How to revert to factory settings on laptop

[pixiemum]

I have a fairly old Toshiba Satellite 4070CDS which although a good few years old stil works ok and so I want to sell if poss. However I tried inserting the Product Recovery CD (never used before) in to revert back to factory settings and remove all the stuff that has accumulated over the years and nothing happens. I think it may be a fault with the CD drive as I can't get that to work with another CD either.

So, now I need to know how to get to the 'factory' setting i.e. all added programs, files etc, removed (not least for protection purposes) without use of the CD drive? Any ideas? Thanks!

[big19540]

Have you tried pressing F10 during boot-up this should start the "System Restore" and take your machine back to what it was when it left the factory.

[ChuckFickens]

errrr, there is a 2000 word limit on answers and to go through how to remove everything and all signs of usage... well!!!

And how much do you expect to sell a 366mhz machine with a faulty cd drive for?

Sorry to say this may be a time to say farewell and bin it.. (remove hard drive and destroy separately if there is any chance of personal data being on it!)

[ACtheTROLL]

lol - if you do sell it pass their name on - I have a huge pile of rockinghorse ******* they might be interested in

a 366mhz celeron isn't - going to sell for as much as the postage will be

and works ok and faulty CD don't really go together in the same sentence.

"everything has a value" is a modern myth
more trouble that it's worth - now that's as true now as ever it was

give or offer it to a charity - (even they might turn you down!)

failing that consider turning it into
a very thin fish tank
a doorstop
a very low step
a bookend for very small books
a handy tray
a flower press
a thingy to stop the table wobbling
or an extra weight for the bin (having removed all toxic parts as required by law!)