Hi I have just bought a new lap top and wish to sale my old one , how do I clean up the old lap top i.e. get back to what is was like when I first bought it , I have taken all the programs off but need to clean the hd so all my passwords and web sites are gone ,
Its running vista basic

Did the laptop come with a Recovery CD or a Recovery partition?

Yes it did but I have mislaid it

Many laptops have a recovery partition. When you power up they may be a choice to enter that partition. From there you can do a reset to factory settings. Otherwise your best bet is to find the recover disk.

I doubt that if it came with recovery Cd's (automatically that is, the O.P might have ordered them) that it would also have a recovery partition.

Manufacturers aren't courteous enough to include both in packaging. :)

Rick

But yeah without a recovery disc. Or partition your options of completely getting it back to default is slim. You can do a restore back to as far as it will go but I doubt that it will got back more than a couple months. (mine doesn't anyways)

Rick

P.S. If you have no partition or if you delted it (like myslef) then I would try my hardest to find them discs.

I have now found the disk it came with x 2
one says application and driver recovery dvd .
and the other supplemtal software
which one do I use ?

I don't believe either of those are the recovery cd's. Sorry!

Rick

Thanks for trying , I've taken it to a computer shop and they said they would do it for £20

Is that like $20USD? If so I am wondering what they're going to do for only $20.00?

Rick

But good luck with it anways.

Actually at the current exchange rate that closer to $40 USD.

I suspect that what they are doing is a clean install of the OS, something that would require a tech to spend not even 15 minutes of his time.

Oh... ok $40's better. Well not better for us but makes more sense!

Rick

Hi Its 20 uk pouinds and yes they will reinstall op
It took him no more than 10 minutes
But at least it has wiped all my data off