Thank you so much for the ideas. Donating was my only thought and will check around and see who would want it, for parts or practice or whatever. The hard drive was my concern. Also, never thought about just removing the hard drive! Duh, that would be so much better than trying to erase! From my google searches erasing didn't seem as easy as it sounds. And besides, I would have to hook it back up and reconnect to be able to do that. Far easier to just remove it. As far as installing a new operating system. I will let the next new owner do that! I have more hobbies now than I have time to get to. My new years resolution is: DO NOT START ANY MORE NEW HOBBIES, NO MATTER HOW APPEALING THEY SEEM! Thanks again. PS Poohbear, I live too far from Chattanooga to get it to you!

Yes simply reformatting the drive - or as Gene notes just using your recovery CDs is good enough for the average person who has nothing to hide. Very few 'normal' folk have the capability or interest in trying to see what you had on there before. Someone will no doubt be very pleased with that computer as a gift. If it is going to an older person it might be nice if you have the time to find and install a few free games for them.

Thanks for the info. I am in no way stupid, but my skills are heavily in language and anything related to math can easily sandbag me. I am afraid of making my computer problems worse if I try to fix them, because that is exactly what has happened in the past. I don't open suspicious files but I still get an occasional worm or virus. I live in the country, precisely, among many Mennonite farmers, and technology has not found its way very deeply into this area. Getting technical help out here from Syracuse is expensive. MY ISP, TDS, whom I hate because I believe they gravitate toward underserved areas and then exploit their customers, offers an expensive monthly "service" to keep my computer fast and clean, but it is expensive and I am suspicious od TDS. I am fortunate that I can get DSL because many of the people out here are still stuck with dialup service. Few dare to try satellite service and I have heard nothing good about it. As I said, I research anything and everything that crosses my mind or which I want to buy and I am certain I am encouraging problems that way. I will ask the guru who is eventually coming about imaging. I have Asperger Syndrome and don't deal well with change and that is why I cling to MS products--I got started on them with an ISP employee sitting next to me, who set them up, and instructed me in their use. I have tried different browsers and mail programs in the past but the differences in them were extremely annoying. Another thing--I don't "intuit" very easily and things that seem obvious to others never dawn on me. I can and do learn but I need to find a tutor who can figure out how to explain things so I can grasp them. Still, I have compelted two MS degrees and theses with high honors since computers took over the libraries.

As one who often cleans "house"...there's no perfect "yes" or "no" answer to your question. "Yes" you can do it if you examine the contents of each folder and know your system well enough to recognize whether you may need the info contained therein sometime in the future. Some of those old computer files contain old info...or old programs...that are still referred to and needed by your current system to function the way you want it to. Old photo files...old apps...etc. Have I discarded old files? Yes...selectively and without regret. "No" if you're not absolutely sure what's in those files and whether your system...or you...may need the info contained therein at some future point. Generally...I agree with Fudd and azinoh. If you don't need the space then leave well enough alone. If you need the space...proceed with caution.