What To Do With Old Computers, ‘Cause Tossing Them In the Garbage Is Not an Option
I. Decide What To Do With Your Hard Drive
This is where all your data has been stored, so take every precaution to prevent it from being misappropriated. Whether you decide to undertake all the necessary steps yourself or have PC Assistants do some of it or all of it for you, here’s what needs to happen:
• Take out the hard drive
• Scrub it (erase everything) and recycle or donate; OR
• Don’t scrub it and:
– Put it into an external disk enclosure for back-up; or
– Put it someplace safe; or
– Smash the hard drive with a sledgehammer or drive over it with your car (seriously, we have clients who’ve done both) and then recycle or donate. (The sledgehammer, by the way, is the most effective.)
II. Decide What To Do With Computer Monitor, Keyboard, Accessories
- Recycle with Best Buy
- Donate to an organization such as IndependenceFirst
- Take it to a recycling center such as E-Cycle Wisconsin
- Have a kids’ activity with computer parts. PC Assistants can host such “comp-tivity” for you.
If you have any questions about finding a new “home” for your computer, please give us a call.