How Do You Dispose of (or Even Resell?) an Old Computer/Hard Drive?

illumination on 14/12/2016 - 00:45
Last edited 14/12/2016 - 00:47

Looking to get rid of an old desktop for which the hard drive has died. I think I can probably "revive" it (the desktop) by installing a new hard drive but I'm planning to just chuck it out cause I'm happy just using a laptop now and using the monitor as a second monitor.

How can I safely/responsibly throw it out? What I have in mind is:

  • Data on the hard drive - because it's damaged is my personal stuff properly gone? I don't have anything I want to recover - I just mean I don't want other people to be able to recover it and see old personal stuff
  • From an environmental perspective, I'm not supposed to just chuck this stuff in the bin right?
  • Is there anything that someone can think of, to be creative, which would allow me to still use this desktop and salvage some value out of it? I think the only thing damaged is the hard drive.

… maybe I can just buy a reasonable sized SSD which I can then also use in a future laptop when I upgrade from my Acer ES1-411-C1WD (I still haven't upgraded to SSD but I want to now :P).

For those who don't know, I see the Acer I have as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 N3710 of 2015.

Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 14/12/2016 - 02:11
    +1

    For recycling, Officeworks runs the Bring IT back program.

    Only some stores are participating in this program. See the website for details.

    http://www.officeworks.com.au/information/about-us/our-envir…

    The Bring IT Back program aims to keep old computers and computer accessories out of landfill. I.T. waste collected through this program is sent to recyclers where up to 98% of the material in the devices is recovered and recycled.

    Customers can bring in up to 5 items for recycling, including desktops, laptops, computer mice, monitors, printers, scanners, multifunction printers, keyboards, computer power supplies, printed circuit boards, motherboards, network cards, disks and CD drives.

    Before dropping off your old equipment, please ensure that you have saved and deleted any personal data and documents from your devices. Officeworks is not able to return a product once it has been collected for recycling.

    To securely delete data from the hard drives, you can just take the hard drive apart and harvest some awesome neodymium magnets that are fun to play with (or use as a fridge magnet). That also pretty much makes it impossible for the average person to recover any data off it, unless they've got some alien technology that can align read heads down to nanometers in accuracy.

    anything to be creative, which would allow me to still use this desktop and salvage some value out of it?

    To turn your PC into a internet kiosk that's (mostly) secure and bug / virus free you can try installing Google's chromium OS on it and turn the machine into a ChromeBox.

    FreeNas turns your PC into a NAS,
    TAILS can completely hide your web browsing from ISP's and authorities by routing your internet traffic through the TOR network
    Kodi can make it into a media center

    • alvian on 14/12/2016 - 06:03

      After you harvested the neodymium magnets, take out the disc platters. Scratch the shiny mirror surfaces to physically destroy the data. Drill holes into them if you are paranoid.

      • airzone on 14/12/2016 - 11:26

        Be careful as they are sometimes glass.

  • altomic on 14/12/2016 - 02:31
    +2

    remove HDD. give it a few solid whacks with a hammer. crack case and dump in a bucket of water.

    PC case. chuck it on ebay.

    i just sold a 5 year old Dell desktop (wasn't posting) without hdd or ram for $15. money.

  • yellowrhino93 on 14/12/2016 - 05:19
    +1

    use a magnet and slide it across the hard drive…then literally break the sh!t out of it or use a drill. I'm not exaggerating this is a thing in the IT world.

    Other stuff sell it on gumtree or just use officeworks/junk colection

  • RockyRaccoon on 14/12/2016 - 06:32

    Oh my god, the CIA, FBI, KGB, MI6, ASIO and every hacker out there is waiting for you to dispose of your hard drive.

    And I bet you have even less valuable information than those of the above

    Rumour has it that the local dump already crushed one of the operatives car, thinking it was abandoned, while waiting for your already damaged hard drive to arrive.

    The cost benefit to find out some of your personal data would be amazing.

    Then wait for the revelations on Wikileaks. … real "illumination"

    However they probably already have all this by simplier means.

    • outlander on 14/12/2016 - 10:08
      +3

      RockyRaccoon is not even exaggerating slightly. I joined this site with the express intention of gaining access to your data. I've been laying low, as a sleeper agent, but now the time has come to act. Your data is mine illumination!

      • scrimshaw on 14/12/2016 - 11:06
        +1

        illumination = Illuminati

        HL3 Confirmed.

  • CyberMurning on 14/12/2016 - 08:47

    "Data on the hard drive - because it's damaged is my personal stuff properly gone? I don't have anything I want to recover - I just mean I don't want other people to be able to recover it and see old personal stuff"

    use screw driver open it up take the disc plates and break it or scratch it and throw away in different bins different day different places different time.

    • Slippery Fish on 17/12/2016 - 16:17

      Find 2cm from Center, drill a hole in the 4 places.

      Now you will have destroyed the platters. That said the magnets are Great!

  • Scab on 14/12/2016 - 08:49
    +1

    Remove hard drive and take apart.

    The platters make the best drink coasters, and the magnets are awesome.

  • outlander on 14/12/2016 - 10:10
    +1

    If you can't access the hard drive when you plug it into another computer, congratulations, you've already thwarted 99.99% of people out there. Just put it into the recycling bin, hard drives are pretty much all aluminium

  • c64 on 14/12/2016 - 11:06
    +1

    put it on the kerbside and it will magically disappear

  • PVA on 14/12/2016 - 11:16
    +2

    I just damage the hard drive connector. No one finding your old pic is going to pull the hard drive apart and recover the data off platters in a clean room etc.
    Just damage the connector ( mangle all the pins with a plier) and you want more, hit the hard drive with a hammer a couple of times. Simples.
    Put it in the recycle bin after.

    • Slippery Fish on 17/12/2016 - 16:19

      You can also just crack the controller board, unless they have a spare the same its useless.

  • [Deactivated] on 14/12/2016 - 12:00
    +1

    Everyone should watch a hard disk doing it's business without the lid on at least once in their lives. Then scratch the platters.

    There are some nice rare earth magnets inside many as well. Salvage those for office pranks.

  • anzacpaul on 16/12/2016 - 13:47

    As above, just break the connectors on the back.
    Remove the PCB if you're paranoid.
    Drill holes through the drive if your super paranoid.
    Melt the entire thing with an oxy torch if you're "tin-foil hat the Governments out to get my data and stick in me in a dark room" paranoid.

  • illumination on 17/12/2016 - 16:05
    +1

    Thanks for all the responses including the smartass ones lol

    I'll consider my options but ok cool, good to know it's nowhere near as difficult as expected.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join