[ilurvegiraffes]

Hi all,

Firstly please accept my apologies in advance if this is a stupid question.

I want to sell my laptop, which is running on Windows 7 Home version. I would like to wipe the hard drive before I sell it, but am worried if I do that it will wipe the Windows 7 too. If this is the case, I never received a CD Rom with the laptop with anything to re-install it - is there some other way of re-installing it or would I need to purchase it (Windows) again?

In a nutshell I basically want to wipe any personal information that may be on there securely, but leave windows on there if possible. I'm happy to pay for any software needed to wipe it, but just want some advice before I do.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give.

ilurvegiraffes

Edited by ilurvegiraffes, 24 January 2011 - 10:33 AM.

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Hello

If you wipe the hard drive you will lose everything. Windows, Data the lot. The only way to get Microsoft Windows back on will be either 1 or 2 ways

• Re-install using a recovery partition which may of been installed when the laptop was first bought
• Buy a new disk

The only other option will be to install Linux. I have provided a few links below for a few flavours of this operating system

OpenSuse
Ubuntu
Mandriva

Regards

[wizzy2k5]

Hello

If you wipe the hard drive you will lose everything. Windows, Data the lot. The only way to get Microsoft Windows back on will be either 1 or 2 ways

• Re-install using a recovery partition which may of been installed when the laptop was first bought
• Buy a new disk

The only other option will be to install Linux. I have provided a few links below for a few flavours of this operating system

OpenSuse
Ubuntu
Mandriva

Regards

[rshaffer61]

Wizzy is completely correct in his assessment of the situation. Since you have provided no information on the laptop like brand name, make and model we cannot advise as to steps to get to the recovery partition.
This will do a total wipe and return the system to a factory default state of working. Only the original programs and data will be on the system as it left the factory.

[ilurvegiraffes]

I have a Samsung R540, and yes if you do have any advice regarding recovery partition that would be much appreciated. If not I will probably just have to re-purchase windows. Thanks again for your advice, it's appreciated.

[wizzy2k5]

Hello

It may have a recovery partition installed if its Windows Vista or Windows 7. Upon bootup repeatedly tap F8 and look for something like system recovery. F8 is normally used for Safe Mode but I have seen it in that menu before. Other typical keys upon bootup will be F10 and F12. Some computers do have other keys to press and range from F1 - F12 but try F8, F10 and F12 if they fail then try the others. F2 or Delete will probably bring up the BIOS so ignore that one.

Regards

[ilurvegiraffes]

That's excellent, thank you. I'm planning to wipe it in the next day or two, and will post back how I get on. It would make sense it having a partition as I thought it was strange that no disks came with the laptop.