Editing Privacy Items from the Registry

On 21 Oct 2006 22:52:17 GMT, thanatoid <waiting.RemoveThis@the.exit.invalid> wrote:

>David <invalid.RemoveThis@socrates.edu> wrote in
>news:rigkj2t5ejjr4jeccek4881nhkt22vqlrm@4ax.com:
>
>> As so many smart people advised me, I probably should have
>> just wiped the disk and started over from scratch in the
>> first place. But trying to be a "nice guy", I have tried
>> to preserve the useful applications on a machine that I am
>> preparing to donate. However, as every experienced person
>> might have anticipated, (except me, that is); this has
>> turned into a very time-consuming bad dream.
>
><SNIP>
>
>You can ether go through EVERY key in the registry and remove
>all personal references manually (shouldn't take more than two
>hours and ten Tylenols) - with the possibility that some
>programs which were registered (legally or otherwise) with your
>name will no longer work, or possibly sabotage your machine
>(SOME programs do that, very few, but) - or you can do what you
>should have done in the first place, wipe the drive several
>times with a good file eradicator, reformat, and re-install.
>
>You could just search for all the personal data you could have
>possible entered with the search function, but you might miss a
>few things. Also, the Windows registry, being a Microsoft
>product, can never be THOROUGHLY cleaned, just like Word leaves
>your name (as registered in the machine/program) and phrases you
>thought you deleted in its .doc files - where people interested
>in such things can find them, using Notepad or similar programs.
>
>If the "useful applications" were installed legally, then you
>should have the original software disks/cs and can install them
>again, registering them under fictitious names, or the names of
>the people who are getting the machine.
>
>Or you can just let them be happy to get a working computer for
>free and worry about the software themselves.

Thank you for your reply, thanatoid.

I should have indicated before that all of the software is certainly
legitimate. My overriding concern however is all of the patches, updates,
upgrades, etc. that have occurred to most of the software, hardware, and
drivers over the last 14 years. Practically, some of these may just never
be recoverable. Some of these were done by my assistants, who weren't as
conscientious about record keeping as they could have been. And some of
the software is now orphaned by a defunct company. So you can sort of see
where I am coming from.

Even the O/S itself began as Win 95 (OEM). I'm not even sure that I could
get my Win 98 CD upgrade to install after a reformat. And then, are all of
those Win 98 updates still available? If I knew even this, that would
help. Do you?

Notwithstanding all the above though, I am starting to appreciate the
diskwipe point of view. If only I had instead begun all of this with an
examination of the registry, where I now find the flotsam and detritus of
probably 40-50 programs, many of which are no longer even installed!
(Including notorious Norton.)

I am really still on the fence. But I have two questions, (in addition to
the above Win 98 one), that will maybe get me off the fence:

2) Is there a good novice-friendly registry editor that would fairly safely
allow me to search for, and minimally eliminate the privacy items in the
registry? (I have already used the "Find" feature in REGEDIT, but I am
afraid to go beyond that, in REGEDIT anyway, without a lot more study.)

3) Is there a step-by-step procedure anywhere for doing a clean sweep,
reformat, and reinstall; so that I wouldn't miss something or do something
really stupid?

It's this tradeoff that I have to come to terms with: The former might
salvage some of the useful applications, but would result in a slower,
messier system; the latter might result in a clean O/S, but no
applications, (assuming that I am able to resurrect all the drivers.)

Thank you most kindly for your, (and/or anyone else's) thoughts!
David
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

"David" <invalid.DeleteThis@socrates.edu> wrote in message
news:2ojmj2lnof54l8frenghbkdc2uvvp997pb@4ax.com...
> On 21 Oct 2006 22:52:17 GMT, thanatoid <waiting.DeleteThis@the.exit.invalid> wrote:
>
>>David <invalid.DeleteThis@socrates.edu> wrote in
>>news:rigkj2t5ejjr4jeccek4881nhkt22vqlrm@4ax.com:
>>
>>> As so many smart people advised me, I probably should have
>>> just wiped the disk and started over from scratch in the
>>> first place. But trying to be a "nice guy", I have tried
>>> to preserve the useful applications on a machine that I am
>>> preparing to donate. However, as every experienced person
>>> might have anticipated, (except me, that is); this has
>>> turned into a very time-consuming bad dream.
>>
>><SNIP>
>>
>>You can ether go through EVERY key in the registry and remove
>>all personal references manually (shouldn't take more than two
>>hours and ten Tylenols) - with the possibility that some
>>programs which were registered (legally or otherwise) with your
>>name will no longer work, or possibly sabotage your machine
>>(SOME programs do that, very few, but) - or you can do what you
>>should have done in the first place, wipe the drive several
>>times with a good file eradicator, reformat, and re-install.
>>
>>You could just search for all the personal data you could have
>>possible entered with the search function, but you might miss a
>>few things. Also, the Windows registry, being a Microsoft
>>product, can never be THOROUGHLY cleaned, just like Word leaves
>>your name (as registered in the machine/program) and phrases you
>>thought you deleted in its .doc files - where people interested
>>in such things can find them, using Notepad or similar programs.
>>
>>If the "useful applications" were installed legally, then you
>>should have the original software disks/cs and can install them
>>again, registering them under fictitious names, or the names of
>>the people who are getting the machine.
>>
>>Or you can just let them be happy to get a working computer for
>>free and worry about the software themselves.
>
> Thank you for your reply, thanatoid.
>
> I should have indicated before that all of the software is certainly
> legitimate. My overriding concern however is all of the patches, updates,
> upgrades, etc. that have occurred to most of the software, hardware, and
> drivers over the last 14 years. Practically, some of these may just never
> be recoverable. Some of these were done by my assistants, who weren't as
> conscientious about record keeping as they could have been. And some of
> the software is now orphaned by a defunct company. So you can sort of see
> where I am coming from.
>
> Even the O/S itself began as Win 95 (OEM). I'm not even sure that I could
> get my Win 98 CD upgrade to install after a reformat. And then, are all of
> those Win 98 updates still available? If I knew even this, that would
> help. Do you?
>
> Notwithstanding all the above though, I am starting to appreciate the
> diskwipe point of view. If only I had instead begun all of this with an
> examination of the registry, where I now find the flotsam and detritus of
> probably 40-50 programs, many of which are no longer even installed!
> (Including notorious Norton.)
>
> I am really still on the fence. But I have two questions, (in addition to
> the above Win 98 one), that will maybe get me off the fence:
>
> 2) Is there a good novice-friendly registry editor that would fairly safely
> allow me to search for, and minimally eliminate the privacy items in the
> registry? (I have already used the "Find" feature in REGEDIT, but I am
> afraid to go beyond that, in REGEDIT anyway, without a lot more study.)
>
> 3) Is there a step-by-step procedure anywhere for doing a clean sweep,
> reformat, and reinstall; so that I wouldn't miss something or do something
> really stupid?
>
> It's this tradeoff that I have to come to terms with: The former might
> salvage some of the useful applications, but would result in a slower,
> messier system; the latter might result in a clean O/S, but no
> applications, (assuming that I am able to resurrect all the drivers.)
>
> Thank you most kindly for your, (and/or anyone else's) thoughts!
> David

If you are donating the computer, there is no reason to keep the orphaned software
installed in the first place, is there?

All updates for Win98/98SE are still available at Windows Update, it just takes a
very long time to download them if you are not using a broadband connection.

I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the way to go,
assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s), tell us, is
it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?

Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you can do a fresh
install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from an accepted
previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during the install, to
prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.

More here:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
and
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install, you can try
RegSeeker:
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.

Hopefully, thanatoid or someone else will pop back in with more info.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:26:13 -0400, "glee" <glee29.TakeThisOut@spamindspring.com>
wrote:

Thank you for your reply, glee,
>
>If you are donating the computer, there is no reason to keep the orphaned software
>installed in the first place, is there?
I guess it's kind of a matter of degree -- since I know the recipients, I
thought they might be able to use it, (along with the non-orphaned
software), but I'm starting to think that my benevolence is coming at a
pretty high price...<g>
>
>All updates for Win98/98SE are still available at Windows Update, it just takes a
>very long time to download them if you are not using a broadband connection.
At least that is comforting; and I do have broadband.
>
>I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the way to go,
>assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s), tell us, is
>it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?
I'm not sure what you mean by, "assuming that my disc will do that". It is
a 3.2 GB disc, if that helps. It is a desktop PC, but no brand -- I had it
built locally. Belarc says it is a 233 MHz P II, with a "First
International VL-601 mobo. ("International" probably means Guangdong, PRC
<g>)
>
>Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you can do a fresh
>install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from an accepted
>previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during the install, to
>prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.
I have just gone through the box of CDs and floppies that were given to me
with the machine, and there is no Win 95 disk in there. They OEM'ed it,
and I guess I wasn't smart enough back then to check for the CD. I won't
make that mistake again! So now I guess that if I decide on the reformat
route, I'll just have to take it into the shop and pay for the whole job.
(Including Win 98, since my past-purchased upgrade CD won't work.)

I'm beginning to understand why people don't donate their old computers...
>
>More here:
>http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
>and
>http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
Haven't gotten to your links yet, but will. Thank you.
>
>If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install, you can try
>RegSeeker:
>http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
>but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.
Not looking forward to those implications...
>
>Hopefully, thanatoid or someone else will pop back in with more info.
Thanks again!
David
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

Not to butt in... Just one thing that occurs to me as I'm reading. You
should run FDISK and see if there isn't a hidden partition containing the
original installation backup. Just run FDISK, say yes to large disk support,
then choose 4 and press <Enter>. What does that show?

If such a backup exists, you might be able to use it, but I would most
likely reclaim the space using BootIt NG then reformat and do a fresh
install of Win98. 3.5 GB isn't much for a Win98 system. Actually, lots of
possibilities arise if there is a backup in there. For instance, you could
use it to install a base system and then upgrade to Win98, then use BootIt
NG to make an image CD of that partition before reclaiming the space, in
case anyone ever wants to use it to rebuild the machine.

Post back with the FDISK results.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"David" <invalid DeleteThis @socrates.edu> wrote in message
news:kg8nj21t8amgiajepog5030lb411ggu6a7@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:26:13 -0400, "glee" <glee29 DeleteThis @spamindspring.com>
> wrote:
>
> Thank you for your reply, glee,
> >
> >If you are donating the computer, there is no reason to keep the orphaned
software
> >installed in the first place, is there?
> I guess it's kind of a matter of degree -- since I know the recipients, I
> thought they might be able to use it, (along with the non-orphaned
> software), but I'm starting to think that my benevolence is coming at a
> pretty high price...<g>
> >
> >All updates for Win98/98SE are still available at Windows Update, it just
takes a
> >very long time to download them if you are not using a broadband
connection.
> At least that is comforting; and I do have broadband.
> >
> >I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the way
to go,
> >assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s),
tell us, is
> >it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?
> I'm not sure what you mean by, "assuming that my disc will do that". It
is
> a 3.2 GB disc, if that helps. It is a desktop PC, but no brand -- I had
it
> built locally. Belarc says it is a 233 MHz P II, with a "First
> International VL-601 mobo. ("International" probably means Guangdong, PRC
> <g>)
> >
> >Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you can
do a fresh
> >install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from an
accepted
> >previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during the
install, to
> >prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.
> I have just gone through the box of CDs and floppies that were given to me
> with the machine, and there is no Win 95 disk in there. They OEM'ed it,
> and I guess I wasn't smart enough back then to check for the CD. I won't
> make that mistake again! So now I guess that if I decide on the reformat
> route, I'll just have to take it into the shop and pay for the whole job.
> (Including Win 98, since my past-purchased upgrade CD won't work.)
>
> I'm beginning to understand why people don't donate their old computers...
> >
> >More here:
> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
> >and
> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
> Haven't gotten to your links yet, but will. Thank you.
> >
> >If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install, you
can try
> >RegSeeker:
> >http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
> >but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.
> Not looking forward to those implications...
> >
> >Hopefully, thanatoid or someone else will pop back in with more info.
> Thanks again!
> David
>
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

"David" <invalid DeleteThis @socrates.edu> wrote in message
news:kg8nj21t8amgiajepog5030lb411ggu6a7@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:26:13 -0400, "glee" <glee29 DeleteThis @spamindspring.com>
> wrote:
> snip
>>I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the way to go,
>>assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s), tell us, is
>>it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?

> I'm not sure what you mean by, "assuming that my disc will do that". It is
> a 3.2 GB disc, if that helps. It is a desktop PC, but no brand -- I had it
> built locally. Belarc says it is a 233 MHz P II, with a "First
> International VL-601 mobo. ("International" probably means Guangdong, PRC
> <g>)

Actually, that is a well known mobo maker, better known as FIC, so it's a FIC VL 601
with an Intel i440LX chipset.

http://www.fic.com.tw/support/motherboard/motherboard.aspx?model_id=87

http://www.ccs-a.com/th99/m/txt/35191.txt
It *apparently* has neither onboard video nor sound, so you have a video card and a
sound card installed, as well as network card and probably a modem. Can you verify
that? That means if you wipe it and reinstall, you will need drivers for all of
those. Win98SE may have drivers for the video card, depending on what it is, but
everything else is likely to need drivers downloaded separately. So, if you decide
to wipe, you first need to open Device Manager in the current installation and write
down all the devices identities so you can find them for download prior to wiping
out the installation.

Additionally, you will likely need to install the Intel INF Patch for the i440LX
chipset.
http://www.intel.com/design/software/drivers/platform/inf/infinst_enu_pv22.htm

>>Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you can do a
>>fresh
>>install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from an accepted
>>previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during the install,
>>to
>>prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.

> I have just gone through the box of CDs and floppies that were given to me
> with the machine, and there is no Win 95 disk in there. They OEM'ed it,

Did you find driver discs for all the other hardware, to avoid some of those
searches for downloads?
Did it come with a CD-Pro/1stUtilites CD?

> and I guess I wasn't smart enough back then to check for the CD. I won't
> make that mistake again! So now I guess that if I decide on the reformat
> route, I'll just have to take it into the shop and pay for the whole job.
> (Including Win 98, since my past-purchased upgrade CD won't work.)

Nah, you're upgrade CD will work if you have any acceptable upgrade-path disk to
insert when asked during setup. Do you have any Win95 or Win3.x setup disks at all?
If not, create and save a blank file named win.cn_ on a floppy disk, and insert that
disk when asked for proof of compliance. It's "cheating" but since you *are* the
legal owner.....

What's your location? (I'm in N.C.) I could snail mail you an old spare Win95A CD
to use for compliance if it's not so far away that the wait would be too long to get
it. But, the floppy I described above should work for you as a substitute for a Win
3.x install diskette #1.


> I'm beginning to understand why people don't donate their old computers...

Yeah, I do sometimes, and clean up old systems for poorer folks to use, and it
can be a bit of work sometimes.


>>More here:
>>http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
>>and
>>http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
> Haven't gotten to your links yet, but will. Thank you.
>>
>>If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install, you can try
>>RegSeeker:
>>http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
>>but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.
> Not looking forward to those implications...

> Thanks again!
> David

Sure.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

Gary, wouldn't FDISK /status be a lot safer than running FDISK without that switch?
Or are you thinking that a hidden partition will be missed by using just the /status
switch?

It's an idea, but I would be very surprised to see a hidden partition like that on a
locally built system presumably by a small independent shop. In fact, I've never
seen that done by a small shop, that I can recall.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews RemoveThis @mvps.org> wrote in message
news:OcXzqIi9GHA.3344@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Not to butt in... Just one thing that occurs to me as I'm reading. You
> should run FDISK and see if there isn't a hidden partition containing the
> original installation backup. Just run FDISK, say yes to large disk support,
> then choose 4 and press <Enter>. What does that show?
>
> If such a backup exists, you might be able to use it, but I would most
> likely reclaim the space using BootIt NG then reformat and do a fresh
> install of Win98. 3.5 GB isn't much for a Win98 system. Actually, lots of
> possibilities arise if there is a backup in there. For instance, you could
> use it to install a base system and then upgrade to Win98, then use BootIt
> NG to make an image CD of that partition before reclaiming the space, in
> case anyone ever wants to use it to rebuild the machine.
>
> Post back with the FDISK results.
>
> --
> Gary S. Terhune
> MS MVP Shell/User
> http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
>
> "David" <invalid RemoveThis @socrates.edu> wrote in message
> news:kg8nj21t8amgiajepog5030lb411ggu6a7@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:26:13 -0400, "glee" <glee29 RemoveThis @spamindspring.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Thank you for your reply, glee,
>> >
>> >If you are donating the computer, there is no reason to keep the orphaned
> software
>> >installed in the first place, is there?
>> I guess it's kind of a matter of degree -- since I know the recipients, I
>> thought they might be able to use it, (along with the non-orphaned
>> software), but I'm starting to think that my benevolence is coming at a
>> pretty high price...<g>
>> >
>> >All updates for Win98/98SE are still available at Windows Update, it just
> takes a
>> >very long time to download them if you are not using a broadband
> connection.
>> At least that is comforting; and I do have broadband.
>> >
>> >I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the way
> to go,
>> >assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s),
> tell us, is
>> >it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?
>> I'm not sure what you mean by, "assuming that my disc will do that". It
> is
>> a 3.2 GB disc, if that helps. It is a desktop PC, but no brand -- I had
> it
>> built locally. Belarc says it is a 233 MHz P II, with a "First
>> International VL-601 mobo. ("International" probably means Guangdong, PRC
>> <g>)
>> >
>> >Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you can
> do a fresh
>> >install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from an
> accepted
>> >previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during the
> install, to
>> >prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.
>> I have just gone through the box of CDs and floppies that were given to me
>> with the machine, and there is no Win 95 disk in there. They OEM'ed it,
>> and I guess I wasn't smart enough back then to check for the CD. I won't
>> make that mistake again! So now I guess that if I decide on the reformat
>> route, I'll just have to take it into the shop and pay for the whole job.
>> (Including Win 98, since my past-purchased upgrade CD won't work.)
>>
>> I'm beginning to understand why people don't donate their old computers...
>> >
>> >More here:
>> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
>> >and
>> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
>> Haven't gotten to your links yet, but will. Thank you.
>> >
>> >If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install, you
> can try
>> >RegSeeker:
>> >http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
>> >but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.
>> Not looking forward to those implications...
>> >
>> >Hopefully, thanatoid or someone else will pop back in with more info.
>> Thanks again!
>> David
>>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

Is simply running FDISK without the /status switch inherently unsafe, or are
you concerned about user mishap?

But you're probably right, fdisk /status should show the info just fine.
Just to make sure, I'll test. BRB.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"glee" <glee29.RemoveThis@spamindspring.com> wrote in message
news:ezs$kTi9GHA.4572@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Gary, wouldn't FDISK /status be a lot safer than running FDISK without
that switch?
> Or are you thinking that a hidden partition will be missed by using just
the /status
> switch?
>
> It's an idea, but I would be very surprised to see a hidden partition like
that on a
> locally built system presumably by a small independent shop. In fact,
I've never
> seen that done by a small shop, that I can recall.
> --
> Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
> http://dts-l.org/
> http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews.RemoveThis@mvps.org> wrote in message
> news:OcXzqIi9GHA.3344@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > Not to butt in... Just one thing that occurs to me as I'm reading. You
> > should run FDISK and see if there isn't a hidden partition containing
the
> > original installation backup. Just run FDISK, say yes to large disk
support,
> > then choose 4 and press <Enter>. What does that show?
> >
> > If such a backup exists, you might be able to use it, but I would most
> > likely reclaim the space using BootIt NG then reformat and do a fresh
> > install of Win98. 3.5 GB isn't much for a Win98 system. Actually, lots
of
> > possibilities arise if there is a backup in there. For instance, you
could
> > use it to install a base system and then upgrade to Win98, then use
BootIt
> > NG to make an image CD of that partition before reclaiming the space, in
> > case anyone ever wants to use it to rebuild the machine.
> >
> > Post back with the FDISK results.
> >
> > --
> > Gary S. Terhune
> > MS MVP Shell/User
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
> > http://grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
> >
> > "David" <invalid.RemoveThis@socrates.edu> wrote in message
> > news:kg8nj21t8amgiajepog5030lb411ggu6a7@4ax.com...
> >> On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:26:13 -0400, "glee" <glee29.RemoveThis@spamindspring.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> Thank you for your reply, glee,
> >> >
> >> >If you are donating the computer, there is no reason to keep the
orphaned
> > software
> >> >installed in the first place, is there?
> >> I guess it's kind of a matter of degree -- since I know the recipients,
I
> >> thought they might be able to use it, (along with the non-orphaned
> >> software), but I'm starting to think that my benevolence is coming at a
> >> pretty high price...<g>
> >> >
> >> >All updates for Win98/98SE are still available at Windows Update, it
just
> > takes a
> >> >very long time to download them if you are not using a broadband
> > connection.
> >> At least that is comforting; and I do have broadband.
> >> >
> >> >I agree with thanatoid that a format and fresh install would be the
way
> > to go,
> >> >assuming that you disc will do that. Not seeing your prior thread(s),
> > tell us, is
> >> >it a laptop or a desktop computer? What brand?
> >> I'm not sure what you mean by, "assuming that my disc will do that".
It
> > is
> >> a 3.2 GB disc, if that helps. It is a desktop PC, but no brand -- I
had
> > it
> >> built locally. Belarc says it is a 233 MHz P II, with a "First
> >> International VL-601 mobo. ("International" probably means Guangdong,
PRC
> >> <g>)
> >> >
> >> >Again assuming, if the computer will accept a retail upgrade CD, you
can
> > do a fresh
> >> >install with an upgrade CD, IF you have the media (disc or disks) from
an
> > accepted
> >> >previous MS operating system that you can inset when prompted during
the
> > install, to
> >> >prove that you qualify to use the upgrade disc.
> >> I have just gone through the box of CDs and floppies that were given to
me
> >> with the machine, and there is no Win 95 disk in there. They OEM'ed
it,
> >> and I guess I wasn't smart enough back then to check for the CD. I
won't
> >> make that mistake again! So now I guess that if I decide on the
reformat
> >> route, I'll just have to take it into the shop and pay for the whole
job.
> >> (Including Win 98, since my past-purchased upgrade CD won't work.)
> >>
> >> I'm beginning to understand why people don't donate their old
computers...
> >> >
> >> >More here:
> >> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html
> >> >and
> >> >http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html
> >> Haven't gotten to your links yet, but will. Thank you.
> >> >
> >> >If you choose to go the clean-up route rather than the fresh install,
you
> > can try
> >> >RegSeeker:
> >> >http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm
> >> >but be sure you have more than the ten Tylenols thanatoid suggested.

> >> Not looking forward to those implications...
> >> >
> >> >Hopefully, thanatoid or someone else will pop back in with more info.
> >> Thanks again!
> >> David
> >>
> >
> >
>
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

Hi David,

Seeing as all your software is legal, I should probably mention
that giving a copy to someone, even for free and for
philanthropic reasons, is (VERY regrettably) considered illegal,
so unless the programs are freeware or "share" ware, you would
probably do best to not include anything other than the OS.

Gotta remember, money is the ONLY thing most people care about.
Especially the big software companies.

Regards
t.
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

David <invalid DeleteThis @socrates.edu> wrote in
news:2ojmj2lnof54l8frenghbkdc2uvvp997pb@4ax.com:

> On 21 Oct 2006 22:52:17 GMT, thanatoid
> <waiting DeleteThis @the.exit.invalid> wrote:
>
>>David <invalid DeleteThis @socrates.edu> wrote in
>>news:rigkj2t5ejjr4jeccek4881nhkt22vqlrm@4ax.com:
>>
>>> As so many smart people advised me, I probably should
>>> have just wiped the disk and started over from scratch in
>>> the first place. But trying to be a "nice guy", I have
>>> tried to preserve the useful applications on a machine
>>> that I am preparing to donate. However, as every
>>> experienced person might have anticipated, (except me,
>>> that is); this has turned into a very time-consuming bad
>>> dream.
>>
>><SNIP>
>>
>>You can ether go through EVERY key in the registry and
>>remove all personal references manually (shouldn't take
>>more than two hours and ten Tylenols) - with the
>>possibility that some programs which were registered
>>(legally or otherwise) with your name will no longer work,
>>or possibly sabotage your machine (SOME programs do that,
>>very few, but) - or you can do what you should have done in
>>the first place, wipe the drive several times with a good
>>file eradicator, reformat, and re-install.
>>
>>You could just search for all the personal data you could
>>have possible entered with the search function, but you
>>might miss a few things. Also, the Windows registry, being
>>a Microsoft product, can never be THOROUGHLY cleaned, just
>>like Word leaves your name (as registered in the
>>machine/program) and phrases you thought you deleted in its
>>.doc files - where people interested in such things can
>>find them, using Notepad or similar programs.
>>
>>If the "useful applications" were installed legally, then
>>you should have the original software disks/cs and can
>>install them again, registering them under fictitious
>>names, or the names of the people who are getting the
>>machine.
>>
>>Or you can just let them be happy to get a working computer
>>for free and worry about the software themselves.
>
> Thank you for your reply, thanatoid.

My pleasure.

> I should have indicated before that all of the software is
> certainly legitimate. My overriding concern however is all
> of the patches, updates, upgrades, etc. that have occurred
> to most of the software, hardware, and drivers over the
> last 14 years. Practically, some of these may just never
> be recoverable.

EVERYTHING is SOMEWHERE on the web or Usenet, and all the struff
everybody is freaking ouy because of "mno more support" for
95/98, is on MANY sites, so far *INCLUDING* MS's.

The patches to specific programs should be on the company sites
as well. And I can't think of any good programs (needless to
say, this EXCLUDES all MS products) to begin with that would
need any.

> Some of these were done by my assistants,
> who weren't as conscientious about record keeping as they
> could have been. And some of the software is now orphaned
> by a defunct company. So you can sort of see where I am
> coming from.

There are several dozen wares (usually spelled with a z) groups
on the Usenet and if you need an older version or a patch or
something, someone will gladly post it for you.

> Even the O/S itself began as Win 95 (OEM). I'm not even
> sure that I could get my Win 98 CD upgrade to install after
> a reformat. And then, are all of those Win 98 updates
> still available? If I knew even this, that would help. Do
> you?

See above. Here a few:
http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/
http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
http://www.winguides.com/

AFA "upgrade" discs, you can't install a 98 "upgrade" disk
without a couple of Win95 files on the computer (*literally* a
couple, that's what the upgrade looks for). But I don't know
what they are.

A full version of 98SE gets posted regularly in warez groups.

> Notwithstanding all the above though, I am starting to
> appreciate the diskwipe point of view. If only I had
> instead begun all of this with an examination of the
> registry, where I now find the flotsam and detritus of
> probably 40-50 programs, many of which are no longer even
> installed! (Including notorious Norton.)

"Computers are our friends."

> I am really still on the fence. But I have two questions,
> (in addition to the above Win 98 one), that will maybe get
> me off the fence:
>
> 2) Is there a good novice-friendly registry editor that
> would fairly safely allow me to search for, and minimally
> eliminate the privacy items in the registry? (I have
> already used the "Find" feature in REGEDIT, but I am afraid
> to go beyond that, in REGEDIT anyway, without a lot more
> study.)

There are many. I like Advanced Registry Optimizer from
www.systweak.com. The stuff on the http://www.jv16.org site is
excellent as well. (Used to be free, but you gotta eat, right?)

> 3) Is there a step-by-step procedure anywhere for doing a
> clean sweep, reformat, and reinstall; so that I wouldn't
> miss something or do something really stupid?
>
> It's this tradeoff that I have to come to terms with: The
> former might salvage some of the useful applications, but
> would result in a slower, messier system; the latter might
> result in a clean O/S, but no applications, (assuming that
> I am able to resurrect all the drivers.)

There are hundreds of driver sites on the web. Just enter the
name of the driver in Google. Some sites are kind of weird and
complicated, or downright useless, some just let you DL it right
away and that's that.
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

Argh! Telling him to use WAREZ sites to download cracked software instead of buying
the license, along with the malware that often accompanies warez.....that's a really
good idea.....NOT!
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
http://dts-l.org/
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"thanatoid" <waiting.RemoveThis@the.exit.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9864B32BF46FCthanexit@66.250.146.158...
> David <invalid.RemoveThis@socrates.edu> wrote in
> news:2ojmj2lnof54l8frenghbkdc2uvvp997pb@4ax.com:
>
>> On 21 Oct 2006 22:52:17 GMT, thanatoid
>> <waiting.RemoveThis@the.exit.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>David <invalid.RemoveThis@socrates.edu> wrote in
>>>news:rigkj2t5ejjr4jeccek4881nhkt22vqlrm@4ax.com:
>>>
>>>> As so many smart people advised me, I probably should
>>>> have just wiped the disk and started over from scratch in
>>>> the first place. But trying to be a "nice guy", I have
>>>> tried to preserve the useful applications on a machine
>>>> that I am preparing to donate. However, as every
>>>> experienced person might have anticipated, (except me,
>>>> that is); this has turned into a very time-consuming bad
>>>> dream.
>>>
>>><SNIP>
>>>
>>>You can ether go through EVERY key in the registry and
>>>remove all personal references manually (shouldn't take
>>>more than two hours and ten Tylenols) - with the
>>>possibility that some programs which were registered
>>>(legally or otherwise) with your name will no longer work,
>>>or possibly sabotage your machine (SOME programs do that,
>>>very few, but) - or you can do what you should have done in
>>>the first place, wipe the drive several times with a good
>>>file eradicator, reformat, and re-install.
>>>
>>>You could just search for all the personal data you could
>>>have possible entered with the search function, but you
>>>might miss a few things. Also, the Windows registry, being
>>>a Microsoft product, can never be THOROUGHLY cleaned, just
>>>like Word leaves your name (as registered in the
>>>machine/program) and phrases you thought you deleted in its
>>>.doc files - where people interested in such things can
>>>find them, using Notepad or similar programs.
>>>
>>>If the "useful applications" were installed legally, then
>>>you should have the original software disks/cs and can
>>>install them again, registering them under fictitious
>>>names, or the names of the people who are getting the
>>>machine.
>>>
>>>Or you can just let them be happy to get a working computer
>>>for free and worry about the software themselves.
>>
>> Thank you for your reply, thanatoid.
>
> My pleasure.
>
>> I should have indicated before that all of the software is
>> certainly legitimate. My overriding concern however is all
>> of the patches, updates, upgrades, etc. that have occurred
>> to most of the software, hardware, and drivers over the
>> last 14 years. Practically, some of these may just never
>> be recoverable.
>
> EVERYTHING is SOMEWHERE on the web or Usenet, and all the struff
> everybody is freaking ouy because of "mno more support" for
> 95/98, is on MANY sites, so far *INCLUDING* MS's.
>
> The patches to specific programs should be on the company sites
> as well. And I can't think of any good programs (needless to
> say, this EXCLUDES all MS products) to begin with that would
> need any.
>
>> Some of these were done by my assistants,
>> who weren't as conscientious about record keeping as they
>> could have been. And some of the software is now orphaned
>> by a defunct company. So you can sort of see where I am
>> coming from.
>
> There are several dozen wares (usually spelled with a z) groups
> on the Usenet and if you need an older version or a patch or
> something, someone will gladly post it for you.
>
>> Even the O/S itself began as Win 95 (OEM). I'm not even
>> sure that I could get my Win 98 CD upgrade to install after
>> a reformat. And then, are all of those Win 98 updates
>> still available? If I knew even this, that would help. Do
>> you?
>
> See above. Here a few:
> http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/
> http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
> http://www.winguides.com/
>
> AFA "upgrade" discs, you can't install a 98 "upgrade" disk
> without a couple of Win95 files on the computer (*literally* a
> couple, that's what the upgrade looks for). But I don't know
> what they are.
>
> A full version of 98SE gets posted regularly in warez groups.
>
>> Notwithstanding all the above though, I am starting to
>> appreciate the diskwipe point of view. If only I had
>> instead begun all of this with an examination of the
>> registry, where I now find the flotsam and detritus of
>> probably 40-50 programs, many of which are no longer even
>> installed! (Including notorious Norton.)
>
> "Computers are our friends."
>
>> I am really still on the fence. But I have two questions,
>> (in addition to the above Win 98 one), that will maybe get
>> me off the fence:
>>
>> 2) Is there a good novice-friendly registry editor that
>> would fairly safely allow me to search for, and minimally
>> eliminate the privacy items in the registry? (I have
>> already used the "Find" feature in REGEDIT, but I am afraid
>> to go beyond that, in REGEDIT anyway, without a lot more
>> study.)
>
> There are many. I like Advanced Registry Optimizer from
> www.systweak.com. The stuff on the http://www.jv16.org site is
> excellent as well. (Used to be free, but you gotta eat, right?)
>
>> 3) Is there a step-by-step procedure anywhere for doing a
>> clean sweep, reformat, and reinstall; so that I wouldn't
>> miss something or do something really stupid?
>>
>> It's this tradeoff that I have to come to terms with: The
>> former might salvage some of the useful applications, but
>> would result in a slower, messier system; the latter might
>> result in a clean O/S, but no applications, (assuming that
>> I am able to resurrect all the drivers.)
>
> There are hundreds of driver sites on the web. Just enter the
> name of the driver in Google. Some sites are kind of weird and
> complicated, or downright useless, some just let you DL it right
> away and that's that.
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry 

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 06:25:03 -0600, David <invalid.TakeThisOut@socrates.edu> wrote:

>On 21 Oct 2006 22:52:17 GMT, thanatoid <waiting.TakeThisOut@the.exit.invalid> wrote:
>
>>David <invalid.TakeThisOut@socrates.edu> wrote in
>>news:rigkj2t5ejjr4jeccek4881nhkt22vqlrm@4ax.com:
>>
>>> As so many smart people advised me, I probably should have
>>> just wiped the disk and started over from scratch in the
>>> first place. But trying to be a "nice guy", I have tried
>>> to preserve the useful applications on a machine that I am
>>> preparing to donate. However, as every experienced person
>>> might have anticipated, (unfortunately, I wasn't among them); this has
>>> turned into a very time-consuming bad dream.
>>
>><SNIP>
>>
>
>I should have indicated before that all of the software is certainly
>legitimate. My overriding concern however is all of the patches, updates,
>upgrades, etc. that have occurred to most of the software, hardware, and
>drivers over the last 14 years. Practically, some of these may just never
>be recoverable. Some of these were done by my assistants, who weren't as
>conscientious about record keeping as they could have been. And some of
>the software is now orphaned by a defunct company. So you can sort of see
>where I am coming from.
>
>Even the O/S itself began as Win 95 (OEM). I'm not even sure that I could
>get my Win 98 CD upgrade to install after a reformat. And then, are all of
>those Win 98 updates still available? If I knew even this, that would
>help. Do you?
>
>Notwithstanding all the above though, I am starting to appreciate the
>diskwipe point of view. If only I had instead begun all of this with an
>examination of the registry, where I now find the flotsam and detritus of
>probably 40-50 programs, many of which are no longer even installed!
>(Including notorious Norton.)
>
>I am really still on the fence. But I have two questions, (in addition to
>the above Win 98 one), that will maybe get me off the fence:
>
>2) Is there a good novice-friendly registry editor that would fairly safely
>allow me to search for, and minimally eliminate the privacy items in the
>registry? (I have already used the "Find" feature in REGEDIT, but I am
>afraid to go beyond that, in REGEDIT anyway, without a lot more study.)
>
>3) Is there a step-by-step procedure anywhere for doing a clean sweep,
>reformat, and reinstall; so that I wouldn't miss something or do something
>really stupid?
>
>It's this tradeoff that I have to come to terms with: The former might
>salvage some of the useful applications, but would result in a slower,
>messier system; the latter might result in a clean O/S, but no
>applications, (assuming that I am able to resurrect all the drivers.)
>
>Thank you most kindly for your, (and/or anyone else's) thoughts!
>David
>

Hi thanatoid, Glen, and Gary,

This morning I have read, and reread, several times(!), all of your posts.
I am really grateful for all the time that you have spent trying to help me
get through this. I mean that!

So far, I have now spent at least 30-40 hours going down the path of
"Save, Preserve, and Cleanout". I have now independently concluded, first
hand, that that path has no end. Possibly a despairing surrender, but no
end. But you all practically told me that in the first place. I now
accept that re-format, with only the O/S and no licensed, (if any)
applications is the only prudent way to go.

My problem now is, that I simply have run out of time to devote to this
project. I am sure that any of you, with your experience, could complete
the job in a few hours. But I am equally sure that, with my inexperience,
that I would be looking at days; of which I have simply run out.

So I have decided that I'm going to take it into the shop, and get an
estimate for having them do the whole thing. If the cost is not
exorbitant, I will let them do it. I just don't have the choice anymore.
But if the cost is exorbitant, then I'll have to make a decision.

In the meantime, I have saved all of your replies and the entire thread,
including your kind guidance and offers to help me pursue the
reformat/rebuild. If the job should come back to me, and if it's O.K. with
you, I will reopen this thread.

But for now, again, thank you all so much for your help.
This is a great NG!
David
 >> Stay informed about: Editing Privacy Items from the Registry