Struggling to reset/wipe Windows Vista Ultimate PC

S

SuperFuzz

New Member
So someone wants to buy my old 2008 custom built Windows Vista Ultimate PC. I want to basically put it back to factory settings so my deleted data is definitely not recoverable. However, I have tried all the solutions advice articles have suggested and I can't seem to get it to reset.

First of all, I tried hitting F8 when the computer started up, nothing happened. I managed however to open up a blue screen with all the drives listed...see below for a pic:


Somehow I managed to get the screen that usually comes up by hitting F8. However, there was no option on that list to repair or restore the computer.

I somehow ended up on this screen to at some point, not sure what it's all about:



I have tried restarting the computer with the Windows installer disc inside the drive, as this is supposed to give you an option to reinstall Windows, which allegedly wipes everything from before. However, nothing happens with this disc inside at start-up.

Anyone got ideas? I just want to reset the PC to factory settings and/or reinstall Windows so that none of my personal data I have deleted and none of my files are recoverable, since I am selling it to a stranger

Also, would uninstalling Windows and then reinstalling this wipe the drives? If so I can do that.

I found a program called 'Darik's Boot and Nuke', which I read about here: http://lifehacker.com/5835369/how-do-i-securely-wipe-a-computer-before-donating-it-to-charity

If I run that at start up will that wipe the PC as good as it will get?
 
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You can DBAN which Darik's boot and nuke or even Killdisk to wipe the drive and reinstall windows. If this is a custom pc that you originally installed vista to then there is no way to do a system recovery to reinstall windows like there is with OEM machines. You basically boot to the install disk, delete partitions, repartition and install windows.
 
johnb35 said:
You can DBAN which Darik's boot and nuke or even Killdisk to wipe the drive and reinstall windows. If this is a custom pc that you originally installed vista to then there is no way to do a system recovery to reinstall windows like there is with OEM machines. You basically boot to the install disk, delete partitions, repartition and install windows.
Click to expand...

Okay I have got Darik's Boot and Nuke. Is this enough to fully wipe drive?
 
I have the installation media for Windows yeah.

How many rounds and passes should I select for Darik's Boot and Nuke?
 
SuperFuzz said:
Okay but it says in guides that it's not recommended you do that, especially if you have more than one HDD. I have three.
Click to expand...
Probably because of a risk of data loss I would assume.

Are you nuking the data on all the drives? Do you plan to reinstall Windows Vista before you sell it?
 
Geoff said:
Probably because of a risk of data loss I would assume.

Are you nuking the data on all the drives? Do you plan to reinstall Windows Vista before you sell it?
Click to expand...

Yes I want to nuke the data on all the drives. Then I will reinstall Windows Vista before I sell it.
 
if not so important DATA then normally partition all the hard disk again and install fresh OS or low level format first all 3 hdd's (hard to recover the data in this mode)
 
Hey guys, so I managed to wipe the harddrives with Darik's Boot and Nuke. However, now I can't seem to install Windows. What I do is put the Windows disc in and turn the computer on. The computer starts up and I get the Windows loading screen, and then I just get this blue screen....and there's nothing I can do:



It doesn't seem to recognise the installer disc is inside the computer. I have tried starting up the computer and pressing F8 and trying to boot it from the CD drive that the disc is in, but the same thing happens. Help! What can I do? Did I wreck my computer???
 
Is the disk scratched at all? There still may be access to an iso file for Vista if it is.
 
johnb35 said:
Is the disk scratched at all? There still may be access to an iso file for Vista if it is.
Click to expand...

No it isn't scratched. I know it works because before I did the wipe, I put the disc in and went through the process just before installation on it and checked I had the right verification code and it was all fine.
 
What does the disk actually say? Can you post a photo of it?

Could be bad memory or one of the hard drives are bad. Disconnect all hard drives except for the one you want to install windows to and try again.
 
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