Preparing to sell laptop..want to reset

[simple person]

Need to know how to remove Thunderbird, Firefox, and Brave from a Ubuntu laptop

getting ready to sell.

or can I do a factory reset..

whatever I need to do to remove my personal information prior to selling.

thank you.
have I given you enough information ?

 

[KGIII]

Just do a clean install and update. It'll be more certain. You might want to wipe the drive a few times with some software. Data can be recovered, depending on a variety of factors too long to detail here. When that's done, just do a nice clean install of the latest LTS and you should be good to go.

 

[simple person]

thank you thank you!
Will do.
this does seem like the easiest thing to do.
There are other avenues but far more fiddly.
Appreciate your time and response
A

 

[Condobloke]

Be sure, if you have anything at all you wish to Save........do so now.

 

[guiverc]

What you do is up to you, and how worried you are about your data.

If I purchase second-hand equipment (almost everything I use is 2nd hand), or salvage some from unknown sources, I usually 'practice' my 'data salvage' techniques by exploring what was on the drive. Note: I never keep that data, just get to a point where I've seen some actual recovered data that I can then tick off as 'success' & then re-format it (with write over all sectors). If I erase my own data in error (again!), I want to know I have a recovery option if I need it, and an unknown drive adds some mystery to it as I don't know what I'll discover the machine was used for.

When most people recycle; they only 'format' the drives, where the fast format only creates a new partition table & doesn't erase any data; thus recovery of data is very possible (just requires time). Overwriting of data is thus essential if you value your data & want it erased.

I've worked (voluntary) at a recycler (ComputerBank Victoria AU) which provides computers with GNU/linux; and before they re-use a drive that was donated to them, they run dban across the drive before we actually cloned an OS we'd provide with the system to that drive. So that maybe an option 'just to be sure'. You could just re-install an OS after the dban write.

Note: I've only used dban to erase magnetic drives; have never downloaded it (we had a machine setup to erase six drives at once that ran it) but I believe it's this - https://dban.org/

 

[MikeWalsh]

Just as an observation:-

Do remember that the vast majority of people - 93-95% or so - that purchase a used machine will invariably expect to find Windows installed on it.....because that's all they know. Most don't have the tech savvy OR the interest to wipe one OS and re-install another, nor can they be bothered....

Just sayin', like. It's worth bearing in mind...


Mike.

 

[mrcrossroads]

What you do is up to you, and how worried you are about your data.

If I purchase second-hand equipment (almost everything I use is 2nd hand), or salvage some from unknown sources, I usually 'practice' my 'data salvage' techniques by exploring what was on the drive. Note: I never keep that data, just get to a point where I've seen some actual recovered data that I can then tick off as 'success' & then re-format it (with write over all sectors). If I erase my own data in error (again!), I want to know I have a recovery option if I need it, and an unknown drive adds some mystery to it as I don't know what I'll discover the machine was used for.

When most people recycle; they only 'format' the drives, where the fast format only creates a new partition table & doesn't erase any data; thus recovery of data is very possible (just requires time). Overwriting of data is thus essential if you value your data & want it erased.

I've worked (voluntary) at a recycler (ComputerBank Victoria AU) which provides computers with GNU/linux; and before they re-use a drive that was donated to them, they run dban across the drive before we actually cloned an OS we'd provide with the system to that drive. So that maybe an option 'just to be sure'. You could just re-install an OS after the dban write.

Note: I've only used dban to erase magnetic drives; have never downloaded it (we had a machine setup to erase six drives at once that ran it) but I believe it's this - https://dban.org/

+1 for dban

 

[sphen]

There is good advice above. Allow me to add:

I agree with the recommendation to install Windows, as long as the computer runs Windows 10 or 11 and has a valid Windows license or if the buyer asks for Linux. If the computer cannot be upgraded to Windows 10 or 11, put Linux on it. Older versions of Windows (version 8.1 and earlier) are not secure and will never be supported by Microsoft.

-> For future computers, consider using full disk encryption (aka "whole disk encryption").

I set up full disk encryption before I do anything else on a new computer. I give the admin account a dummy password (just enough to get going and start the encryption). I change the password to the correct one after the encryption completes. That way, drive sectors that are marked as a "bad block" in the future are still encrypted and all of your data is safe.

When you eventually sell the computer, all you need to do is destroy the encryption key and your data is safe. Put a fresh operating system on it, and the next user is good to go. I do something similar with external drives, too.

 

[DTopper]

What you do is up to you, and how worried you are about your data.

If I purchase second-hand equipment (almost everything I use is 2nd hand), or salvage some from unknown sources, I usually 'practice' my 'data salvage' techniques by exploring what was on the drive. Note: I never keep that data, just get to a point where I've seen some actual recovered data that I can then tick off as 'success' & then re-format it (with write over all sectors). If I erase my own data in error (again!), I want to know I have a recovery option if I need it, and an unknown drive adds some mystery to it as I don't know what I'll discover the machine was used for.

When most people recycle; they only 'format' the drives, where the fast format only creates a new partition table & doesn't erase any data; thus recovery of data is very possible (just requires time). Overwriting of data is thus essential if you value your data & want it erased.

I've worked (voluntary) at a recycler (ComputerBank Victoria AU) which provides computers with GNU/linux; and before they re-use a drive that was donated to them, they run dban across the drive before we actually cloned an OS we'd provide with the system to that drive. So that maybe an option 'just to be sure'. You could just re-install an OS after the dban write.

Note: I've only used dban to erase magnetic drives; have never downloaded it (we had a machine setup to erase six drives at once that ran it) but I believe it's this - https://dban.org/

Thanks for the information. I’m buying my first refurbished laptop. I never considered information could remain on the machine. I have very limited computer skills. I am just starting with learning Linux. I read the posts to learn from others.

+1 for dban

+1 for dban

 

[simple person]

you folks are awesome! I recommended this forum to the bloke to whom I sold the laptop. !

He is very honorable, so I know he would not abuse it if he were to find any of my data (which does not amount to anything important) ,and he is very keen on learning all about Linux. We went over everything and he is going to do a clean install of a new Distro.( twice) I really trust this guy so I am at peace. That and the fact that I really don't have any personal information i am worried about, especially when I know he is a very dependable person.

I love living in the times with some people that you can trust the old fashioned handshake. Not to be found so much these days. We are good to go on all points!

Thank you, dear people here at this forum! You don't know how grateful I am to all of you! Thank you!

And I always know that nothing is wasted here as so many others benefit from your thoughtful responses. ( and sometimes get a good chuckle, altho not so evident in this thread. I know a smile lurks behind it all! )
Thank you
Simple