Thread: remove password

Originally Posted by macklin

I have sold my Windows 7 laptop, but how do i remove my password so the buyer can use it

Only way is whats called a Gov format or Fdisk and resinstall of Op system.

If it's similar to Vista, there should be a Remove Password in User Accounts which is accessed via the Control Panel via the Start button

Start, Control Panel, Add Remove User Accounts, make a new administrator account without a password.
Log off & log on again as the new user, go back into Add Remove User Account & remove your account & tell it to remove all your files & settings as well.

In the interests of protecting your data, I'd recommend doing a complete reinstall of Windows.

Originally Posted by codeMunk3y

In the interests of protecting your data, I'd recommend doing a complete reinstall of Windows.

even this would not guarantee protection of any data if it had not been written over.
There are specialist progs out there that can retrieve data from discs, the ONLY sure way of being safe if there is any sensitive data on any hard drive is to destroy it with a hammer and install a new hard drive then install new OS

Originally Posted by cedarwood

even this would not guarantee protection of any data if it had not been written over.
There are specialist progs out there that can retrieve data from discs, the ONLY sure way of being safe if there is any sensitive data on any hard drive is to destroy it with a hammer and install a new hard drive then install new OS

This may be the easiest way. Not the cheapest. And certainly not the only way.

Macklin, I certainly wouldn't just change the password or just add and new user then delete the old one. You really should think about a milspec deletion software, disk formatting/partitioning, reinstalling the OS then reinstalling any s/w.

If you don't know the buyer then anything esle is risky. If you do know the buyer, then you'll forever be explaining and fixing any "customization" you've done during your ownership. Better to hand over a pristine system.

Of course there are various levels of overwriting data. Last time I handed on a laptop, I wrote the Hard drive 3 times with random data before doing a clean install.

Studies have shown that you can still get data off HDDs ( using electron microscopes ) even after they've been overwritten 10+ times. The FBI just grind their old drives up and put them into the foundations of new buildings.

For the scenario here, the OP would probably need to wipe the drive, write random data a couple of times and then do a clean install. If someone was trying to gain financial data or similar, then they can get second hand HDDs off eBay for a lot less price, and on too many occasions, all the data is still there.

My sons LT HDD was written over 3 times by techies after formating to remove a virus I recovered all their photos and info after that. Yet his bosses no way and it had only been written over twice.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

My sons LT HDD was written over 3 times by techies after formating to remove a virus I recovered all their photos and info after that......

Maybe that's just what they told you.............

Originally Posted by TermiMonster

Maybe that's just what they told you.............

No the software showed the depth I had to go through and number of writes. The techies couldn't or wouldn't retrieve the required photos etc. Oh and starting price was $1200 if they did.