To ask how to get rid of a laptop?!

[chocolateinmylife]

Just that really!

We have two laptops in the house that we haven't used for years as we all have tablets now and do everything on them!

Does anyone know the proper way to get rid of a laptop? ( very old so couldn't sell!) is it as simple as smashing it with a hammer?

Thankyou

If you want to make it impossible to recover data smashing with a hammer will not necessarily destroy all of the hard drive data, it would be better to incinerate it.

Donate it to Oxfam or somewhere similar so they can fix it up and give it to someone who needs it. Smashing it up is a waist of a computer which could change a life.

Hello

I have looked into donating however the laptop has really had it.. you need to keep it plugged in to get it to work and even then it turns its self off completely every 3/4 mins and then takes 5+ mins to turn back on.

I really can't see how they can fix that?:/

Take the hard drive out and tip the rest if its non working.

Otherwise search for a tool that will securely wipe the hard drive

Like this dban.org

Using a software tool to 'wipe' the hard drive isn't very safe. Anyone with knowledge of data security will be able to undo that. The hard disk drive contains several metal disks like an old vinyl record. They're very fragile so a few taps with a hammer will shatter them and all your data will be gone for good. Shattered hard disks are almost impossible to repair.

Keep doing it 7 or 8 times will make it very very difficult to retrieve data.

I drop mine off at Currys for recycling.

Ooh can someone please link me to a charity that will accept working laptops? And that I can trust to wipe the hard drives?

I work in a preschool and use things like old laptops for the children to explore, either as a prop in the role play area or to take apart using screwdrivers etc, its good for their fine motor skills, you could ask your local preschool if they could make use of it.

Somewhere like this
www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/make-a-donation/recycle-your-it-equipment/

I work in IT. We pay organisations to certify data removal and destruction and removal of sensitive data. I went to watch them, they pull out hard drive smash with hammer and wipe with big magnets. I was 😵.