[SOLVED] Selling old work pc

[je1983]

I have an old pc that I took home when our work upgraded our systems. I used it for a bit and now am selling it on.

It's a dell mini tower with win 7 premium. I've deleted all the files but did not format the drive. The product keys from dell are still on the stickers on the top of the case.

This was a shared pc and did not have anything important, may have the company logo on the image files. A few different people used this to log in and out of their personal emails and such.

I'm not sure if there are any other steps I should take before I sell it.



EDIT: Does having the product key mean someone can call the manufacturer and check their records against this particular key to find out any particulars about the pc, it's origin, when it was purchased, name of purchaser etc?

 

[SamirD]

Dells are really great systems for the long run. I have several that are from all sorts of generations and they age well.

So a couple of things. Dells typically have a built-in key for windows, so you can easily download and reload windows again. I would HIGHLY recommend this, especially since you also have the stickered keys. You definitely don't want any company logos, etc on the system.

You can't call anyone anymore these days about old systems, lol. But you can check dell's support site to find out its original configuration and that's it. It's not a security issue so I would leave it alone. If you tamper with that people that buy these regularly will think something fishy is going on.

 

[hang-the-9]

I have an old pc that I took home when our work upgraded our systems. I used it for a bit and now am selling it on.

It's a dell mini tower with win 7 premium. I've deleted all the files but did not format the drive. The product keys from dell are still on the stickers on the top of the case.

This was a shared pc and did not have anything important, may have the company logo on the image files. A few different people used this to log in and out of their personal emails and such.

I'm not sure if there are any other steps I should take before I sell it.



EDIT: Does having the product key mean someone can call the manufacturer and check their records against this particular key to find out any particulars about the pc, it's origin, when it was purchased, name of purchaser etc?

You should delete the existing partition and install Windows clean on it. Just deleting some files is not really good enough, especially with company files and customization. You can use the product key to activate it after the Windows setup.

 

[USAFRet]

Absolutely need to do a full wipe and reinstall.
Deleting 'some things' is not nearly enough.

All partitions need to go, and start clean.

 

[punkncat]

I am unsure on 7 Premium, but I have had some luck personally with activating 10 with a 7 key still.

I echo the above that no matter what you do with the machine, if you are going to pass it on you need to completely wipe and reformat it at the least.
Often what companies will do is physically destroy the drive and sell without.

 

[yngwie98]

If the company owns the computer, don't you have to give it back?
When you upgrade to Windows 10, it gives you the option for a clean install. Don't have the link but the free upgrade still worked for me a couple months ago.

 

[SamirD]

If the company owns the computer, don't you have to give it back?

Not if they give it to you.

 

[je1983]

Thanks guys. What are the risks, I don't think there is any important data, so could the concern be about some type of identity theft, maybe using the windows security key or serial?

I don't know if I can reinstall the os after a full wipe, I don't have the original cd that came with it.

 

[yngwie98]

I'd be concerned with identify theft.
Is there a restore partition?
You could replace the hard drive and install Linux on it instead. If you upgrade it to Windows 10, there's the option for a clean install.

 

[punkncat]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

This will allow you to download and burn the .iso file specific to that machine.

Installing Windows clean is super easy. I would be concerned with a few things, in that with the support drop on 7, the automated driver installation and such may not work correctly? I really am not sure what has happened to the Windows Update side of that now unsupported OS.

I haven't noted you specifying which exact Dell this is, and what CPU is in it. I assume US as region, otherwise....but chances are good that the machine is not going to be worth more than $100 going under the premise that it's small or desktop form and likely not anything over 2nd gen Intel, or so. You can buy machines like what I described under $100 without OS as well as being branded "refurbished" with (sometimes sketchy) warranty support. Barely over $100 with activated Win 10 up to around 4th gen.

In this case, and depending on the exact model, I would probably buy a REALLY cheap SSD to install Windows 10 on. Keep the current hard drive in order to use as storage. Try the current key for activation. If it works it will be a worthwhile sale (buy) for someone.

 

[USAFRet]

However you sell it, that OS absolutely needs to be wiped and reinstalled.
Also, sold without a licensed Windows. Be it 7, 10, whatever. That OS license it came with belongs to the company, not the PC.

Install and leave unactivated Win 10 or 7...or Linux.
Either way...full wipe and reinstall.

 

[punkncat]

That OS license it came with belongs to the company, not the PC.

I would think there is quite a bit of wiggle room in that argument since the company gave this individual the PC. I think the ethical question in that argument is the further resale of the item.
Even with that argument there are PLENTY of situations in which people are transferring license both at the advice of people online, as well as through white all the way to black market resellers. Even beyond that...IF the computer was changed to Windows 10 and the current license allowed activation, it really would have been in Intel's court. I am sure there are items in the (lengthy) TOS about it, but so long as they essentially allow entire countries economy to run on questionable license terms that they wouldn't waste time coming after a single individual selling to another private individual. Particularly in light of the installed OS level spyware they get to exploit and add to data bases.

 

[USAFRet]

It depends where that license falls under.
A VLK needs to talk to its corporate server once in a while. Every 6 months. After that, poof...it unactivates itself.
I had a laptop sold to me last year like that. Fully activated Win 10 Pro...at the 6 month mark, poof.

If it was just a straight retail license, no problem (probably).