new or used pc?

Hello Is there a way to tell if a newly delivered pc has been used before?

There are a few signs :

• Windows already has a user
• Windows has been personalised (a custom wallpaper for examples)
• There are someone else's documents on the computer
• There is no 'Void Warranty' sticker on the back, or it is broken
• The interior and exterior of the computer case is dusty
• The delivery box has already been opened
• The contents of the box doesn't have any protective wrapping, or missing stickers / protective sticky plastic. (Usually on the screen)
• Missing documents and manuals.

And that's all I can think of.

If you suspect it's been used before, send it back to the retailer. Unless it's a refurb that is.

There are a few signs :

• Windows already has a user
• Windows has been personalised (a custom wallpaper for examples)
• There are someone else's documents on the computer
• There is no 'Void Warranty' sticker on the back, or it is broken
• The interior and exterior of the computer case is dusty
• The delivery box has already been opened
• The contents of the box doesn't have any protective wrapping, or missing stickers / protective sticky plastic. (Usually on the screen)
• Missing documents and manuals.

And that's all I can think of.

If you suspect it's been used before, send it back to the retailer. Unless it's a refurb that is.

>>Dell said my original order got fouled up and are sending another pc with my original configurations which I went over line item with the rep. I was concerned someone sent one back and I'll be getting theirs or some scenario similiar to that. Little paranoid i guess.

Btw, a bit of subject but I'm giving my old laptop to my neighbor Should I reset the router to factory settingsor just reset the passphrase etc to work with this new one?

Btw, a bit of subject but I'm giving my old laptop to my neighbor Should I reset the router to factory settingsor just reset the passphrase etc to work with this new one?

TBH, if you do not want your neighbor logging on the net using your wireless router, not sure of which os your using you can wipe out the settings. but If it were me and having a new system, I would reset my passphrase to a new one and be done with it.

my 2 cents

Jimbo1

Whenever I sell or give away an old PC I always wipe it using KillDisk :

http://www.killdisk.com/

And then reinstall Windows.

A normal 'format' doesn't always destroy your personal data. KillDisk will overwrite everything with 0's. This will stop any personal documents getting into the wrong hands.

Whenever I sell or give away an old PC I always wipe it using KillDisk :

http://www.killdisk.com/

And then reinstall Windows.

A normal 'format' doesn't always destroy your personal data. KillDisk will overwrite everything with 0's. This will stop any personal documents getting into the wrong hands.

>>Ccleaner has a good program as well as driver wiper.
It's a done deal and thank you.

Whenever I sell or give away an old PC I always wipe it using KillDisk :

http://www.killdisk.com/

And then reinstall Windows.

A normal 'format' doesn't always destroy your personal data. KillDisk will overwrite everything with 0's. This will stop any personal documents getting into the wrong hands.

You would like to think so wouldn't you, but not true, not totally anyway, yes it does zero the drive as you say, but I have still managed to recover data from a zeroed drive before, for serious data destruction you need to do it several times, but that said there is a utility I use called HDD Low Level Format Tool, this is a very unforgiving tool, it WILL wipe you're OS partition while you are using it if you select the wrong partition\drive, it does not ask for confirmation before starting, so triple check you have the correct device selected to wipe, once you hit go it's too late.

But they claim data recovery is not possible after using this tool, and is supposed to be a true low level format tool (similar to what the makers use), but it is dated now, only used it in xp way back, not tried it in newer OS's, I don't know enough to argue the points on true low level formatting versus zeroing, my limited understanding is that the term low level format is only achievable using this software, or what the makers use, other utility's just write zeros, thats what I was told anyway.

Really? That doesn't bode well for anyone selling a second hand PC.

Apparently it's even worse for SSD's :
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/solid-sta…tion,12252.html

It's great for recovering files, but terrible for security.

Yep, I've recovered files from multiple formats using Get Data Back, although the more formats the more corruption there is, the average Joe would have a clue, but anyone with the right tools could find loads of stuff, I believe there was a study done by students somewhere, they went and bought x number of used PC's, all had been fresh installed thinking it would wipe the data, the students then recovered the data and educated the previous owners, my mate does employment law, and I am the only person he lets touch his system, and when he is finished he will have me wipe the drive to ensure recovery is impossible, at least without the fully trained pro's and high tech equipment anyway.

One "best practice" method of wiping a drive I heard off that at least sounds innovative, is to do a normal wipe and then lay down a heavy rock album (speakers off) on an endless loop until the drive is full. Finding anything meaningful under that would be an interesting exercise Cheers, Lee

DBAN (Darick's Boot and Nuke) three pass option will do a darn fine job of making data unrecoverable. My opinion, if you have data that sensitive that you are concerned someone will try to recover it after buying a used computer from you is to physically destroy the hard drive. A 2 pound sledge hammer will do a fine job. Then buy a new hard drive and reload the OS.

For super sensitive material, use a 5lb. sledge

i use any linux live cd and the shred command, here's an old post of mine at a different forum explaining it. :- http://forums.pcpitstop.com/index.php?/top…ost__p__1664028

I know a guy (accountant) that uses the 5 lb sledge method… then drops it in his burn barrel for good measure. He then puts what's left in a storage closet. He has dozens of them but he's afraid to throw them away… just-in-case.

I know a guy (accountant) that uses the 5 lb sledge method… then drops it in his burn barrel for good measure. He then puts what's left in a storage closet. He has dozens of them but he's afraid to throw them away… just-in-case.

I am paranoid but that is extreme lol, TBH by the time they have done all that, the only people who would even have a hope of recovering anything would be secret government types, and they ain't going to do that unless there is an extremely good reason, just tell him bin the pieces a bit at a time in different places, and over a period of time, he should be perfectly safe.