[PCWorld]

Post your comments for How to Sell Your Old PC here

[Rommel]

Great timing and great tips.

I am about to sell a used pc.

A good one I might add.

[kitsune17717]

Why does the article tell you to run an antivirus scan, then right after that tells you to wipe the drive? LOGIC FAIL.
Other than that, good article.

[JimH443]

kitsune17717 said:

Why does the article tell you to run an antivirus scan, then right after that tells you to wipe the drive? LOGIC FAIL.

Other than that, good article.

You may not be aware of the very real possibility that wiping an infected disk does not remove the virus. What you end up with is a blank disk - if you don't count the virus infected boot sector.

[insightdriver]

The article presumes a number of things that may not apply. Many of us have an old computer and already have a newer computer we use.

My approach to selling an old computer consists of opening up the machine and cleaning it first. Replacing fans that don't spin fast anymore (a common problem in older machines.

Second, evaluate the hardware and possibly add some new things to make a computer more useful. For example, many older computers have only CD/DVD ROM drives. A new DVD burner is inexpensive and definately can make an older machine worth more.

Third, if it is going to have Windows, then include the original Windows CD that came with it, and have the COA in the machine somewhere. This assurance that the person buying the machine will get all updates and has a legal copy of the OS. This also has the benefit of reassuring someone that they could reinstall the OS at any time.

Finally there are many free software programs I install on a machine and others could easily add to the list. Firefox, Star Office, Ad Aware, Spybot, a free anti-virus and firewall program. (I do encourage people to buy a modern suite, such as Norton 360 as the product is easier for a non technical user to us, has automatic updates, and argueably is superior to the free products out there).

[insightdriver]

Even if there is a virus in the boot sector, deleting the partion information then creating a new partition and formatting the HD as part of the process of doing a fresh install will rewrite the boot sector and wipe any boot virus off it.

[g4acre]

a lot of people are not as tech savvy as others and they are a danger to themself's when selling a used PC full of private info.this artical is a good place to start for them & if in doubt as a PC savvy friend.better safe than sorry or a few $ richer for the moment untill identity is stolen from an old PC.G4acre B-)

[JimH443]

insightdriver said:

Even if there is a virus in the boot sector, deleting the partion information then creating a new partition and formatting the HD as part of the process of doing a fresh install will rewrite the boot sector and wipe any boot virus off it.

Yes, this is true: As far as you've taken it. What happens next is that the virus (which is in memory) then writes itself back to the boot sector.

[insightdriver]

Ok, let me clarify.. say the hard drive has a virus in the boot sector. I decide I want to sell the PC. I take the windows disc, reboot to the CD. I use the tools, delete the partition, make a new partition and format it. Where in memory is this virus? Not in ram, I rebooted. Not on the hard drive, I wiped it and rewrote the boot sector. Sorry, but the theory that a virus can remain on a pc with such a procedure completed is not correct.

[JimH443]

I stand corrected. Yes, if you don't boot off the hard drive there's a very good chance the virus won't load into memory. It's not 100% certain, since any disk reads have the potential for loading a virus. But I'll grant that it's 99% likely it will successfully eliminate the virus.

[bilalakhtar]

Good guide, i m now going to sell my old PC.