How to completely Dispose of Old Computers in 7 Easy Steps
When you think of discarding old computers, a lot of stressful thoughts come to mind. From logistics to data transfer and disposal locations, it can be overwhelming. Here’s how to navigate the process easily.
Personal computers have become a constant tool in the lives of both individuals and enterprises. According to a report by Gartner, over 290 million computers were shipped to buyers globally in 2015 alone. Each year, newer models of these computers, with more advanced functionality from faster processing speeds to even greater efficiency, are released. Depending on your organization, you may feel the need to invest in regular computer recycling and disposal.
This decision means that you’re faced with the problem of how to completely dispose of old computers in a way that will not stress you out or cost too much. This guide is designed to help you do just that! Here are 7 easy steps that will have you disposing of your old computers in no time:
1. Backup All Your Useful Data
If you still have useful data on your computers, then it’s a good idea to create a backup on an external hard drive or online cloud storage account. You can also use software applications like Comodo, Syncback and Hinusoft to automate the process so that you don’t waste any extra time on it. You should definitely backup files that fall into the following categories:
Personal Data
This includes any records concerning your organization, like employee information, tax filings, financial statements and memos as well as legal filings and documents.
Client Data
This includes your clients’ bio data, contact information, medical records, financial details and every other piece of information that they have entrusted to you.
Emails
If you use a desktop email client like Windows live mail or Opera mail, you have to backup your emails otherwise, you will lose them when you wipe the computer.
2. Delete All The Files You’ve Backed Up
After backing up your important files, you should delete them because you certainly do not want unauthorized persons to access them later. Keep emails, client data and personal data confidential because any mistake in the disposal process may lead to a huge data breach later on.
3. Delete Your Browser Data
Most available guides on how to completely dispose of old computers, highlight this step as one of the most important. Cybercriminals can target you based on access to your browser records so you have to delete them. Deciding whether or not you need to delete your browser data remotely, largely depends on the browser you use. Some browsers like Google Chrome and Safari are connected to email accounts and can be controlled by login processes. This means that once you sign out, your browser history will no longer be accessible to external parties.
4. Deauthorize Your Computer
Most computers have administrator profiles that act as the central authority over customizations and app permissions. In most computer operating systems, you can easily reset the administrator customizations under settings.
5. Uninstall Your Programs
You should uninstall your programs before disposing of your old computers because some programs store your past work and account information. Programs that you subscribe to, may have your business or personal credit card details saved under their settings. There’s no point learning how to completely dispose of old computers if you get hacked due to accidental data vulnerabilities in the disposal process. If the wrong people get access to such details, you may become a victim of theft and credit card fraud.
6. Securely Wipe Your Hard Drive
If you have extremely sensitive data on your hard drives, then deleting them is not enough. When you delete a file, it never really leaves the system and someone else can access it later. You should invest in secure data destruction methods like software data erasure, degaussing and hard drive shredding.
7. Give All Old Computers To a Trusted IT Asset Disposition Company for Proper Disposal
IT asset disposition companies like All Green Recycling make it easy for you to dispose of your computers. For a small fee, such companies take them off your hands ensuring that you have nothing to worry about.
How to Completely Dispose of Old computers Conveniently With All Green Recycling
Knowing how to completely dispose of old computers on your own is great, but the process is also labor-intensive and stressful. We understand this perfectly and that’s why here at All Green Recycling, we make the entire process as stress-free as possible. We offer a host of computer disposal options including the following:
- Electronics recycling
- IT asset remarketing
- Refurbishing and Repurposing of old computers
- Secure data destruction services including certificates of destruction, chain of custody and liability, hard drive shredding, and degaussing
Our remarketing plan ensures that your organization recoups part of the initial cost of purchasing the computers. We also have drop-off sites in every state in the U.S. so that you can reach us easily. To show that we serve your best interests, we can also arrange a pick-up for your computers. It’s time to stop worrying about how to completely dispose of old computers. Contact us now to start disposing of them effortlessly, in a secure and affordable way.
Have you recently run into problems while disposing of your old computers? Leave a comment below and we will respond. Don’t forget to share this with anyone who would like to learn about computer disposal.
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