Steps to safely delete restore points (how to)

[bErEsTh]

Basically I have a computer that I used for a home buisness that I am donating to a family that doesnt have a PC. I would like to make sure that any confidential records cant be retreived using system restore (financial data. Can I erase restore ponts without harming the operating system. If I can, is it as simple as deleteing a particular folder? Thanks for any help offered.

 

[linney]

Your machine will be full of remnants of your old data, all over the place, in files, or just as scrambled bits of data scattered around the hard drive.

Something like this may not be practical for you but a read of the site will explain things to you.

http://www.east-tec.com/formatsc/

A more practical solution would be for you to Format the hard drive and re-install Windows, but let the new people set up any extra users themselves.

HOW TO: Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP (Q313348)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q313/3/48.asp

Read the paragraph,
"How to Partition and Format Your Hard Disk by Using Windows XP Setup."


For more help (shows enlargeable screenshots) go here.

http://www.petri.co.il/install_windows_xp_pro.htm

You could remove the hard drive yourself, and keep it as a spare.

Format THOROUGHLY
thread779-601114

To answer your question about System Restore, if you disable it (Apply and OK), and then turn it back on, all restore points will be automatically removed. Right-click the My Computer icon/ Properties/ System Restore.

 

[bErEsTh]

My only fear is that I bought this system from Best Buy, which is a HP box and it never came with a operating cd, so my fear is having to tell the people I am giving it to go buy another version of windows. Then there is the activation process and I am not sure how that would work. I am not selling it. I aplogize if this question is already answered in these links.

 

[bErEsTh]

OOps I see the info on the restore points. Thanks.