Tech Help again for a duffer

[BensGrandad]

I always scan all of the letters etc that arrive at my home and having been doing so for a few years but when so doing I become impatient and quite often click to write to CD before the work has finished and I end up with the letter being the background of my desk top. I now have about 50 letters and keep going back to control panel to bring a suitable back ground up.

I want to delete all of these letters etc but have tried a system restore to factory settings but that didnt clear them how else could I do it as I am thinking of buying a new PC and dont want those letters to be freely available to who ever I give the PC to.

If you know how to do it its very easy but to somebody like me who doesnt it is a problem. Thanks for any advice offered.

 

[clippedgull]

You will need to format your hard disk and re-install windows. Or get a programme that overwrites files a number of times to make them virtually impossible to recover. Be aware that, aside from physically destroying a hard drive, remnants of files will always be able to be recovered by a skilled specialist. But for a run of the mill purchaser of a second hand machine then formatting should be sufficient.

 

[BensGrandad]

Thanks for that but will I have to buy a copy of windows xp as the installed one came with the machine when I bought it at PC World some 6/7 years ago.

 

[clippedgull]

Thanks for that but will I have to buy a copy of windows xp as the installed one came with the machine when I bought it at PC World some 6/7 years ago.

Did you have the option to make some restore disks when you first turned the machine on? If so, you should be able to format and then re-install using those.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Thanks for that but will I have to buy a copy of windows xp as the installed one came with the machine when I bought it at PC World some 6/7 years ago.

Not for your current PC - the copy that came with it is licensed to that PC ONLY. You usually get an XP CD with the PC - put it in your CD drive, re-boot and select install a fresh copy of XP. In part of the installation process you'll be asked if you want to format the hard drive - you want to say yes. Obviously make sure you've copied all your data off the PC before doing any of this.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Get a little memory stick. It'll cost you about a tenner, it has more memory than you could ever scan letters to fill, and you can keep it on your keyring. Just plug it in the USB, er, plug in your PC and copy the letters onto it. Then hit your PC with a big hammer. Simples.

 

[BensGrandad]

Did you have the option to make some restore disks when you first turned the machine on? If so, you should be able to format and then re-install using those.

That is what I did for the restore to factory settings and it didnt remove the letters off of the list of options for a desktop background.

 

[clippedgull]

That is what I did for the restore to factory settings and it didnt remove the letters off of the list of options for a desktop background.

Ok, But what you will need to do, is select format then re-install using those disks that you have created.

As Westdene Seagull says above, put the disks in your cd drive, then re-boot and select format/re-install options.

 

[Everest]

Search for "recovery" in your START seach window.
You may be able to burn the disks from there.
It does on Vista.

 

[happypig]

Personally I would destroy the hard drive, it's the only way to be sure all your personal data stays secure.

 

[zego]

If you scanned them, and saved to CD, then the CD will remind you what the filenames are.

Search your hard-drive for those files. Open them to check they are what you are looking for, and are certain you want to get rid of, then delete. Think twice - do once! Then empty recycle bin - last chance for another think!

That will mean Desktop doesn't have access to them.

If you are not about to pass on your PC, that should be enough.

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Files will remain recoverable by un-delete software, widely available, at least until over-written by later data. The cleverer ones can 'see through' the formatting as well.

If you want to make it harder for anyone else to get at your deletions, use a secure-wipe program to foil un-delete program.

If your files are really very valuable to someone else, at least traces can still be recovered by specialist hardware - an expensive process in terms of time and ££s.

The nearest to total security is to remove the hard-drive and smash it with the biggest sledgehammer you can beg/borrow/steal!

Even then the remaining fragments can reveal compromising information!

Old, low capacity, hard-drives are virtually worthless as drives, so don't fret about destroying - but the data is another thing - even the oldest smallest floppy-disk (remember them?!) can hold priceless and/or crippling information about you and your past activities.

 

[BensGrandad]

I was told by the man who originally installed a computer for me, he was an IT specialist for Surrey Police, that it is impossible to delete all files and the police can have access to them even if deleted. It is expensive but can be done to recover data but even if you buried it in concrete for 20 years it can still be read. I dont want any of that just not make it not easily available to a normal person.

 

[BensGrandad]

If you scanned them, and saved to CD, then the CD will remind you what the filenames are.

Search your hard-drive for those files. Open them to check they are what you are looking for, and are certain you want to get rid of, then delete. Think twice - do once! Then empty recycle bin - last chance for another think!

That will mean Desktop doesn't have access to them.

If you are not about to pass on your PC, that should be enough.

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I have the files on Cds and gaining access is not the problem. The problem is that I have, through being impatient not waited until the write to CD option haas come up and clicked on the previous option which is set as desktopbackground and cannpot now remove them from that. Normal delete does not send them to the recycle bin. If only it did life would be simple.