Have you ever given an old computer away to someone? If you have, chances are you copied your important files from the computer and then gave it away. With such fast changing technology, individuals and families often end up buying a new computer every couple of years or so. After a number of years, it is easy to accumulate old computers that likely are just taking up closet space. One option is to donate your old computer to an individual or local charity. Before you do so, however, I want to recommend that you prepare your computer. Preparing your computer means much more than simply saving your documents and photos to a CD.
Today, I’ll begin a short series of blogs that discuss what you can do to prepare to give your computer away. I’ll be pulling some information from an article by Warren Ernst, in the December 6, 2005 issue of PC Magazine.
The focus of this series will be on Windows based computers, mainly due to their widespread use. The concepts presented here, however, are similar if you are preparing to give away a Macintosh computer. Also, if you choose to have an operating system on the computer when you give it away, it’s a good idea to have a familiar operating system loaded (e.g., Windows) rather than a lesser used one (e.g., Linux). Loading a lesser used operating system may result in you answering a bunch of questions from the computer recipient.
Delete personal files and information
Nothing scares me more than seeing an old computer given away without any personal files deleted. Sometimes, when old office computers are given away to employees or local organizations, the computer has not fully been cleaned of any personal files and information. It is important to delete any files or information that may contain personally identifiable information. This is less of an issue if you are giving the computer to a trusted family member, but regardless, you should take precautions.
The first thing to do is burn any personal files to a CD or DVD (or copy the files to a USB flash drive). Then delete the files by highlighting them and either hitting the “Delete” key on your keyboard or selecting delete from the “File” drop down menu. Once you have deleted the files, make sure you empty your Recycle Bin (usually located on the desktop).
Note: Deleting files from the Recycle Bin doesn’t actually erase them from your hard drive. Only the reference to the file is deleted, leaving the actual file intact until it is written over. To ensure your personal files are completely erased, you’ll want to use some type of file shredder. I’ll cover erasing and shredding your files in tomorrow’s blog.