# how to clear my old pc



## flames1965 (Mar 26, 2011)

I am looking to clear off all the old junk off my older pc and leave the operating system so its faster I need some advice on what to do thank you


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

Format the drive while you reload the operating system. That's truly the only way to fully get all the unused files off the drive.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

Either that, or use a factory restore disc.


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## poppameth (Oct 2, 2008)

You really need to blank it and reinstall the OS. Use a GParted Live CD to blanks the HDD and reinstall whatever OS you have. Once you get it up and running, do all of your system updates before putting anything else back on there. Then make an image of the drive with a free tool like Paragon Drive Backup Free. In the future you can use that backup to restore the PC to the exact condition it was in when you made the image. It takes far less time than a complete reinstall and you'll only have to do some updates and install your custom software.


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## flames1965 (Mar 26, 2011)

Ok thank you but I don't have the operating system on a disk just on the computer is there a way to copy the operating system onto a blank disk


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

Use revo uninstaller to remove programs you no longer want. http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

Then go to www.filehippo.com. 
Download Ccleaner and run with recommended default settings. 
After that download Defraggler and defrag partitions. 
Then download Malwarebytes and run to see if any malware is affecting performance.

If still not improved, check if your computer came with ability to restore op system. Often it's on a hidden partition on the hard drive and some F key or combination of F key and another key will start process. Google your brand and model for advice on how to restore system. It will restore to condition of when you first turned it on when new. Then update with Windows Update.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Manual cleaning of a system by an amateur does not guarantee removal of all the viruses and spyware and rootkits that slow down a computer.

You either need to use all the latest and greatest virus removers or wipe the disk clean and reload the entire operating system from scratch from the system CD disks you hopefully made (burned from a hidden partition) when you bought the computer.

If you use Gparted to copy a backed up operating system, there is no guarantee that the backed up copy was totally free of viruses, etc. Also you cannot copy a working operating system from another computer as it was customized for that computer when installed there.

Most folks use the one or two virus scans they have and don't bother to get all the viruses out and speed up the computer as fast as it can possibly go, unless there is a real privacy invading problem. Then they take it to the Geek Squad or the Easy Tech.


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## kango86 (Mar 27, 2011)

I would suggest DBAN - it will totally wipe out any formatted drive it finds on boot. There is a download version where can burn to a cd and boot CD and as mentioned, will wipe out drives. Once that is done, nothing will be recoverable and the drive would need to formatted from scratch and an OS installed on it as like a new blank drive.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/

http://www.dban.org/download


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

flames1965 said:


> Ok thank you but I don't have the operating system on a disk just on the computer is there a way to copy the operating system onto a blank disk



No. You either need to get a factory restore disc from the manufacturer, buy Windows, or switch to linux.


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## flames1965 (Mar 26, 2011)

which programs are default on xp or can programs like adobe reader and internet be installed again and should I download a copy of internet on to a usb drive


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

flames1965 said:


> which programs are default on xp or can programs like adobe reader and internet be installed again and should I download a copy of internet on to a usb drive


Lost you. If you mean should you download internet explorer? Why it has more security holes in it than only Safari. Both got blown to bits in seconds at the last hacker convention. Chrome, free from Google, lasted the longest again. Firefox is free too.

Adobe reader is third party but readily available for free. There are counterparts much faster though. Starting for free, PDF Viewer allows some editing of PDF's. Also for free, Sumatra PDF will load pages of PDFs in the time it takes Adobe reader to think about loading one. Adobe Reader has become bloatware.


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## algored2deth (Jan 7, 2011)

If you don't have the original OS disc, a friend may. As long as you have a valid license, should be ok and you can install. Might I even venture that you could try a linux distro like ubuntu, opensuse, or mandriva? They all have live discs and you can try before you install. You can see if everything works with what you want to do with your computer.


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## Ironlight (Apr 13, 2011)

Assuming by "older" you mean it is running Windows XP and not God forbid Windows 98 or something, I think the most straightforward course is to buy a new copy of Windows XP and do a clean install of the OS on a reformatted drive. You can pick up an OEM copy of Windows XP off ebay for $50 or so.

Be forwarned that if you try to use someone else's backup disks or system restore disks, they may not work. It's a bit of a crapshoot.

How old is this thing anyway, what do you use it for, and how often do you use it? You may quickly reach a point of diminishing returns in trying to rehabilitate it particularly since it appears you'll have a learning curve to successfully complete the process.

You can buy a refurbished desktop for $250 that may well perform better than what you have now. I would consider that option depending on how valuable your time is.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Now is a great tiime to start watching places like Craigs List around campus towns. I was surprised that a lot of kids just dumped there year old machines rather than pack them up for the summer.


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## whiskers (Apr 16, 2011)

I would just reinstall the operating system from scratch. Trying to get rid of the junk will be too time consuming. Of course, trying to remove all the junk manufacturers pre-load onto their computers with restore CDs is also time consuming.

Your best bet is to use a clean install disk and reformat your drives when you install (windows, I presume).


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