't anything recognizable as a hard drive left.

it would be easier to just open up the hard drive, remove the disc, and break it up...unless you need the stress relief, then I say smash away...

I just use them for target practice but a cordless drill would work just as easily.

I've got a Nook that's been hacked to run honeycomb Android. Use the Nook for a week before selling your netbook. Just sayin.

I'd dip the drive in acid overnight... but I dip everything in acid

fasted58 wrote: I'd dip the drive in acid overnight... but I dip everything in acid

^Excellent episode!

In reply to 4cylndrfury:

Sometimes you just need to bash the crap out of something.

Usually, by the time I'm done with a computer, I'm looking forward to smashing the damn thing.

Derecks boot and Nuke will do a DOD wipe on the drive then you can reinstall windows. Google "DBAN" A used netbook is not worth much $$ as it is so one without a drive is going to be worthless. Wipe and reinstall or sell/give to a family member you trust.

Toyman01 wrote: In reply to 4cylndrfury: Sometimes you just need to bash the crap out of something. Usually, by the time I'm done with a computer, I'm looking forward to smashing the damn thing.

this:

If u didn't do finacil stuff on it then I'd just do a factory reset.... It's a matter of hitting the right button combo on the computer on startup...

But like mentioned... Hold on to it for a bit and make sure the tablet will do it... Wife got one and sometimes still drags out the netbook

I haven't used the netbook in over two months. I work in multiple spaces at school and have regular access to computers there so I don't even use it at work anymore. My laptop gets all the attention at home. The tablet is to be used for DE mostly in car using various forms/apps to track student skills and assessment.

You guys make me feel like I'm not paranoid enough about selling the netbook. Is all the death and destruction really necessary? Seriously?

I think its overstated... If its just your basic netbook and not your primary computer its no biggie

Depending on cost I would be interested in the Netbook at the end of the month.

JmfnB

Dban it

The average person on CL isn't going to give a crap about your old data, they just want a cheap netbook for their new data. Reformat, reinstall OS, done.

Unless you're actively under investigation and you sell it directly to CIA agents, I wouldn't worry about it.

I seriously would buy it if the price is right. And Im seriously not interested in hacker bs...wipe it, reinstall windows, call it a day.

I'm going to go with the DBAN and reinstall suggestion. It's free software that helps make sure you give the buyer your computer and not your data. Just make sure that you have restore media created. The procedure will vary from computer to computer. Sometimes, you get a bunch of discs or a USB key in the box, but most of the time, there is a program on your computer that creates the restore media by either burning discs or by writing to a USB key. You want to do that before you loose DBAN on your computer.

Interested as well.

Netbooks have pretty much no resale value. I wouldn't hold my breath on recouping your loss.