How do I remove personal information from my Compaq LTE 5300 before selling it?

[pjzz]

How do I remove personal information from a Compaq LTE 5300 before selling it? Is there a hard drive I have to remove? The computer works and has Word and other software on it. I'd like to keep the software on it for the buyer.

 

[USAFRet]

How do I remove personal information from a Compaq LTE 5300 before selling it? Is there a hard drive I have to remove? The computer works and has Word and other software on it. I'd like to keep the software on it for the buyer.

Full wipe and reinstall. Nothing less.
What OS is on it?

 

[InvalidError]

If your SSD or HDD contains sensitive data that you don't want to see resurface, you need to either use the long-format method for HDDs which writes a test pattern to every sector then reads it back to check for bad sectors or use the SSD vendor's secure-erase tool to ensure even the over-provision space (extra space to help with wear leveling and substitute for worn-out pages) gets cleaned out.

 

[pjzz]

Windows 98. Sorry but I don't know what a full wipe is or how to do one. I also don't have the software disks to reinstall.

 

[USAFRet]

Windows 98. Sorry but I don't know what a full wipe is or how to do one. I also don't have the software disks to reinstall.

Windows 98?
Oh my....

I don't suppose you know the hardware specs of this?
How much are you selling it for?

 

[drivinfast247]

Selling a laptop with Win98 on it? There's a sucker born every minute.

You will need the Windows 98 software disc or the recovery disc.

 

[pjzz]

How do I remove the hard drive? I guess I will just sell the PC for parts.

 

[pjzz]

Windows 98. Sorry but I don't know what a full wipe is or how to do one. I also don't have the software disks to reinstall.

Windows 98?
Oh my....

I don't suppose you know the hardware specs of this?
How much are you selling it for?

Not sure yet

 

[USAFRet]

Windows 98. Sorry but I don't know what a full wipe is or how to do one. I also don't have the software disks to reinstall.

Windows 98?
Oh my....

I don't suppose you know the hardware specs of this?
How much are you selling it for?

Not sure yet

Unless it is $15, and the new owner really, really knows what he's doing with it....he's getting ripped off.
Seriously.

Anything old enough to still be running Win98 needs a careful touch.
It is not a viable system for everyday use in 2018.

 

[pjzz]

Windows 98. Sorry but I don't know what a full wipe is or how to do one. I also don't have the software disks to reinstall.

Windows 98?
Oh my....

I don't suppose you know the hardware specs of this?
How much are you selling it for?

Not sure yet

Unless it is $15, and the new owner really, really knows what he's doing with it....he's getting ripped off.
Seriously.

Anything old enough to still be running Win98 needs a careful touch.
It is not a viable system for everyday use in 2018.

Thanks for the info. If you look on EBAY, there are a few Compaq selling for quite a bit of money. Some are for parts and some work. I will be honest about the computer when I sell it.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for the info. If you look on EBAY, there are a few Compaq selling for quite a bit of money. Some are for parts and some work. I will be honest about the computer when I sell it.

I only say that because Win 98 and that system is not viable today.
Long out of support and vulnerable to all sorts of malware, and will not run current applications.

An unsuspecting user will see a PC shaped box, and assume it is no different than what you'd buy today.
Do you have a buyer lined up, or are you in the planning stages of this?

 

[InvalidError]

I only say that because Win 98 and that system is not viable today.
Long out of support and vulnerable to all sorts of malware, and will not run current applications.

I suspect most people looking for a Win98 system have specific uses for it, such as running legacy software that doesn't run properly on Win2k/XP and newer or hardware that doesn't have drivers/software for anything newer either. That's the only reason I can think of for Win98-era systems to still have any value today. I still have an old Toshiba laptop I keep around mainly for use as a serial terminal.