How to remove corporate customizations from Windows

Usjes

Hi

My friend was made redundant and IT agreed to let her take her PC with her but asked that she 'wipe it' by going to a specified website and burning some software to a CD. She was then to insert the CD and follow the instructions. The problem however is that she lost the name of the website. So does this procedure sound familiar to anyone, does anyone know what the mystery website is ? I imagine that basically all it is doing is removing all the corporate-specific customizations like the company name on the login window etc. Normally I would just suggest that she re-install the OS but that is the problem: she doesn't have the original install media so what is required is essentially to return an existing install of the OS to 'factory settings'. So does anyone know what the website is or have any other suggestions ?

Thanks,

Usjes

Alun

It was probably this website ...

http://www.dban.org/

This would wipe the hard disk completely, removing *everything* and wiping each sector of the disk multiple times to prevent any chance of data recovery. This is often done when corporate PC's are given to employees to make certain no confidential or sensitive company data is deliberately or inadvertently leaked.

In this case she would need to completely reinstall Windows from scratch. If it's Windows 7, you can download a completely legal ISO from one of the links here and install from that using the key shown on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

Usjes

Alun wrote: »

It was probably this website ...

http://www.dban.org/

This would wipe the hard disk completely, removing *everything* and wiping each sector of the disk multiple times to prevent any chance of data recovery. This is often done when corporate PC's are given to employees to make certain no confidential or sensitive company data is deliberately or inadvertently leaked.

In this case she would need to completely reinstall Windows from scratch. If it's Windows 7, you can download a completely legal ISO from one of the links here and install from that using the key shown on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

Hi Alun,

Thanks, that might do it, about the site for the new ISO, I have just skimmed it and as you say it claims to be completely legal but still I am a bit wary, I was expecting to be downloading directly from Microsoft, is there some reason why it is from a 3rd party ?

Thanks,

Usjes

Alun

It's perfectly OK. The links on that page link to a company called Digital River who Microsoft used to fulfil their electronic downloads of Windows 7.

By the way, to be on the safe side, when you install Windows, don't enter the key during the initial installation process, but wait until Windows is installed first and activate it via Control panel. This is a peculiarity to using a retail version of Windows to install onto a machine that you'd normally use an OEM version to install with. In some instances you may have to go through phone activation if this fails.

It may also help to have at least the Ethernet / wireless drivers available already downloaded from the manufacturers website on a memory stick or something, in case Windows doesn't have native drivers for them. Then go to the manufacturers website and download and install all the other drivers you might need.

mp22

It is usually a good move to copy the windows system 32 folder to a usb drive before wiping the hard disk

Capt'n Midnight

mp22 wrote: »

It is usually a good move to copy the windows system 32 folder to a usb drive before wiping the hard disk

That would defeat the whole purpose of wiping the drive.

GarIT

mp22 wrote: »

It is usually a good move to copy the windows system 32 folder to a usb drive before wiping the hard disk

Why on earth would you do that?

mp22

Its where all your drivers are.After the reinstall all you need to do is tell windows to look for any missing drivers on the usb stick.

GarIT

mp22 wrote: »

Its where all your drivers are.After the reinstall all you need to do is tell windows to look for any missing drivers on the usb stick.

That might save time, but you are better off getting them fresh from the manufacturer.

Usjes

Okay, so on reading the ISO download site in more detail it looks like it basically allows you to create your own install media for the version of windows that was installed by the OEM. So I'm wondering if the first step suggested above (http://www.dban.org/) is really necessary? My friend is not very technically savvy and I will be emailing her instructions so I would like to create a minimal set of instructions to minimize the chances of her making a mistake. If she just downloads the ISO the disk will get reformatted anyway by the install process wont it ?

Thanks,

Usjes.

FSL

I would dban it anyway. Then if any time in the future the company suffers a leak of information there is no way it could have originated from her machine. Reformatting does not overwrite all the data.

unkel

Usjes wrote: »

but asked that she 'wipe it'

Unbelievably unprofessional from the IT department.

Fysh

I'm astonished that they got far enough to think "that laptop needs wiping" without then thinking "we should do the wiping to make sure it's done properly".

Usjes

I dont suppose there is any way to tell if the OEM version was 32 bit or 64 bit just by looking at the license cert ? I'd rather not have to burn a DVD for each edition and she doesn't have a monitor attached at the moment so she cant boot it up to find out. The license sticker says:
Windows Vista Business OEMAct
There's no clue here is there ?

Thanks,

Usjes

bonzodog2

A 64bit installation will have a Program Files (x86) folder as well as a Program Files folder
DVDRs are cheap, but you can also install from a USB stick, assuming it will boot from USB

Usjes

FSL wrote: »

I would dban it anyway. Then if any time in the future the company suffers a leak of information there is no way it could have originated from her machine. Reformatting does not overwrite all the data.

There was one other reservation I had about dban; I presume dban completely ereases every shred of infromation on the hard disk ? I am wondering then if this might hamper the efforts to reinstall the OEM copy of Windows. I mean I presume there must be something somewhere to verify that the Windows product key sticker belongs to the machine you are trying to install on ? So that you couldn't use one product key sticker to install on multiple machines. Is this info not stored on the hard-disk ? Would using dban not erase it ? Or is this check stored somewhere else on the machine ?

And one final qestion, the website supplied for downloading windows ISOs provides links for Vista and Win7 but not for XP (because it is no longer supported by Microsoft I suppose?). Does this mean that there is no way of getting a fresh install of a Microsoft OS on an XP-OEM machine other than buying a copy of a newer version of Windows ? Is there no way of creating a fresh install of XP on such a machine ?

Fysh

Usjes wrote: »

There was one other reservation I had about dban; I presume dban completely ereases every shred of infromation on the hard disk ? I am wondering then if this might hamper the efforts to reinstall the OEM copy of Windows. I mean I presume there must be something somewhere to verify that the Windows product key sticker belongs to the machine you are trying to install on ? So that you couldn't use one product key sticker to install on multiple machines. Is this info not stored on the hard-disk ? Would using dban not erase it ? Or is this check stored somewhere else on the machine ?

And one final qestion, the website supplied for downloading windows ISOs provides links for Vista and Win7 but not for XP (because it is no longer supported by Microsoft I suppose?). Does this mean that there is no way of getting a fresh install of a Microsoft OS on an XP-OEM machine other than buying a copy of a newer version of Windows ? Is there no way of creating a fresh install of XP on such a machine ?

OEM installations are pre-activated. This means that if you try to reactivate using the key on the cert you'll need to call Microsoft and at the very least go through the automated activation validation routine. You may need to talk to an actual human and convince them of what you're doing.

If you've got your original recovery partition/OEM media you can reinstall after wiping the disk. The concern with dban is that it wipes everything on the disk, which would normally include the recovery partition unless the vendor has done something very clever with it. So what I'd normally suggest doing is boot any given Linux distro (I use GParted because it's useful and straightforward to use for disk management tasks) and run shred on the partitions you want to wipe. This lets you be sure stuff is deleted while limiting it to specific locations you want to target, and should avoid wiping your recovery partition.

As for XP, I wouldn't waste my time putting XP on a machine at this point, it's just asking for heartache. If the machine's sufficiently old you can't run any newer versiof Windows on it, either bin it or put a cut-down version of Linux on it. Otherwise, put a supported version of Windows on it.

Usjes

Fysh wrote: »

OEM installations are pre-activated. This means that if you try to reactivate using the key on the cert you'll need to call Microsoft and at the very least go through the automated activation validation routine. You may need to talk to an actual human and convince them of what you're doing.

Well I went ahead and isntalled Vista using the ISOs suggested in this thread and it activated successfully using the OEM product-key from the sticker on the machine with no need to make any calls to Microsoft. So, I dont know if this is because
(i) I didn't dban it and => there was some verification routine/code buried somewhere on the hard-disk
(ii) I took Alun's advice from earlier in this thread:
By the way, to be on the safe side, when you install Windows, don't enter the key during the initial installation process, but wait until Windows is installed first and activate it via Control panel. This is a peculiarity to using a retail version of Windows to install onto a machine that you'd normally use an OEM version to install with. In some instances you may have to go through phone activation if this fails.


I'm still curious to know whether or not a given key cert is somehow paired with given hardware. For example if your employer is decomissioning and destroying a bunch of laptops could you rescue the Cert stickers from them and then buy a bunch of bare machines without any OS bundled and install Windows on them using the Cert stickers ? Or at some point during the install/activation process would it complain that this is not the 'correct' hardware for the product key you are using ?

Alun

It was, of course, option (ii) ! Seriously though, I got that piece of advice on here somewhere a I had to do something similar on a friend's laptop recently and have since seen it re-iterated elsewhere, so I have no reason to think it's not correct.

Fysh

Usjes wrote: »

I'm still curious to know whether or not a given key cert is somehow paired with given hardware. For example if your employer is decomissioning and destroying a bunch of laptops could you rescue the Cert stickers from them and then buy a bunch of bare machines without any OS bundled and install Windows on them using the Cert stickers ? Or at some point during the install/activation process would it complain that this is not the 'correct' hardware for the product key you are using ?

CoAs are tied to specific machines, but the specific keys on them are not. I've read of some product keys that only allow a single installation, but my experience with Windows is that even if you have to phone Microsoft, as long as the key hasn't been blocked due to mass usage, you can state that the key is only used on one computer and you'll get an activation validation code.

As far as moving OEM CoAs from one bunch of hardware to another goes, that is Very Naughty and not allowed. OEM Windows licences live and die with the original computer, which for practical terms is usually defined as either the motherboard or the motherboard/chassis combination. Even if the activation process works after such a CoA transfer, you wouldn't have a valid licence on those machines, and if you were eg a business that got audited, that would land you in serious trouble.

The actual failure to install that you're thinking of is more likely due to OEM windows media performing pre-installation checks.

Usjes

So after re-installing the OEM-version of Windows Vista successfully my friend has asked about Microsoft Office 2010. It is the same deal; it came with the machine and she still has the license key but not the install media, is there something similar to the digital river OS downloads where you can download install disks for Office and activate it with a genuine product key?
If not then I will just reccommend LibreOffice.

Thanks,

Usjes

Fysh

Usjes wrote: »

So after re-installing the OEM-version of Windows Vista successfully my friend has asked about Microsoft Office 2010. It is the same deal; it came with the machine and she still has the license key but not the install media, is there something similar to the digital river OS downloads where you can download install disks for Office and activate it with a genuine product key?
If not then I will just reccommend LibreOffice.

Thanks,

Usjes

I had this exact problem recently and eventually found that it's still possible to get the Office 2010 media. It's technically trial install media but in my case at least activated successfully with my key. You should be able to get it through Technet here.

ozmo

Usjes wrote: »

(i) I didn't dban it and => there was some verification routine/code buried somewhere on the hard-disk

Sooo - you didnt wipe the machine then.

Formatting or re-installing wont wipe the disk - and likely portions of the company data could be recovered at any time in the future by who ever gets the laptop next.

On some PCs (dell etc) the Licence Key (called slp) is stored in the BIOS - so cannot be removed by wiping or formatting and so does not require you to enter it when installing. It wont be on the hardisk as that needs to be replaceable or reformat-able without loosing your licence.

Usjes wrote:

I'm still curious to know whether or not a given key cert is somehow paired with given hardware.

Mostly though you just enter it off the sticker if prompted. Microsoft knows the hardware specs of the machine (well a signature of it rather than full spec) that last used that code (from the online activation) and if the online activation recognises its as a different machine, or in use already by other similar machines, it tells you so.

Capt'n Midnight

ozmo wrote: »

On some PCs (dell etc) the Licence Key (called slp) is stored in the BIOS - so cannot be removed by wiping or formatting and so does not require you to enter it when installing. It wont be on the hardisk as that needs to be replaceable or reformat-able without loosing your licence.

It's a generic key. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Locked_Pre-installation

if you haven't dban / long format / wipe that takes at least an hour of constant hard drive activity then recovering some data is trivial

after a factory restore you should at least wipe empty space using sdelete or other app , woudn't hurt to delete / wipe hiberfile.sys and pagefile.sys too