Member Avatar for kc9788

I was just given a used laptop by my father which he recieved from his work. He told me that all i needed to do was figure out how to reconfigure it just to get all his work stuff off it. I have been asking around and doing a little internet search and can not figure out how to do it. I dont know if this is somthing i need to have a specialist do or if i can do it myself. Would someone please be able to help me with this? Thank you!

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Short, practical guidance tied to the thread: was right that adding a new user keeps the old profile intact, but that does not remove installed programs, hidden settings, or leftover personal data. For a true "like-new" state the reliable options are (A) an OEM factory restore (recovery partition or vendor recovery discs) or (B) a full clean install of Windows from official installation media. and were pointing at those same two paths.

Recommended steps (in order):

  1. Back up any files that must be kept. Check the laptop for an OEM recovery partition or any recovery discs your father might have made. Note the product key on the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker if present.
  2. Use the OEM restore tool if available — it returns factory settings and bundled drivers. If no OEM media exists, obtain matching Windows install media, boot it, delete existing partitions, format the drive, and install a fresh copy.
  3. After reinstall, install vendor drivers and run all system updates, then create a personal admin account and remove old accounts.
  4. If data must be unrecoverable, run a dedicated disk-wipe tool (bootable "nuke" utility) before reinstalling.

Cautions: confirm the laptop is legitimately transferable if it came from an employer; some corporate machines have tracking, encryption, or licensing issues. Also note that Windows XP is long out of support (April 8, 2014), so consider using a supported OS or keeping the machine off public networks after reinstall.

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Member Avatar for nanosani

What do you mean reconfigure ??

Do you want to save your father's work and do your own things?? then you can just leave your father's profile as it is and make another user account by your name, login with that name and do what ever you wanna do.

Member Avatar for nanosani

Moving this thread to windows 2000/xp section as its not a tip or tweak.

Member Avatar for kc9788

i dont want to save all his stuff i want to get rid of everything he put on it. every program, everything he downloaded. i basically want it back to the basic windows like you would have when starting up a computer for the first time, nothing extra. perhaps reconfigure was the wrong term. i just didnt know if there was a specially process to getting rid of everything.

Member Avatar for nanosani

You'll have to uninstall every software that your father installed .. and you can delete your father's profile and make a username of your own to start a new shiny windows ... thats the basic cleaning I'm telling you.

Member Avatar for goldeagle2005

or, my personal fave: format C: /u

<hehehehehe>

No, seriously. If you need to bering it back to the "new computer stage", I'd suggest you get your hands on the OS media and format the HD completely. Then, setup your OS afresh.

Member Avatar for pty

or, my personal fave: format C: /u

<hehehehehe>

No, seriously. If you need to bering it back to the "new computer stage", I'd suggest you get your hands on the OS media and format the HD completely. Then, setup your OS afresh.

yes. if it came with a recovery disk try to get hold of it and restart the computer with it in the CD-rom drive

if it didn't you're best trying to get hold of a plain windows XP disk. i wouldnt buy a retail one maybe try ebay or something. no point spendin £200 on windows when you can get a new laptop with it installed for like £400

or, if you're feeling confident go to ubuntu.com

Member Avatar for sshemilla

same here, i got a used dell laptop . but when i turn it on all i get is the window asking for username and password. i cant get passed this, is there a way to go around or reset or negate this??? please any advice will do, or i will have to throw it away.a dell laptop at a business closeout

Member Avatar for leo002000

If you want to truly remove all of the data, thus preventing any future user from ever recovering it, then use a disk nuke application. Otherwise, clear his profile, and use add/remove programs to unistall software which he installed. Then delete the use, from computer management.

Create a new user (you) and thats your profile...

:)

Member Avatar for michael mcnair

how do i reconfirgure my dell opliex gx110 competer

Member Avatar for michael mcnair

how do ireconfirgure my dell opliplex gx110 computer

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