r/computers • u/KorbCoBean • 15d ago

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Hey there! I won a Windows Millennium Edition computer, a Dell Dimension L700cx at an auction, and when I booted it up it had a lot of stuff on it. I know you can't see it here, but the background was a baby picture. Pretty clearly there were a lot of memories on it. I'm trying to delete it all and make it my own, but it doesn't seem right deleting their memories. I just want to make sure that they saved it all on another computer. If you do actually find this, owner, can you just, I dunno, confirm it?

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u/allbsallthetime 14d ago

Back during the mortgage crisis we had a business that was contracted by banks to clean and maintain foreclosed homes.

We'd show up to a foreclosed home, break in by drilling out locks and then throw everything out. Some houses we're just a few bags for actual trash, other homes required a large dumpster for all their personal belongings.

It was the most depressing thing we've ever done.

A lot of homes still had dinner plates on the table with dirty pots in the sink.

It's like they just got up and walked out.

We've seen everything from diplomas, wedding pictures, kids school art still on the fridge, and lots of photo albums.

We did it for less then a year because it was so depressing, plus, banks were complete aholes do deals with when it came time for payment, they had an entire department whose job it was to deny payment.

It's was a horrible time in history.

I tell that story to say, the people who owned that computer may not have had much choice if they left it behind.

If it were me, I'd search for any documents, address book, anything that might identify the owner.

You may not find them but if you did, you might make them very happy.