Deactivate Vista

I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed. I know
I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on my new
computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up the PC with the
Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list of options as you
do with XP. What do I do?

Rosie wrote:
> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed. I
> know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on my
> new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up the PC
> with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list of
> options as you do with XP. What do I do?

No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and you're
done.

Alias

What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
non-techie?

"Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
news:...
> Rosie wrote:
>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed. I
>> know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on my new
>> computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up the PC with
>> the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list of options
>> as you do with XP. What do I do?
>
> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and you're
> done.
>
> Alias

Rosie wrote:
> What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
> non-techie?

What do you plan to do with the drive?

--
Alias
To email me, remove what's invalid

>
> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Rosie wrote:
>>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed.
>>> I know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on
>>> my new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up
>>> the PC with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a
>>> list of options as you do with XP. What do I do?
>>
>> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and
>> you're done.
>>
>> Alias
>

--
Ian

"Rosie" <> wrote in message
news:8EC7C927-7F0C-4652-B0E0-...
> What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
> non-techie?
>
> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Rosie wrote:
>>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed. I
>>> know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on my
>>> new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up the PC
>>> with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list of
>>> options as you do with XP. What do I do?
>>
>> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and you're
>> done.
>>
>> Alias


You need a MS start-up disk with fdisk on it. Come back if you do not
understand.

Ian Betts wrote:
>
>

Nothing quotable because he insists on posting below the signature
delimiter.

Ian - please fix your posting so those of us using newsreaders can
easily quote your posts. Most newsreaders strip out everything after the
signature delimiter. Here is what you wrote:

--
Ian

"Rosie" <> wrote in message
news:8EC7C927-7F0C-4652-B0E0-...
> What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
non-techie?
>
> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
news:...
>> Rosie wrote:
>>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail)
installed. I know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can
install it on my new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried
booting up the PC with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not
getting a list of options as you do with XP. What do I do?
>>
>> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and
you're done.
>>
>> Alias


You need a MS start-up disk with fdisk on it. Come back if you do not
understand.
*****

This is incorrect information in any case. Fdisk will delete/create
partitions but 1) will not format them; 2) deleting partitions and then
formatting will not make the data unrecoverable.

Rosie - If you are selling or discarding your computer, run a disk wipe
on it. A free program that will do this is Darik's Boot and Nuke.

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

Download DBAN for CD/DVD. You need third-party burning software to burn
the .iso. You will then boot the machine with the media you created and
let the program do its thing. This will effectively wipe the drive
completely. There are instructions for using DBAN at the link above.

Acronis Disk Cleanser is an excellent program that does the same thing
and is more user-friendly than DBAN but it isn't free.

If you have a computer repair shop you use regularly, they may do this
for you for nothing or for very little money. I offer this service to my
clients for free, for example.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

--
Ian

"Malke" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Ian Betts wrote:
>>
>>
>
> Nothing quotable because he insists on posting below the signature
> delimiter.
>
> Ian - please fix your posting so those of us using newsreaders can easily
> quote your posts. Most newsreaders strip out everything after the
> signature delimiter. Here is what you wrote:
>
> --
> Ian
>
> "Rosie" <> wrote in message
> news:8EC7C927-7F0C-4652-B0E0-...
> > What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
> non-techie?
> >
> > "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
> news:...
> >> Rosie wrote:
> >>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail)
> installed. I know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install
> it on my new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up
> the PC with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list
> of options as you do with XP. What do I do?
> >>
> >> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and
> you're done.
> >>
> >> Alias
>
>
> You need a MS start-up disk with fdisk on it. Come back if you do not
> understand.
> *****
>
> This is incorrect information in any case. Fdisk will delete/create
> partitions but 1) will not format them; 2) deleting partitions and then
> formatting will not make the data unrecoverable.
>
> Rosie - If you are selling or discarding your computer, run a disk wipe on
> it. A free program that will do this is Darik's Boot and Nuke.
>
> http://dban.sourceforge.net/
>
> Download DBAN for CD/DVD. You need third-party burning software to burn
> the .iso. You will then boot the machine with the media you created and
> let the program do its thing. This will effectively wipe the drive
> completely. There are instructions for using DBAN at the link above.
>
> Acronis Disk Cleanser is an excellent program that does the same thing and
> is more user-friendly than DBAN but it isn't free.
>
> If you have a computer repair shop you use regularly, they may do this for
> you for nothing or for very little money. I offer this service to my
> clients for free, for example.
>
>
> Malke
> --
Malke, fdisk will not format but the MS Start up disk has the Doss format
on it. Try not to confuse people.

Ian

FDISK and Format are not enough to completely remove data from a drive.. all
they do is remove the data flags.. much of the data could still be
recovered.. even writing zeros does not completely obliterate data on a hard
drive..


"Ian Betts" <> wrote in message
news:85E27886-44B1-4C6C-9CDC-...
>
>
> --
> Ian
>
> "Malke" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Ian Betts wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Nothing quotable because he insists on posting below the signature
>> delimiter.
>>
>> Ian - please fix your posting so those of us using newsreaders can easily
>> quote your posts. Most newsreaders strip out everything after the
>> signature delimiter. Here is what you wrote:
>>
>> --
>> Ian
>>
>> "Rosie" <> wrote in message
>> news:8EC7C927-7F0C-4652-B0E0-...
>> > What is the easiest way to wipe the drive, bearing in mind that I am
>> non-techie?
>> >
>> > "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.li> wrote in message
>> news:...
>> >> Rosie wrote:
>> >>> I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail)
>> installed. I know I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install
>> it on my new computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up
>> the PC with the Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a
>> list of options as you do with XP. What do I do?
>> >>
>> >> No Windows OS can be "deactivated". Just wipe the hard drive and
>> you're done.
>> >>
>> >> Alias
>>
>>
>> You need a MS start-up disk with fdisk on it. Come back if you do not
>> understand.
>> *****
>>
>> This is incorrect information in any case. Fdisk will delete/create
>> partitions but 1) will not format them; 2) deleting partitions and then
>> formatting will not make the data unrecoverable.
>>
>> Rosie - If you are selling or discarding your computer, run a disk wipe
>> on it. A free program that will do this is Darik's Boot and Nuke.
>>
>> http://dban.sourceforge.net/
>>
>> Download DBAN for CD/DVD. You need third-party burning software to burn
>> the .iso. You will then boot the machine with the media you created and
>> let the program do its thing. This will effectively wipe the drive
>> completely. There are instructions for using DBAN at the link above.
>>
>> Acronis Disk Cleanser is an excellent program that does the same thing
>> and is more user-friendly than DBAN but it isn't free.
>>
>> If you have a computer repair shop you use regularly, they may do this
>> for you for nothing or for very little money. I offer this service to my
>> clients for free, for example.
>>
>>
>> Malke
>> --
> Malke, fdisk will not format but the MS Start up disk has the Doss
> format on it. Try not to confuse people.
>
>
>
>

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

Ian Betts wrote:
>
>
OK, I guess you're one of those tiresome people who can't admit they're
wrong. Sad, really because sometimes you have something useful to say.
This wasn't one of those times.

For the record, an MS startup disk (Win9x) will have fdisk and format on
it - and a few others things if you care to add them such as CD-ROM
drivers - but it will not do what the OP needs which is to wipe the hard
drive and make the data unrecoverable.

Keep your day job and let's all hope it has nothing to do with
computers. Don't bother to reply because I've killfiled you. You're not
worth any of my time.

*plonk*


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Go to your local computer shop and inquire about a program called "Wipe
drive"...This is a D.o.d (Department of defense) approved program and will
eliminate everything on the drive...I have used it several times on
computers I have disposed of...There will be nothing left just like a new
drive.. software I believe will run you 20 bucks and can be used any number
of times...It also comes with a program called "Wipe media" that will
remove any other stuff you might have on disc's .just my 3 cents
"Rosie" <> wrote in message
news:B87895DA-0813-4AB3-94DC-...
>I am disposing of my PC, which has Vista Premium (Retail) installed. I know
>I have to deactivate it on the PC, before I can install it on my new
>computer, which came with Vista Home. I've tried booting up the PC with the
>Vista Premium CD in the drive, but I am not getting a list of options as
>you do with XP. What do I do?