Cleaning up 'OLD' PC's

[Richardk]

I was given a couple of OLD pc's that still work but are probably more 'kids' (like pre-teen) machines to learn or play games on. The problem is that the former owners left all their junk on the PC's but don't have any of the original media for me to do a reinstall of the OS.

My issue is even with their good intentions, I'm not sure if I can 'find' all their personal data before donating these machines. The best option would be a fresh install, next is to clean them up the best I can and lastly just scrap them out.

So I'm wondering am I missing something here, like a great 'cleaning' tool, a source of old images for a reinstall or another option?

[The Gorn]

To give away? Format the drives and install Ubuntu on both of them.

Cleaning up an old Windows PC can take forever. Will the next person appreciate being given an old install of Windows that has no media backing it up? Ubuntu would be more functional than an old copy of Windows 98. You could even print a nice label for a media disk and add the Ubuntu disk to the unit.

I've thought of putting Ubuntu on some old PCs of mine when/if I put them out for a yard sale. It would kind of remove all doubt about handing out copies of my personal records on the hard drives. And there would be no licensing issues (some of my PCs have Windows install from the MS Action Pack on them, which is for internal use only.)

[Origisaurus]

What GB said.

If you are giving away a functioning box, the donee who wants Windoze should be more than happy to pay $50 or so for a legal copy of XP, which is current.

[The Gorn]

Cleaning up someone else's neglected Windows PC.

But Linux is good enough now to be a great operating system for PCs that you give away or sell used for cheap. Installation is very painless. Mainly you keep hitting enter.

If you put some icons on the desktop for common needs like web, most Windows users will be able to pick it right up (and most cheap PCs will be bought for exactly one use - web surfing.)

We have 3 old PCs in the basement. My vision the next time we have a yard sale is to clean them up and put Ubuntu on every one of them, hook them all up to a hub, and run a network connection out to the garage and have a demonstration system set up on a table out there. It may not make much money but I'm just curious what the reaction of shoppers would be to a well running PC for under $50 running what looks like a  nice environment.

Windows licensing is too inflexible to make it worthwhile to try to slip a fresh operating system install into a used or free PC.

[codger]

I like the Linux installation approach. Clean. Simple. But depending on where these old PCs are destined, I would be concerned about whether M$ Office applications will be "required."

For myself, OpenOffice is just fine. Many people who were reared on M$ applications seem to freeze at the idea of using an "alien" set of apps.

[Lagado]

To clean the data I'd recommend DBAN (http://www.dban.org/).  A good boot disk that wipes everything.  You could then install Ubuntu and give them away for websurfing machines.  If somebody wants XP they can buy it or a cheap version of Windows 7.

If you are truly paranoid, pull the hard drives from the boxes before giving them away. 

[The Gorn]

I like the Linux installation approach. Clean. Simple. But depending on where these old PCs are destined, I would be concerned about whether M$ Office applications will be "required."

For myself, OpenOffice is just fine. Many people who were reared on M$ applications seem to freeze at the idea of using an "alien" set of apps.

Somebody that picky isn't the "market" for a free or ultra cheap used PC. Seriously, you get to a point here where most common software would cost a lot more than the PC it's loaded onto. Windows XP Pro OEM is still about $150 (about the same price as Windows 7 Pro OEM). Most really old PCs aren't worth hauling away as scrap. But they are ideal playthings for kids.

[Richardk]

I recall some free kids games that were Windows based but today with all the entertainment systems even a 7 year old would quickly get bored with "old" PC games. Perhaps calling them 'web surfing' machines would lessen the 'no Windows' question.

Yes, same thoughts on the "what no M$ applications?"

I guess, I don't care. I just want easy and get them out of here.

[Hmm, a Linux print server or file server? Probably should sell my old parallel port printers as well, unless I suddenly find a need to use multi-part tractor feed forms. As for a file server (kids music?), maybe as a secondary backup device but I bet it would suck more power in a years time than what a new NAS device costs. Maybe repurposing isn't a good idea here?]

[Richardk]

If you are truly paranoid, pull the hard drives from the boxes before giving them away. 

One client pulled the drives and drilled holes through them on a drill press.

[pxsant]

If the person wanted to run Windows applications or Windows games, you could refer them to the Codeweavers applications.  They allow you to run many Windows apps or games under Linux.  The games version or standard Windows versions are $39.95 each.

BTW, for Codger, they also have MAC versions.

[The Gorn]

I tried WINE a while back for some older applications. A few things worked and some things didn't. It seemed to require a lot of tinkering.

[pxsant]

The Codeweavers products are based on WINE but they are cleaned up, have a GUI front end and are much easier to use.  No complicated setup or tinkering. 

There is a list of applications which are certified on the Codeweavers site.

Their primary emphasis is on common applications like MS Office, Photoshop and others.  It does not run everything but gives you the ability to run the apps most likely to be an issue.

[codger]

Why would I want to soil my pristine Macs with M$ virus traps?

[jbucks]

[Origisaurus]

Most really old PCs aren't worth hauling away as scrap. But they are ideal playthings for kids.

They probably won't run very well under XP, i. e., bloatware.  Small RAM and disc, plus slow CPU.  OK for Linux, and of course you can still buy Win 9x media.