How to dispose of an old computer?

[Sabine]

The CPU that I bought to go to college back in 2001 still works, but I haven''t had a monitor and have been using a laptop for years. We''re moving, and I''m trying to consolidate. I want to get rid of the computer, but don''t know how.
1 - it''s too old to donate I believe even though last I checked it still worked (but if I did, I would still have the problem detailed below).
2 - I''m having a yard sale and could sell it for cheap (like $5), but although I''m pretty sure I reinstalled Windows right before I stopped using it, there might still be personal info. saved to the computer, and since I don''t have a monitor, I can''t really hook it up to wipe it clean.
3 - I could throw it out, but I don''t think you''re even supposed to do that.

Any other suggestions?

 

[JulieN]

I would google "electronics disposal" and your city.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I think Best Buy recycles any old electronic.

 

[girlie-girl]

Date: 4/28/2009 6:34:15 PM
Author:Sabine
The CPU that I bought to go to college back in 2001 still works, but I haven''t had a monitor and have been using a laptop for years. We''re moving, and I''m trying to consolidate. I want to get rid of the computer, but don''t know how.
1 - it''s too old to donate I believe even though last I checked it still worked (but if I did, I would still have the problem detailed below).
2 - I''m having a yard sale and could sell it for cheap (like $5), but although I''m pretty sure I reinstalled Windows right before I stopped using it, there might still be personal info. saved to the computer, and since I don''t have a monitor, I can''t really hook it up to wipe it clean.
3 - I could throw it out, but I don''t think you''re even supposed to do that.

Any other suggestions?

You could always take out the hard drive and sell it without one.

 

[Sabine]

Okay, I found a recycling center that is about a half hour away, and I called Best Buy, and they will recycle if I take out the hard drive. I will try to do that, but I''m worried since I''ve had trouble doing this before with an old computer, and I don''t have many tools.

But assuming I do take out the hard drive and either take the comp. to Best Buy or sell it without the hard drive, what do I do with the removed hard drive?

 

[got2goldens]

Either smash it up with a hammer, or run over it with your car.
Seriously...either way, it will be worthless to anyone else afterward!

~Kat

 

[m76steve]

if you want to dispose of a computer-1st thing to do is remove your hard drive-any info you have saved or viewed-be it finances, smut, personal pictures, emails or whathaveyou that may have been added to the disk is most likely still on the disk-there are programs that can format to ''0'' any info on your disk but there is still the possibility of retriving info off the disk-my recommendation after one removes the hard drive is to drill several holes through the disk-usually 4 or 5 will be enough-then just trash it-done-my 2 cents...

 

[Mara]

it''s not that hard to remove the hard drive, i think you can just do it with a screwdriver (unscrew the computer case and then just unwire the hard drive?)... i am not positive but i''d google it and surely there is an about.com or something on it. then i would use the recycling center you found. we have a local one too. i plan to take all my old hard drives and have the data (mostly photos etc) put on disks and then recycle the computers. we have like 3!

 

[gemgirl]

Although we are supposed to dispose of our old computers in a bio-friendly way and Dell did offer to pick up our old computer (when we bought a new one) and recycle it free of charge, my husband ended up taking the tower out to the driveway, disassembling the whole thing, and then smashing it into unidentified smithereens with his dead blow mallet. Then I swept all of the crumbs up and threw them away. We didn''t want anyone to be able to retrieve any personal information from our hard drive if we donated it.

 

[girlie-girl]

Date: 4/28/2009 8:48:12 PM
Author: got2goldens
Either smash it up with a hammer, or run over it with your car.
Seriously...either way, it will be worthless to anyone else afterward!

~Kat

It is actually pretty fun to beat up a hard drive. They can take several blows from a sledge hammer before things start to fly. LOL You could also put some magnets on it, or see if your local library has any magnetic strips you could run it over. Hard drives hate magnets.