cleaning data from a pc running ME

Hi, I have an older PC running Windows ME. I would like to donate it to a
school or church but want to ensure all of my data is removed. Is there a
program or something that looks at all the programs and data to remove? I
hope I don't have to reformat and reinstall that is time I don't have.
Thank You,
John

traumajohn wrote:
Hi, I have an older PC running Windows ME. I would like to donate it to a
school or church but want to ensure all of my data is removed. Is there a
program or something that looks at all the programs and data to remove? I
hope I don't have to reformat and reinstall that is time I don't have.
Thank You,
John

Uninstall everything you don't want. Delete all the data you don't want
and then do a clean up and defrag. Unless the people you are donating it
to have a very expensive retrieval program, your data is, for all
practical purposes, gone.

Alias

Not really. You're the one who knows what programs and data you've added,
not some software. How would it do it? Delete everything after a certain
date? Including Security patches?

And the sensible thing would be to delete it in such a way that it isn't
recoverable, or anyway easily recoverable - and that takes time. Personally
I think it's quicker to format and re-install.

But it how long it would take to remove programs and data depends on how
much you added. If not very much, and it all went to a small no. of places,
ie you never moved default folder locations, maybe it won't be too long. But
to make it practically unrecoverable will take just as long as it basically
requires overwriting all free space on the hard drive several times.

If not very many programs, of course, you uninstall them one by one.

Again, I reckon whichever way, it's a lot quicker to format and re-install.
The real time drain of re-installation is - apart from installing patches -
re-installing programs, and presumably you wouldn't be doing any of that. As
for the former, on broadband just switch automatic updating on and come back
from time to time. Or leave updating for whoever you give the machine to
(especially if not on broadband!). Otherwise, if you can get hold of a copy
of the Windows Security Update CD it'll considerably shorten applying
security patches.


Shane


traumajohn wrote:
Hi, I have an older PC running Windows ME. I would like to donate it
to a school or church but want to ensure all of my data is removed.
Is there a program or something that looks at all the programs and
data to remove? I hope I don't have to reformat and reinstall that is
time I don't have. Thank You,
John

I donated a PC and did everything Alias suggested and more. After
deleting/uninstalling everything I did not want to go with the computer
I did a defrag and used the free Eraser ( http://www.heidi.ie/eraser )
utility to make sure everything was really gone from the hard drive, not
just deleted. With Windows ME I would shut off system restore first.

Tom

Alias wrote:
traumajohn wrote:
Hi, I have an older PC running Windows ME. I would like to donate it
to a school or church but want to ensure all of my data is removed. Is
there a program or something that looks at all the programs and data
to remove? I hope I don't have to reformat and reinstall that is time
I don't have.
Thank You,
John

Uninstall everything you don't want. Delete all the data you don't want
and then do a clean up and defrag. Unless the people you are donating it
to have a very expensive retrieval program, your data is, for all
practical purposes, gone.

Alias

Ah, but it's not *really gone*. It's pretty well established that if you
really want your old data gone, you should take a hammer to the hard drive.
It depends just how much you do not want it recovered. Odds are it won't be,
after defragging, but you'd be amazed at what remains and I've recovered
supposedly overwritten data with software that can be downloaded and run for
free.


Shane

MrTom wrote:
I donated a PC and did everything Alias suggested and more. After
deleting/uninstalling everything I did not want to go with the
computer I did a defrag and used the free Eraser (
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser ) utility to make sure everything was
really gone from the hard drive, not just deleted. With Windows ME I
would shut off system restore first.
Tom

Alias wrote:
traumajohn wrote:
Hi, I have an older PC running Windows ME. I would like to donate it
to a school or church but want to ensure all of my data is removed.
Is there a program or something that looks at all the programs and
data to remove? I hope I don't have to reformat and reinstall that
is time I don't have.
Thank You,
John

Uninstall everything you don't want. Delete all the data you don't
want and then do a clean up and defrag. Unless the people you are
donating it to have a very expensive retrieval program, your data
is, for all practical purposes, gone.

Alias