Disposing of old PCs

[mc2fool]

Don't junk it just yet! If it's in decent nick and you are able to reformat the hard drive there are plenty of charities who could make use of it even without the peripherals, you'd be surprised. My nephew recently repurposed an old pc into what is essentially a Chromebook, now donated to a local playgroup.

Thanks. Good thinking. Will try to get a good home for it.

It's definitely a good idea, if you can, but do start off by getting the full specs of your PC first, as many charities have minimum-spec requirements. E.g. https://www.computersforcharities.org/donate have a Windows 10 requirement, others may take older machines but still require a minimum CPU, or a SATA drive, or ....

If you enter the "Service Tag" at the link below it should hopefully give you the specs. If you click Enter Service Tag it will show you where to find it or give you the option to auto-detect it.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-uk/product-support/product/optiplex-330/overview

You'll almost certainly need to know the exact CPU, the amount & type of memory, and the size & type (IDE/SATA/etc) of hard drive. Copy'n'paste the specs here if any of it confuses you.

There's a list of local reuse places here: https://therestartproject.org/where-to-donate-your-computer/#scotland; some of the smaller ones may find use for lower spec machines by turning them into something else (like a Linux box).

[servodude]

Dod,

If you can tell us what the PC is (make/model as much you can) I'm sure we could find you instructions with pictures of what to destroy

-sd

The PC is a Dell Optiplex330 or at least that is what it says on the case. Before I do anything dramatic with it I will be taking a look to see if there is anything that I want to retain/recover. I am not particularly paranoid abut it but I just want to make sure that there is nothing on it that I am bothered about others finding. This is part of a task that I have set myself to try to tidy up/clear my garage before Christmas.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Dod

There will be a few variations of the PC but they won't vary massively
You'll see the harddrive(s) revealed for one optiplex 330 at about 4m30s in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mk5esFuV6Q which should give you an idea of where they will be in yours

If the PC can find a home to be reused that would be great
- otherwise there's plenty that can be recycled from them if it is disposed of in the right place

Have a think before you do throw it out though in case you might have a use for it yourself
With remote desktop software a PC needs only access to power and a network for you to access it from anywhere
I've got a bunch of PCs around the house being put to different uses; some work related (I like to dedicate a machine to a given programming contract), some just "projects' (media server, one attached to the TV, minecraft server for the kids, and a Pi in a lego case that plays the lego movie on a loop on a 3" screen)

- sd

[didds]

My employer recently needed a 3.5 40Gig or less IDE hard drive*. They are not made any more. One was obtained, apparently from RS store room. I say apparently as the user account on it was rsstorreroom.

too late now but ive probably got some in my IT shed.

[Dod101]

Dod,

If you can tell us what the PC is (make/model as much you can) I'm sure we could find you instructions with pictures of what to destroy

-sd

The PC is a Dell Optiplex330 or at least that is what it says on the case. Before I do anything dramatic with it I will be taking a look to see if there is anything that I want to retain/recover. I am not particularly paranoid abut it but I just want to make sure that there is nothing on it that I am bothered about others finding. This is part of a task that I have set myself to try to tidy up/clear my garage before Christmas.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Dod

There will be a few variations of the PC but they won't vary massively
You'll see the harddrive(s) revealed for one optiplex 330 at about 4m30s in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mk5esFuV6Q which should give you an idea of where they will be in yours

If the PC can find a home to be reused that would be great
- otherwise there's plenty that can be recycled from them if it is disposed of in the right place

Have a think before you do throw it out though in case you might have a use for it yourself
With remote desktop software a PC needs only access to power and a network for you to access it from anywhere
I've got a bunch of PCs around the house being put to different uses; some work related (I like to dedicate a machine to a given programming contract), some just "projects' (media server, one attached to the TV, minecraft server for the kids, and a Pi in a lego case that plays the lego movie on a loop on a 3" screen)

- sd

Thanks for that interesting stuff but I have no use for it. It has been lying in my garage for the last 6/7 years and I have managed very well without it. I will see if I can give it away but first will check and see if anything remains on it that I would want.

Dod

[Howard]

To me this question poses an issue but I stress I am an IT "layman".

I work on the assumption that pretty well any data on my computers would be available for inspection by a determined expert?

My desktop, phone and chromebook are all synced by Google. Destroying a hard disk when a computer is disposed of is worthwhile but I assume that all my data is still there in the cloud. In my case, protected by one long complex password?

And if one uses Microsoft's OneDrive the same applies?

If one connects an old computer to one's network then, I guess Google/Microsoft may immediately store the data?

regards

Howard

[servodude]

To me this question poses an issue but I stress I am an IT "layman".

I work on the assumption that pretty well any data on my computers would be available for inspection by a determined expert?

My desktop, phone and chromebook are all synced by Google. Destroying a hard disk when a computer is disposed of is worthwhile but I assume that all my data is still there in the cloud. In my case, protected by one long complex password?

And if one uses Microsoft's OneDrive the same applies?

If one connects an old computer to one's network then, I guess Google/Microsoft may immediately store the data?

regards

Howard

Hi Howard

You should consider the stuff on Google/etc as a remote harddrive
It's not the thing you plug in to your computer that talks to it
- but rather software on your computer that knows to look there
The confusing bit is that the software, or instructions, to look there might be on a harddrive you plug in to your computer
- but either way if we're being metaphorical; it's not the book it's what's written in the book (but the guy reading the book needs the resources described in the book)
- sd