Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold

   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:

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

Phase 1: Wiping the disk

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

Phase 2: Installing Seven

1. Begin 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
2. 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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3. 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
4. Finally Windows 7 starts again in Audit Mode. Click Cancel to close System Preparation Tool for now:
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5. Install all the drivers and software you want to. When installing software remember to use only valid, legal installation media
6. 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
7. 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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8. Select Out-of-Box Experience in System Cleanup Action
   
9. Select Shutdown in Shutdown Options
   
10. 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

 

[Kari]

Sorry to reply to an old thread but is there a similar process in Vista? I searched the Vista forum but couldn't find anything about this, and it's a brilliant way to retire and give away an old machine.

Regards.

You can follow the tutorial as it is also with Vista. For instance the Audit Mode works on Vista (and on Eight) exactly as on Seven, so this method is valid and works for Vista, Seven and Eight alike.

Kari

 

[PhK]

Hi Kari

I know its quite some time since you posted this great tutorial. However, I hope you still might be able to help me with it.
I followed the steps on a Win7 Pro x64 Samsung Laptop. After I pressed the Ctrl+Shift+F3 the laptop rebooted as described but instead of continuing with step 15 of the Clean Install Tutorial the System Preparation Tool was displayed. After I pressed Cancel the desktop was displayed but the installation seemed not completed, there was no Ethernet installed for example.

So I must have missed something or the procedure has somehow changed in the meantime.

Thanks for your help.

Philippe

 

[Kari]

So I must have missed something or the procedure has somehow changed in the meantime.

Hi Philippe, welcome to the Seven Forums.

No, you have not missed something, I just had an unnecessary step in the instructions. My apologies for that. I have now removed the list item asking to continue from installation tutorial step 15 as totally unnecessary.

The Sysprep box in the middle of the display when you arrive to desktop means you have successfully booted to Audit Mode. As told in step 4 click Cancel to close the Sysprep dialog and continue from step 5 in this tutorial..

Please come back if you need any assistance.

Kari

 

[PhK]

Thank you Kari

Its much appreciated!

Cheers,
Philippe

 

[cripple10]

Hi Kari, thanks for great tutorial. Quick question, if I have already installed windows and given username and PC name can I still do this? I have heard that if I do it now it will delete the administrator and cause issues for the new user?

Cheers

 

[Kari]

Hi Cripple10, welcome to the Seven Forums.

The whole idea of this procedure is that the new user starts as if the PC was all new. It has no user accounts, nothing, but instead when booted first time it starts from this asking the new user to create the initial, first user account which will automatically be an administrator account:

Kari

 

[cripple10]

Thanks man, understand that. If I however run the sysprep /audit /reboot and then choose the OOBE without the generalise option will it still work. Basically I have a PC that I have installed win 7 on. It has booted and I have installed all drivers etc. now I want to reset it back to the OOBE so I can sell it.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Kari]

The generalize phase is not only to remove drivers, it is also needed to remove all traces of product code and activation data. Doing it in your way works but is not an ideal solution.

Kari

 

[cripple10]

Cheers. I want to keep all the product activation data as I have built this to be used with the windows key I have loaded. I don't need to create an image as this is a one time reset for the new user.

Will my way still work and will the new user still get the OOBE etc...? Will the account they then create be an administrator on the PC or do I end up blowing that away when I do the sysprep?

Thanks again for your help and sorry I'm a noob!

 

[Kari]

Sysprep does not remove any user accounts. If you sysprep an existing Windows setup with existing users, they will still be there after the sysprep. Even in this case a new user must be created in OOBE phase and it will be admin user, this happens every time after the Sysprep (exception: if the new user is automatically created in an additional, optional answer file used with sysprep).

So let's say you have user accounts Shiva (admin user), Buddha and Allah, then you sysprep. Next boot will be an OOBE boot and requires creating a new admin user. If you now try to create a user Shiva, Buddha or Allah, you get an error message telling that the account already exists, so you need to create a new admin user. OK, you create a new admin user God. When Windows finally ends OOBE and boots to desktop, you have now two admin users (God and Shiva), and two standard users (Buddha and Allah).

Only way to give / sell the PC away without any user accounts is to boot to Audit Mode which automatically uses the built-in admin account, then remove all user accounts and finally sysprep to OOBE.

Kari

 

[cripple10]

Cool, thanks Kari. So my plan is to sysprep /audit /reboot , delete the user account I created then OOHE without generalize as this will be the PC the image stays on and I want all drivers kept. I should then be good with only the account that the user creates on the next boot? I'm basically trying to avoid reinstalling windows again.

 

[Kari]

Yes. When you have deleted all existing users in Audit Mode, check that the Users folder only has three first level subfolders, Administrator, Public and Default (hidden folder). I mean, if a user folder exists other than those three after you have deleted other users, manually delete the folders belonging to those deleted users.

Next, sysprep with /generalize, /oobe and /shutdown switches. When computer shuts down, you are done. Next time it will be booted it will go through the OOBE / Welcome phase and let the new owner create the initial user account, which as already mentioned will automatically be an admin account.

Kari

 

[cripple10]

Excellent, all done and tested.

Thanks so much for your help Kari. It's people like you that make forums so helpful.

Cheers

 

[Kari]

You are welcome .

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks Kari I often wondered how the pre built stuff was set up

 

[Kari]

You are welcome John .

This is one way. It gives a "virgin" computer with absolutely no traces of its earlier life.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes mate I just wanted to be sure any trace of 7 will be gone for the 10 install - when I can get my head around it.

 

[razy60]

Hi I know this is an older thread but quick question, can I use this method to install 7 then upgrade to 10 so that when I sell it the pc has win10 on?

 

[z3r010]

If you're doing it to ultimately install Windows 10 then this might be a better option for you - Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums

 

[Kari]

Hi I know this is an older thread but quick question, can I use this method to install 7 then upgrade to 10 so that when I sell it the pc has win10 on?

You don't need to install Windows 7 first.

If you want to give or sell your old PC with Windows 10 and some preinstalled software, then use this method as told in the tutorial. Clean install Windows 10 as @z3r010 told above, then follow the steps told in this tutorial to prepare your PC to be given away or sold.

If you want to give or sell your PC as "new", just Windows 10 installed without any preinstalled software and user accounts, this method will be unnecessary. You can simply reset the PC after the 10 is installed. Reseting Windows 10 removes all user accounts and personal data, leaving Windows 10 as if it was a brand new installation without any user accounts. The next time the PC will be started it starts as if it was the first time ever it was booted.

Reset Windows 10: Reset Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Kari