Computer Recycling?

Angela Asks:

What is the best way to erase a computer before recycling?

Ed Answered:

Take out the Hard Drive and store it in the back of your closet in a shoebox for 40 years. Then take the drive and bury it in the backyard. If you don't have a backyard, drop it in the middle of the ocean or into a deep river. It contains all of the old data that could be used for identity theft (if there's any data of value on there). If you have an original Windows XP disk or Mac OS disk you could boot up from the disk and remove the partition and reformat the drive (in Mac lingo it's reinitialize it). This clears out the drive but it can still be rebuilt if someone is persistent enough. If you're ultra-paranoid you could hire a geek to come to your home and wipe it using one of several utilities that scramble all the data so that the drive won't ever be able to be recovered. How much valuable data do most people have on their computers anyways? A few passwords which you should change anyways. A few account number cookies that should be changed as well.

Most companies will charge a fee for recycling now unless there is an organization that is doing a fund raiser (the city of New York has electronic recycling days from time to time, when they feel like it in different locations). They give you an order number to place on your UPS shipping label for your old equipment and all you have to do is box it and get it to UPS (they might even pick it up, I have a UPS store downstairs from me so I just hall it downstairs). They recycle phones and other electronic items too. Type Computer Recycling and your area for companies. Oh yes, and if they deem that your equipment has value they give you credits and rewards for it sometimes.

Happy recycling,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net