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How to Safely Get Rid of an Old Computer

by Suzanne Kantra on December 26, 2022

Updated on 12/26/2022 with new recommendations for a backup drive and current instructions for Windows drive encryption and deleting browser data.

Have an old computer lying around the house? Don't just throw it away. Computers house all sorts of toxins that are bad for the environment and all of us who live in it. Not to mention the personal information – passwords, account numbers, license keys or registration numbers for software programs, addresses and phone numbers, medical and prescription information, tax returns, and other personal documents – that you would rather not fall into the wrong hands.

Here's how to safeguard your personal information and ensure your computer is disposed of properly.

How to delete your personal information

However you choose to dispose of your computer, you need to do several things if you don’t want a stranger to access your data.

Save important files

Back up your files or transfer them to a new computer. The least time-consuming way to do this is to invest in an external solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs are more expensive than hard disk drives (HDD), but they are less fragile because they have no moving parts and are less prone to failure, according to the most recent Drive Stats report by Backblaze. For an SSD, I like the Western Digital My Passport SSD (on sale starting at $94.99 for a 1TB drive, check the price on Amazon).

 Wester Digital My Passport SSD in red plugged into a laptop with one hand holding a piece paper and the other typing on the keyboard.

If you're looking for an easy ongoing backup and file syncing solution, use a cloud service such as Google Drive (our Top Pick for the Best Cloud Storage Service), iCloud, or Microsoft’s OneDrive.

  • Google Drive gives you 15GB of file storage for free, and if you need more, you can upgrade to Google, the paid version of Google Drive. You can buy 100GB for $1.99 per month ($19.99 per year), 200 GB for $2.99 per month ($29.99 per year), and 2TB for $9.99 per month ($99.99 per year).
  • OneDrive gives you 5GB of free storage with an option to buy 100GB for a monthly subscription of $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year). You can store up to 1TB of storage for one PC or Mac for $6.99 per month ($69.99 per year), which includes a subscription to Office 365 Personal, or 6TB for $9.99 per month ($99.99 per year), which includes the ability to share your store and Office 365 Home for up to 6 users.
  • Apple iCloud includes 5GB free, and if you need more storage, you can upgrade to the paid service, iCloud+. With iCloud+, you can share your storage with up to five additional family members – people who are set up for Family Sharing. Apple's 50GB plan costs $0.99 per month, 200GB runs $2.99 per month, and the 2TB option runs $9.99 per month.

After backing up your files in the cloud, you can easily transfer them to a new machine or access them anywhere you have an Internet connection, including your smartphone. Cloud storage also comes in handy if your computer dies and you need to restore your files or you’re traveling and need access to data on a different device.

“Wipe” your hard drive

Simply deleting files won’t cut it. Even if a file name doesn’t show up on the list of available files, the old file data is still there until it is overwritten, and a bad guy can use a data recovery program to retrieve it. I've outlined the steps I recommend you take below.

  1. Delete and overwrite sensitive files. If you have tax documents and other sensitive files, make sure you delete these files with specialized software designed to meet government standards for secure deletion. For Windows PCs with hard drives, try File Shredder (free). For older Macs with hard drives (MacOS X Yosemite version 10.10 or earlier), you can choose the "Secure Empty Trash" option after deleting your files. You can find it under Finder > Secure Empty Trash. For Macs with MacOS X El Capitan version 10.11 and higher and Windows PCs with SSD drives, you'll need to encrypt your drive. When you wipe your drive at the end of these steps, you'll be securely erasing all of your files.
  2. Turn on drive encryption. For Windows PCs with SSD drives, go to Start button > Settings > Update & Security > Device Encryption. If the option for Device Encryption appears, make sure it's on. Otherwise, go to Start > Windows System > Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Manage BitLocker to turn on drive encryption. For Macs, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault and select "Turn On FileVault." You'll then create a password and select Restart.
  3. Deauthorize your computer. Some programs, such as iTunes and Microsoft Office 365, only allow you to install software on a limited number of computers or allow a limited number of computers to access your files. So be sure to deauthorize your old computer with your accounts – before uninstalling your programs.
  4. Delete your browsing history. Most browsers save information about your browsing history, and depending on your settings, you can choose to store your usernames and passwords for sites. Obviously, you don’t want a stranger to have access to this information.

    First, you'll want to sign out of your browser.
    • For Edge and Chrome, click on your profile icon and choose the option to sign out.
    • For Firefox, click on Settings (cog icon in the upper right) > Manage more settings > Sync and sign out.
    • For Safari, you'll need to turn off iCloud. Go to the Apple menu > System Settings, [your name] > iCloud, and Turn Off Safari.
    Then, clear your browser history.
    • For Edge, you click on the triple dots in the upper right corner to open the browser menu, then on Settings > Privacy, search and services. In the "Clear browsing data" section, click on "Choose what to clear." In the Time Range pull-down menu, choose "All time." Make sure all of the checkboxes are selected, so everything gets removed.
    • For Chrome, click on the menu icon (triple dots in the upper right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. In the popup window, use the Time range pulldown to select "All time." Make sure all of the boxes are checked to ensure everything is removed.
    • For Firefox, click on Settings (cog icon in the upper right) > Manage more settings > Privacy & security. Go through and click on the "Clear Data box next to all types of data.
    • For Safari, open the Safari app and choose History > Clear History.
  5. Uninstall your programs. Some programs, such as Microsoft Office, may contain personal information such as your name and address or other details. So be sure to uninstall any programs before disposing of your computer.
  6. Consult your employer about data disposal policies. If you use your computer for business purposes, check with your employer about how to manage business-related information on your computer. The law requires businesses to follow data security and disposal requirements for certain information that’s related to customers.
  7. Wipe your hard drive. For PCs, once you've gone through and removed the data you know is there, it's time to perform a factory reset to ensure you've removed all of your personal files and software programs. If your computer has a hard drive, restart the computer, download and install Eraser.

    Once installed, you'll click on the downward pointing arrow next to Erase Schedule, select New Task, select Run immediately and then click on Add Data. Under Target Type, select Unused Disk Space, check off Erase cluster tips and click OK. The tool will then permanently delete anything that was deleted during your reset. If your computer has an SSD drive, right click on the Windows icon in the lower left corner, select Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > then right click on the disk where you store your files, choose New Volume and follow the prompts until you get to the Format window. There you will make sure the quick format is not checked and then format the drive. If you don't have the option to encrypt your drive, you can use Blancco Drive Eraser ($18.46 on Blancco) for a full wipe.

    For Macs, you'll want to erase and reinstall MacOS. The process differs slightly depending on whether your Mac has an Intel chip and whether you're running macOS Monterey or an earlier version. In either case, you'll want to make sure your macOS is up to date before starting.

    If you have a Mac with an Intel chip, in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > Restart. Once your Mac restarts (and the gray screen appears), hold down the Command and R keys. Select Disk Utility, then click Continue. Select your startup disk on the left, then click the Erase tab. Choose MacOS Extended (Journaled) from the Format menu, enter a name, then click Erase. After the disk is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility. Select Reinstall macOS, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.

    If you have a Mac with an Apple chip or you have a Mac running macOS Monterey with an Apple T2 Security Chip, in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > Restart. Once your Mac restarts (and the gray screen appears), hold down the Command and R keys. Sign in with administrator user ID. Select Disk Utility and click on Continue. Select Macintosh HD and click on the Erase button. Choose MacOS Extended (Journaled) from the Format menu, enter a name, then click Erase. After the disk is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility. Select Reinstall macOS, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.

    For Chromebooks, you'll need to perform a factory reset. To do that, sign into your Chromebook with the owner account (if you have more than one account loaded). From the Taskbar, click on Settings > Advanced > Powerwash > Restart. After your Chromebook restarts, select "Powerwash," and click on "Continue."

    Or physically damage your hard drive. If you're just looking to recycle your computer and are very concerned about someone recovering your files, take the hard drive out and drill a bunch of holes in it or beat the heck out of it with a hammer.

How to dispose of your computer

To avoid all those toxins ending up in a landfill, the better choice is to recycle, donate, trade in, or sell your computer.

Recycling your computer

If you opt to recycle it, keep in mind that some recyclers will simply take your old machine and ship it over to developing nations, where children are often used to scavenge piles of e-waste looking for valuable components. To avoid contributing to this irresponsible practice, use a recycler that has been certified by Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI) as meeting the R2 standard, or is part of the “e-Steward” network, meaning they don’t export to places like Pakistan or China, and they follow other high standards. Many of them also will reuse and refurbish electronics. Staples is an e-Steward Enterprise and will recycle laptops and other consumer electronics for free.

Trading-in your computer

As for trading in your PC or laptop, there are scads of companies that offer trade-in programs through which you can sell a wide assortment of used electronics. Options include BestBuy and Staples. Your local Best Buy also has trade-in options, but compare what it offers against the online services first.

What to do if your computer won't turn on

If your computer is dead, chances are it's a problem with the motherboard or the power supply, but the hard drive and the data on it should be fine. To back up the data on it and then erase the drive, you will need to remove the drive from the dead computer and hook it up to another computer using a SATA to USB cable (you can get a SATA to USB cable for under $25 on Amazon). Once plugged in, the new computer should recognize and map your old drive, at which point you can just copy the files off and then run Eraser to wipe the drive.

[image credit: Western Digital, electronics recycling concept via BigStockPhoto]


Topics

Computers and Software, Computer Safety & Support, Tips & How-Tos, Tech 101, Green Tech


Discussion loading

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From Mitch on August 23, 2012 :: 10:58 am


This was incredible. Telling us lay peole how to really erase the hard drive makes this one of the best subscritpions to a blog that I have ever signed up for!
thanks,
Mitch

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From FBClark on August 23, 2012 :: 1:22 pm


Don’t forget local organisations that may be able to put old and still working computers to good use. Lions clubs, blind associations, private physical rehab, Veterans clubs, etc. Vinux which is Linux for the visually impaired can be installed and given to vision impaired people who are shut-ins, or nearly shut-ins and give them an interactive social life. A fresh install of Vinux, or any other user-friendly build of Linux such as Ubuntu, Mint, Zorin or several others can also give other social shut-ins a lease on a social life. Free, I repeat free, fully accessible computers can be given to the deserving. Another great advantage of installing Linux over a Microsoft or a Mac system is that the Linux file system fully overwrites the Windows and Apple file systems obliterating all old personal and program info. Linux is free, no licensing or registration costs, full featured for home and business use and most desktop builds are as user friendly as Windows or Mac. Some are even better! The only cost a shut-in faces is internet access. There may even be local help with this, check around. Research Linux distributions at distrowatch.com

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From Mike Pochowski on August 11, 2016 :: 11:35 pm


Great ideas all!

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From Rhonda Foxworth on August 24, 2012 :: 7:32 pm


Or use National Cristina Foundation to locate a nonprofit that could use your old hardware.  Often there is an organization within an easy drive.  http://www.cristina.org/donation.ncf

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From Hard Drive on September 02, 2012 :: 4:33 pm


I don’t trust any of the hard drive wipe methods.  After doing one of the wipe methods,
I physically remove and destroy the hard drive, and give the rest of the computer to recycle.  You never know who is going to get hold of a donated computer, and how they might access and use residual information.  A removed and physically destroyed hard drive is your best security.

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From LA Graham on April 14, 2014 :: 12:15 pm


I remove my hard drive and donate the computer to a fellow who works with a school program here, teaching high school and community college students how to repair computers.  He replaces the hard drives and uses the old computers in his classes.  A side benefit is he has offered to handle any problems I may have with any of my current computers.

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From Will on September 05, 2017 :: 10:59 am


Then you better utterly destroy the hard drive beyond anything you’re used to. Punching holes in the platters, scratching the heck out of them… not good enough. If someone was cray-cray enough, they could pay for someone to or use themselves some sophisticated equipment to recover what they can. Yes, it would be crazy expensive, but if they thought what they could gain was worth it…

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From Ross on March 05, 2018 :: 5:54 am


I am constantly amazed at the paranoia of people when disposing of their old computers. Unless you work for MI5, MI6 or the CIA etc it is very unlikely that anyone would invest in forensically recovering your data.
If you decide to dispose of your PC by recycling via donation to a third party organisation such as a charity or local school, simply use the option to wipe the hard disk drive using a drive wiper, (there is a very capable one built into free products like Piriform’s CCleaner) or just remove the drive and destroy it. The drives are so small that you could just store them safely as an archive of your data.

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From Vivian on September 02, 2012 :: 8:54 pm


I have a Windows XP Professional which has had a virus on it since 2005.How can I safely get rid of it? ASAP.

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From SJS on September 03, 2012 :: 6:24 pm


Vivian -

I’m not a tech-whiz, but I would say: download and install on your XP computer, and then run, any of the good FREE (or fully-functional FREE TRIAL) antivirus (and antispyware) programs that are available on the web, to clear-out any malware on the system. Some good programs that might do the trick are AVAST ANTIVIRUS and SUPERANTISPYWARE.

Then, if you still really want to get rid of the computer—although after that cleaning, maybe you’ll want to keep it—follow any of the suggestions offered elsewhere in this forum, such as, for example, (a) putting it up for sale on eBay or Craigslist, etcetera, (b) donating it to a local charity or to a reputable charitable organization such as The Cristina Foundation.

XP Pro may be a bit old but it’s my understanding that loads of people and businesses, around the world, still use it by choice, because it’s relatively fast & efficient & still effectively meets these users’ needs.

I even use it on one of my older—but still good—computers, and it works fine. Of course I also, for security’s sake, have the system protected by antivirus & antispyware programs, also including a great additional malware detector/blocker program called “THREATFIRE”, which give an extra layer of security to the system.

If you really want to get a new computer, do it. But have you considered that upgrading your XP Pro computer—by adding memory, or a larger-capacity hard drive, or a faster CPU—might be a more economical, and workable, alternative?

As to the rest of the story as to why staying with XP Pro may or may not be to your advantage, maybe other contributors to this forum can offer some additional ideas.

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From Josh Kirschner on September 04, 2012 :: 3:35 pm


Hi Vivian,

I concur with SJS about downloading a free antimalware solution. My recommendation would by Malwarebytes - it’s the best cleaning tool out there and it’s free. You need to pay if you want ongoing protection with Malwarebytes, but since this is for one-time use, that’s the way I would go.

I would not recommend staying with XP for two reasons:
1) Windows 7 offers much better default protection for preventing rogue applications from installing without your permission (which is perhaps how you got your virus in the first place)
2) Microsoft is no longer supporting XP and is not issuing software patches even if security holes are discovered.

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From Steen Lauritzen on September 04, 2012 :: 9:57 am


When ever my PC gets obsolete, I always keep the harddisk. Simply unscrew the hard drive from the computer and store it in a safe (place). Then I have a backup for free, I don’t have to worries about some bad guy recovering my data and no need to wait hours after hours uploading my data to the sky.

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From Loki on September 14, 2012 :: 1:28 am


Steen, I have to believe you to be a “relatively” new user.  I have also kept drives, but it soon becomes both tiresome and lacking in uses.  I have been using for 30 years, and still have 10Mb drives (yes, that is “EMM-BEE”) that are no longer worth a nickel, even if you could still buy them.  Yeah, they were five or six hundred back then.

All my old drives have been rendered SECURE by both wiping and electro-magnetic interference.  Suffice to say that I have access to large and powerful electro-magnets at work and I use an old machine just for wiping the drives at a 30-pass deletion.

Overkill, perhaps; but I use my home PC’s for some very sensitive and classified information.

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From Roy on September 07, 2017 :: 7:42 am


Using your home computer for sensitive and classified information?  Sure hope you’re just using strong phrases and it’s not really “classified” information at home.  That’s worrisome.

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From JANE STEVENSON on June 12, 2016 :: 11:54 am


No longer usable so how do I remove the hard drive so that I can dispose of my old Laptop safely and securly?

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From Josh Kirschner on June 13, 2016 :: 9:01 am


On the bottom of your laptop, there is likely a little panel that can be removed with one or two screws. In there is your hard drive (will look like a small, thin rectangular box). It should just pop out and then you’re good to go. There may be two panels, one for your hard drive and one for your RAM. If you don’t see the box under the first panel, try the second one.

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From Tj on June 23, 2020 :: 4:28 pm


My computer died, so I did a factory restore..lost a lot of pictures..but it kept relooping and could not get pass that..tried a lot of things nothing worked..so it’s my data gone?
Or is there a way I can get my hard drive out and donate the rest?
Thank you
Tj

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From Josh Kirschner on June 24, 2020 :: 11:57 am


If you simply did a factory restore, it probably didn’t reformat your hard drive, so your old data would still be there and could be recovered. You could do this yourself by either attaching an external boot device and seeing if you can access you old drive or removing the old drive and mounting it as an external drive on another computer. You might be able to recover your old photos this way. But if you’re simply going to dispose of it, I would remove the hard drive and physically destroy it.

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From Richard on September 04, 2012 :: 12:55 pm


I normally replace the old hard drive and keep the original for data backup. Then I reload the operating system (usually XP Pro) after formatting the replacement drive. This not only stops any residual data being left but also ensures a virus free system. Then I either sell the old computer or offer it to a charity.

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From Scott on September 04, 2012 :: 3:20 pm


Even contents of a formatted hard drive can be recovered.

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From Josh Kirschner on September 04, 2012 :: 3:40 pm


Yes, that’s why we recommend wiping your files with an eraser tool first, followed by a drive format.

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From Susana on September 07, 2012 :: 4:26 pm


I am a long-time member of a computer user group that has operated a computer recycling program from time to time. There are a couple of free programs out there—Belarc Advisor is one of them (used it this morning)—that will build a profile of your PC that includes the license keys for your operating system (OS) and other programs. If you trust disk wipe software, run Belarc (or similar first) and print out the profile so you have a record of the “build” of your OS and its license key.  Then the recycle organization can legally reinstall the OS under that old key. It saves the recipient money for buying a new OS, or at least gives him/her the right to get an upgrade.

Good disk wipe software meets Dept. of Defense conditions for safety. What it does is write the disk with 1’s and 0’s and repeat this numerous times to thoroughly wipe out the previous recording. Acronis makes one such program, and there are others.

Or take out the hard drive as suggested, but record the OS name, build and license key and tape it to the case.

But whatever you choose, DO NOT put it at the curb for pickup!

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From Will J on September 19, 2012 :: 4:26 pm


I don’t know why Vivian used this article to ask a question about an infected computer, but she didn’t specify whether the computer will load Windows. If it doesn’t, and if her computer can boot to a USB device, I would suggest using another computer to download a free USB-based antivirus program and run the antivirus program to clean the hard drive.

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From Kelly on April 14, 2014 :: 10:38 am


What am I supposed to do to clean/wipe my old computer when it’s crashed?  I purchased a new computer because the old one died and I couldn’t access anything.  The folks I bought the new one from weren’t even able to transfer my files on to the new one. I can’t remember when I’ve purchased a new computer voluntarily.

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From Josh Kirschner on April 14, 2014 :: 11:36 am


I’ve had this issue with old PCs,too. The safest thing to do is to remove the hard drive and manually destroy it - power drill, hammer, etc. (wear safety goggles!). Removing a hard drive is easy. If you don’t know where it is, a moderately computer-savvy friend should be able to help.

If you don’t feel comfortable manually destroying it, it is still much more practical to remove the hard drive and keep that in a drawer somewhere than holding on to the entire computer, especially if it’s a big desktop.

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From Nancy on April 14, 2014 :: 11:00 am


I have the same problem as Kelly. It’s been sitting in my garage for almost a year because I’m scared to get rid of it.  I know you said to remove the hard drive, but I don’t even know what it looks like LOL.

ps. love your emails

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From Blaine on April 14, 2014 :: 1:11 pm


Josh and Nancy,
If there isn’t a hardware problem, your trouble is software. Microsoft will become unstable due to many reasons. If your computer will power up but you only get a black screen or sometimes a blue screen, the trouble is almost definitely software. If you get a message that no operating system is found and you’re asked to insert bootable media, then your hard drive has failed. If the hard drive has physically failed then your files are not accessible. Take it to get a new hard drive installed and the old one can be tossed or you can donate the computer.
You can easily access all your files on a hard drive that hasn’t failed by using any operating system that fully boots from DVD or USB drives. The method doesn’t sound easy, but believe me, it is so easy that anyone can do it. A friend who is blind had just started a Restore procedure on her laptop when the power went off. Her battery failed before the Restore completed. Her system was toast. I took a DVD of a Linux build called Vinux to her, booted the laptop from the DVD, copied all her personal files to her USB pen drive. Vinux had screen readers and Braille display drivers so she had no trouble following along with what I was doing with her personal files. After saving her files and reinstalling her Microsoft, she had me install Vinux alongside her Microsoft. That gave her the option of starting her computer from either Vinux or Microsoft. After going through all of this with her, she discovered that even though she’s blind, she could all of this with Linux by herself, for herself while with Microsoft she couldn’t even begin. Don’t let anyone fool you by saying that Linux is too hard. It’s easier than MS! Sure there are versions of Linux that you need a degree to use, but there are also versions that any computer user who can install any simple program can install and use.
If your old computers still work, install a simple version of Linux and load it with games for the kids. Use it for yourself. Make a media center out of it. Replace and totally erase your old files by overwriting them with an installation of Linux. For beginners I recommend Linux-Mint with the Mate style desktop. Very similar to Win-7. Search for tutorials and study them. It really is very easy to do by yourself. If you do somehow mess up, the computer isn’t any good to you anyway, right? And you can restart the Linux-Mint installation with no trouble and practice installing. Just follow the prompts as you install Linux-Mint and enter a user name and password when needed. It is that simple!

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From Nancy on April 14, 2014 :: 4:04 pm


Thanks for your reply. 
It kept telling me that my system had changed and to reload Windows, then it wouldn’t accept it.  I was lucky I didn’t lose anything, because I use Carbonite to back up my files.  It was very old anyway. I will have a friend help me remove the hard drive and donate it.

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From Josh Kirschner on April 14, 2014 :: 4:28 pm


I’ve seen black screens and blue screens from motherboard and RAM failures, so not always a failure with the Windows OS. Diagnosing the cause can be tricky.

To be clear, data CAN be read from failed hard drives, assuming the issue isn’t damage to the storage disks, but is a drive head or other physical issue. But most thieves probably wouldn’t bother to go through the onerous data recovery process on a failed hard drive in the hopes of finding something. Nonetheless, I would recommend addt’l physical destruction to make the process more difficult and because determining how badly damaged a hard drive is (if at all) will be tricky for the average consumer.

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From Dan on April 14, 2014 :: 10:15 pm


You can donate your comptuer to a FreeGeek location, which will wipe the hard drive and reuse components that can be reused & safely recycle components which can’t be reused. There are locations in the US and Canada.

http://Freegeek.org (the original in Portland)

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From Passa Caglia on October 20, 2014 :: 12:31 pm


Hard drive disfunctional.  Data still on it.  Had Apple Store transfer data to a LaCie external harddrive because have to wait a few weeks to afford new iMac.  Necessity means using an old PowerBook G4 in meantime, ugh and ouch.  Want to dispose of old iMac but concerned about data on hard drive that actually can be downloaded even if computer does not work.  Can I remove the hard drive from the computer?  What do I do with the unit once get hard drive out?  Would be obliged for any help on this matter.

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From Josh Kirschner on October 20, 2014 :: 12:38 pm


You can remove the hard drive from any computer. Doing so usually requires opening the case and unscrewing the drive from its mounting. Not usually hard to do. If you’re not comfortable doing it, your Apple Store would probably do it for you.

Once you have the drive removed, just stick it in a drawer at home or physically disable it (a hammer, wire cutter or drill will do the trick) and throw it away. No one is going to spend the time or money trying to recover data from a physically damaged hard drive.

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From Passa Caglia on October 20, 2014 :: 2:13 pm


Thank you so much for your quick reply.  If I may be so bold, if you can answer, can I then take the data that was transferred from my defunct iMac hard drive by the Apple Store, and copy it from the LaCie external hard drive they used to the new iMac I am buying this week?  The Apple Store is very far away and I was planning on doing the transfer myself.  I’m guessing that I just take a USB connecting cable between external LaCie hard drive and the new iMac and it will just transfer but of course I am not a geek or anything near to one (sigh)?  Thank you for any help you might send this way, I’ll be obliged to be sure.

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From Josh Kirschner on October 20, 2014 :: 3:52 pm


Connect the USB cable to your new Mac and you should be able to move the data right over.

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From Passa Caglia on October 25, 2014 :: 11:20 am


Thank you for your last reply, Josh Kirschner, on using a USB cable to move the data from external HD.  But have another question:  Now I need to actually do the download data from the external HD (LaCie) to the new iMac Intel (Data came from a defunct iMac, saved by an Apple Store Genius to the LaCie).  Crux of the question:  The external HD was used before to save data under similar circumstances.  When accessing data from latest data recovery, since can’t see what is on the LaCie HD unless hooked up to a computer, how to determine only the data specifically wanted be transferred from the external HD to the new computer and not all of the older data?

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From Ariel Smith on December 12, 2014 :: 5:36 pm


Have any Old computers? Need to get rid of them and don’t know how? Here’s an easy way, log on to
http://www.computerswithcauses.org/ and donate now we accept much more than just old computers, we accept, cars, collectibles, boats, real-estate, and even aircraft! Donate to make a difference and save on your taxes.

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From RedKing on February 12, 2015 :: 9:28 am


Everyone for years has harped on about the need for secure wiping and runs of 0/1 that can take many hours (even days in some cases). The odds someone will mean an old hard drive in the attempt to get lucky with someones bank details to me seem exaggerated. I have a few spare hard drives I have simply quick formatted via windows. I have also heard a TON of people who have accidentally deleted a simple file and used software to retrieve it only to fail. So an entire HD with all banking details? Really. OK, how about telling me free software that I can try and retrieve banking info from my old hard drives, and we’ll see what all the fuss is about..

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From mf on May 11, 2015 :: 5:35 pm


Can I skip all steps above if I just remove hard drive and destroy it? or do I still have to take all steps above (deleting browsing history, etc)

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From Josh Kirschner on May 11, 2015 :: 5:41 pm


If you remove the hard drive, then you can feel safe donating or (properly) disposing of your computer. However, you still have to make sure that the hard drive is destroyed in a way that makes it unreadable.

Also, before you pull the hard drive, be sure to check whether any of your programs need to be deauthorized from the computer. Failing to do so may reduce the number of licenses you have to use on other computers. Usually, there is a way to handle this online, too, but it can be more of a pain than doing it through the program.

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From Marie Gayton on October 10, 2015 :: 11:20 am


I have 3 laptop computers that we literally killed. Can’t even get them to turn back on.  I would like to be able to take the trade in option, however I wanted to know if I could still trade them in if I physically remove the hard drive.  Or is my only option removing the hard drive and recycling them?

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From Carol Anderson on September 22, 2019 :: 11:03 am


This is what I need to know also!! Thanks!

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From Josh Kirschner on September 23, 2019 :: 6:00 pm


If you have an old laptop that won’t turn on, it may not be possible to trade it in since it has no value. Anyone that will take it, just wants it for recycling (or to get you in the store), so shouldn’t matter if hard drive is in there or not (they likely won’t even check).

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From Nicky999 on April 21, 2016 :: 6:37 am


This article is great. I want to add two computer erase tools to make it perfect:
1. http://www.dban.org/
2. http://giveumore.com/wipe-computer.html
As far as I know, they are also popular.

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From Joel on August 13, 2016 :: 10:48 am


Why do we have to go through all the steps prior to wiping the desk with, say, dban? Doesn’t wiping the disk remove everything else? Thanks.

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From Howard S on October 15, 2016 :: 10:13 pm


Yes, if you use the wipe the hard drive with the dban (and similar) software, everything on the hard drive is gone. Dban will completely erase the entire disk, from beginning to end. In effect, it will wipe anything and everything it finds, including the operating system, all programs (office apps, games, utilities, internet browsers, movie players, etc), all your personal files you have created or downloaded, internet history, etc. It will also wipe any malware (virus, spyware) that were hiding on the hard drive.

I volunteer at the local freegeek in Chicago, they securely wipe every single hard drive that gets donated. Some of the drives don’t work anymore, so they get physically destroyed. And the various parts of the hard drive (metal, plastic, screws, wires, motor, etc) are recycled in a responsible manner.

Any hard drive that still works (with no errors), will be put into a computer and given a new life. The hard drive is wiped of all data and programs, and the Linux operating system is installed. Then the computer can be sold in our thrift store, or given away for free to any non-profits that request some free computers.

I should also mention, I have many years of experience with data security. I have been using wiping software for the past 15 years, and also using “un-erase” software for the same amount of time. When I wipe a drive (and it was finished properly), I’m not able to retrieve any files. The drive is effectively empty.

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From Will on September 05, 2017 :: 12:57 pm


Not everyone is out to get your data or steal your old apps and OS. These people will usually stop at an empty root file folder/directory. That said… There are the bad apples out there that will try to steal personal info. That’s where this help comes in handy. However there are some caveats:


DON’T expect cloud storage to be infallible in its security. Look at how many corporate websites have been hacked and data stolen. Choose your cloud host carefully too. They’re not all the same. Some have the ability to decrypt your data on their end, so make sure you’re the only one with the key.

If you destroy your old hard drive, you better make sure to utterly destroy the platters inside. Yeah, your home PC may not be a big target for this, but if someone thought your particular Hard Drive contained corporate secrets (or government secrets) someone might be willing to pay a high dollar amount for a data recovery service if they don’t have the facilities themselves.

erasing your browser cache and history can help against the curious. Those more determined could dig deeper and pull any info that was previously in the cache.


Your best defense is one that isn’t particularly easy now days. That being, don’t store data that can jeopardize your finances or personal identity on your PC.

Common “Formatting” of your hard drive now days is just a mark all files as “deleted” and mark the space they occupied as empty, rebuilding a clean/new file structure if need be. The extended version only adds sector checking to the mix. Not very secure in and of itself. It’s enough to keep the curious from your old data, but not someone more determined.

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From Manish Bhickta on September 07, 2017 :: 5:35 am


Before you plan to buy a new gadget/PC machine and thought for getting rid of an old IT assets.

I think it’s important to view this alarming Statistics -  “Cyber attacks were up 24% globally during Q2 2017”

You may be a next victim of online identity theft and compromise your valuable documents like passport number, bank details, Taxation details etc. to cyber-criminals.

Hence, it is very important to permanently secure erase all the valuable Information using BitRaser tool, it not only wipes data but also remove system traces and application traces

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From Mary Parker on September 08, 2017 :: 4:25 pm


I remove the hard drives from my old computers and take them to a commercial recycling service and watch them shred it. It’s inexpensive and gives me peace of mind.  Sometimes they will host free shredding days, usually around Earth Day.

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From Doug on September 18, 2017 :: 11:35 pm


I would never recommend WD drives.  Purchased one for myself, then one for my wife a few weeks later.  Both drives failed just after the 1 yr warranty expired.  Contacted WD regarding the problem & was told they don’t stand by their products & to take them elsewhere.  WD provides no customer support.  Will never purchase their products, nor recommend them due to this.

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From Gigi on October 20, 2017 :: 2:07 pm


If it’s still functioning and usable have you thought of donating? A lot of places accept computer donations, you could donate it to Computers With Causes. They wipe them clean, and then they donate them back out to people who need them. It’s a nice trade off, you get a tax deduction, and someone receives your computer as a donation. It’s a thought, their web site is http://www.computerswithcauses.org if you’re interested.

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