Answer Line: Prep an Old PC for a New Home

I recently purchased a new computer and would like to give away my old machine. How should I prepare the old PC for use by its new owners?

Victoria Bernhardt, Brewster, New York

First you need to transfer your data files from the old computer to the new one. You can use a CD-RW, a Zip drive, a network, or a simple cable connection. You'll want to transfer all the files now in C:\My Documents and C:\Windows\Application Data. If you or your applications also store files somewhere else, find out where the files are (using Windows' Find/Search feature if necessary) and copy those as well.

Next, destroy any sensitive files that you do not want the new owners to see. Simply deleting such files won't do, because a deleted file can be recovered--even from a reformatted drive.

You may already have a program that can overwrite data so it can't be recovered. Norton Utilities, for instance, comes with an application called WipeInfo, which will securely delete a file or folder, or the "deleted" data in the free space of your drive.

If you lack such a program, download the free version of Ontrack's wonderful PowerDesk file manager, which you'll find at our Downloads library and at the vendor's site. PowerDesk lets you permanently erase a file or folder by selecting File, Destroy.

Once you've destroyed your sensitive files, reformat the hard drive and reinstall your operating system. Windows tends to collect bugs and incompatibilities that can make it unstable after just a few short months of use. This will let the new owners start off with a clean slate.

To reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows 98/Me, follow the instructions on the restoration CD your hardware vendor supplied.

The process is more complicated when you use a Windows CD-ROM, however. First, you have to create a Windows start-up disk on your new PC. Next, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon, choose the Startup Disk tab, then click the Create Disk button and follow the prompts. Put the start-up disk in your old PC's floppy drive and your Windows CD in the old system's CD-ROM drive, then reboot. You'll get a simple text menu. Select the option Start computer with CD-ROM Support.

That sequence will eventually bring you to an A> DOS prompt. To ensure access to the CD-ROM drive, type dir x:, where x is the letter after the one you normally use for that drive. For instance, if the CD-ROM drive is D:, type dir e:. If you get a list of folders and files that includes setup.exe, you're ready for the next step. (If you don't see the list, try re-creating the Startup disk, perhaps on the old PC.)

Type a: if you're not at the A> prompt again, and enter format c:. When asked if you're sure, press y, then Enter. The next time you're at the A> prompt, type x:setup ( x is the drive letter you entered above). Press Enter and follow the prompts.

Reload any programs that came with the PC, including Windows and hardware drivers, and reload any upgrades to these programs. Most software you purchased separately can be reloaded onto the old PC or added to the new one, but check your licensing agreements first. Note that it is almost always illegal to put the software on both the old and the new machine.