Windows 7 - Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold

Kari

Information

Giving away or selling your old PC with OS can be tricky. Should I leave my software, do I lose my licence, can the buyer see my files even if I delete them, is it OK to install some extras for that cousin of mine I'm giving this rig as a Christmas present?

This tutorial shows you how to prepare a PC to be given away or sold. My main purpose is to show what to do when selling / giving away a used Windows 7 computer, but you can also use this method if you (like me

) got some nice laptops or PC's almost free to be given as presents but they came without OS.

Giving away or selling a PC with everything intact is -sorry to say it- dumb. Not only can it bring a lot of problems and annoyances due to wrongly named user profiles and folders but it's also a security risk. Whatever you think, however careful you think you have been, there's always enough personal information available on a used PC to really make you suffer, if the new owner so decides. If you are giving away a used PC please wipe the hard disk first to ensure your privacy. Then install Windows 7 without any personal user related information.

This is what you need:

A Windows 7 Install Media of your chosen edition
A disk wipe utility. If you do not know any, I recommend using Windows 7 built-in DISKPART command line utility
A PC, of course
Windows 7 Product Key, which you can normally find on a sticker at the bottom or back of the PC. This, of course, is up to you: you can also sell or give away a PC with preinstalled Windows 7 without product key, in which case the buyer / receiver has to produce one

Skills / tutorials needed to manage this procedure:

Phase 1: Wiping the disk

Backup your personal files and folders to an external destination
Use DISKPART Clean All command as told in this tutorial to securely erase (wipe) your hard disk(s)

Phase 2: Installing Seven

Beginn installation of Windows 7 as told in this tutorial. If preparing a used computer which came with a pre-installed Windows 7, remember to use the original edition to ensure OEM product key can be used to activate it
When you reach step 11 in above mentioned installation tutorial, DO NOT ENTER USERNAME AND COMPUTER NAME! Instead press CTRL + SHIFT + F3:
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This boots Windows 7 in so called Audit Mode using built-in administrator profile. There's no need to set up user accounts for now
Continue installation from installation tutorial's step 15
Finally Windows 7 starts in Audit Mode. Click Cancel to close System Preparation Tool for now:
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Install all the drivers and software you want to. When installing software remember to use only valid, legal installation media
Modify Windows 7 theme and appearance as you wish
If selling or giving away the PC equipped with Windows 7 Ultimate, install language packs needed if PC is going to be used in another language than that of your install media
When done, browse to and right click C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe and choose Run as administrator to open System Preparation Tool (sysprep):
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Select Out-of-Box Experience in System Cleanup Action
Select Shutdown in Shutdown Options
Click OK

Computer shuts down, and next time it is booted it is so called first boot (Out-of-Box Experience), stopping to ask initial user profile name and computer name. If language packs are installed (Ultimate or Enterprise), initial first boot also asks user in what language he / she wants Windows to be set up.

This way you can prepare the PC without creating any user accounts or naming the PC, letting the end user to do that.

Easy and quite fast (not counting DISKPART

).

Kari

NoN · 11-14-2011

Excellent Tutorial!

This method is a killer thread for thieves (Out-of-Box Experience)!

Kari · 11-14-2011

Quote: Originally Posted by NoN

Excellent Tutorial!

This method is a killer thread for thieves(Out-of-Box Experience)!

As so many other things around software in general and Windows in particular, it can also be used with criminal intention.

However, thieves do not need this method. They simply clean install new OS, not caring if new owner can recover old owners files.

Method described in this tutorial is legal and valid. Using the argument I highlighted in your quote we could also say we should not have tutorials describing the installation process in general because the criminals can also learn how to install a new OS on a stolen PC.

Kari

Dave76 · 11-15-2011

Great tutorial Kari, thanks.

Will use this if I can ever manage to part with my older machines.

Arc · 11-15-2011

Great Job as always, Kari !

I should have waited for this tutorial to be published before I have sold my older PC as hardware a couple of months ago

seavixen32 · 11-15-2011

Thanks a lot Kari, I'm about to get rid of a Dell desktop I no longer use.

Kari · 11-15-2011

Thanks, geeks. I find this method of preparing a computer to be given away or sold quite practical and wanted to share the know-how.

Kari

Golden · 11-15-2011

Very nicely done Kari. A very valuable tutorial.

Regards,
Golden

jackharvest · 11-30-2011

Kari, excellent tut. Been looking for this forever. I had no idea how people did it.

Question though. I'm selling to an elderly lady... and don't know if she'd be capable of inputting the activation number herself. Can I, during audit mode, activate windows with the key on the bottom of the computer?

Also, wireless networks that are connected to during audit mode - are the passkeys remembered after creating a new user and logging in?

Last question: If I change the wallpaper in Audit mode, does the customer see that wallpaper when they finally log in as their new user?

Thanks!

Kari · 11-30-2011

All modifications on appearance like wallpaper, theme, sounds etc. done on Audit Mode do of course only apply to the built-in administrator account, the user account used when in Audit Mode. If you want to set Windows completely up to someone else, you need to create user accounts and modify those accounts. In this case I recommend you ask the old lady which username she wants to use and go through OOBE welcome phase, creating that account.

Activation can be done on Audit Mode. Also the network or domain credentials are saved but, as with wallpapers, only to built-in administrator account. Each user account most have the initial first time login to network or domain to set and save credentials.

Kari

Windows 7 - Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold

Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold

Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold problems?