deleting all data except OS

I am giving an older laptop away and I wanted to wipe all the programs and
data off the hard drive. I didn't want to format and then reload all the
drivers, do the updates, etc. Is there an easier way?

Actually, format and reload the OS and drivers would be the easy way.
If you don't want to do that;

You have to uninstall all of the programs one at a time.
You have to delete all of your files.
You have to load and run a registry clean-up program.
You have to install file-wipe programs and run each several times.
You have to scandisk and defrag completely (several time would be good)
and still, someone with the right tools could remove private data from the
drive.

"Mark Corbelli" corbellicrewatcomcastdotnet wrote in message
...
I am giving an older laptop away and I wanted to wipe all the programs and
data off the hard drive. I didn't want to format and then reload all the
drivers, do the updates, etc. Is there an easier way?

Mark Corbelli wrote:
I am giving an older laptop away and I wanted to wipe all the programs and
data off the hard drive. I didn't want to format and then reload all the
drivers, do the updates, etc. Is there an easier way?



Heck, wipe everything off and let them do the install from the CD or
whatever your OS media was.


Rick