Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archive

How to Recycle Your Computer Safely
By Cate Eales

Appeared Sept 21, 2006 on castanet.net

Are you going to get a new computer? What about that old one? Simply throwing it out the window from a great height might fulfill your fantasy, but there are some disadvantages to that, both to the people on the ground and to you. There are some alternatives to watching that computer tumble to the tarmac.


How to put an old computer to good use

How to get rid of an old computer

Yes, you can recycle your computer here in Kelowna. Point your browser to the Stop Computer Land Fill Society website and check the drop-off locations for Kelowna. You will find one, Computer Basics (125A Highway 33 West, 250-491-3468). They accept all computer and peripheral items, including keyboards, mice, speakers, printers, monitors and more. There is a list here. Please check with Computer Basics concerning their hours of operations and any other questions you might have.


Safety first!
There are a few important things you need to do before you toss that computer into the trunk and head out. You have personal information on that computer. Yes, you do! Whether you are recycling, donating, or selling your old computer, you should remove that information, and there is more to that than simply dragging things to the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.


Move it AND lose it
Start by identifying files that are important to you and saving them to a CD, DVD, flash drive, spare hard drive, or to your new computer. These might be word processing Documents, email, email addresses, browser Favorites/Bookmarks, spreadsheets, files from your tax or accounting programs, photos, music files, or anything else that you would (a) want to keep or (b) would not want someone else to have. Think carefully. Copy them to something else, and then delete them from your computer.


Uninstall
Next, uninstall any programs for which you hold the license. Examples are Microsoft Office, Quicken, Photoshop, and so on. Then uninstall anything else that is associated with you such as AOL, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!Messenger, AIM, Skype, etc. Delete any folders that belong to those programs that didn't get deleted in the uninstall process. Clear your temporary files and temporary internet file caches.


Factory condition
If you have Windows XP, you may never have received a Windows XP disk with your system. Instead you might have received a Restore Disk. Some computers don't have even a restore disk. Instead they have a Restore Partition built in. The Restore Disk or Restore Partition will put your system back to the way it came in the box. You might want to do that, especially if you are donating the system to someone or selling it. They will have to install all the updates and service packs, and they will have to type in their own registration information for Windows. If you have other versions of Windows, you won't have that option.


Zap it
Now even though all that has been a big pain in the neck, guess what? Those files are still there. Just dragging things to the trash or pressing "Delete" will not remove the files. Even when you empty the Recycle Bin, that doesn't remove the files. All that does is remove the information Windows needs in order to find the files. Even reformatting the disk doesn't remove the files! It's still possible for an unscrupulous person to restore all that information.

You need a program that will wipe the erased files right off the disk. There are several good, free programs that will do this. Active KillDisk can be found here, Sure Delete is here, and Eraser is here. You can use any of those programs to remove permanently the files and folders you want gone, or you can wipe the entire drive if you are simply recycling it. These programs will clear off your data and overwrite it with junk. (Better explanation here.) Follow the directions CAREFULLY or have a professional wipe the disk for you.


Good to go
That's it. Unless you work for the government or for someone who has special requirements, you should be all set. Gather up everything you don't want to keep, and take it to your friend, relative, friendly community organization, or the recycle depot.


Thank you to everyone who wrote with questions and suggestions. Please keep them coming! Don't forget you can always browse the column archives at http://rlis.com/column.htm.



Links
SCLF Society: http://www.sclf.ca/
Computer Basics drop off location: http://www.sclf.ca/depos.php
List of accepted items: http://www.sclf.ca/accepted.php
Active Kill Disk: http://www.download.com/3000-2092-10188745.html
Sure Delete: http://www.rocketdownload.com/program.php?id=3755
Eraser: http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/default.php
Wikipedia article on file wiping: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_wiping
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=20618
RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml

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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.