How to safely dispose of Laptop or PC?

kippygolf

I've searched and can not find a thread on this subject, but happy to delete this if there is one.

I want to safely dispose of an old laptop that contains files/data that I want to be sure can not later be accessed by anyone else. Obviously, I will delete all the files, but want to be sure they are not lurking somewhere where they could be later resurrected.

A friend suggests taking a sledge hammer to it!

Also, is there a market for old laptops for recycling?

Many thanks.

Stooby2

if you can get the hard drive out, destroy that, put the laptop on ebay for spares.

tonyh66

yes just remove the hard drive and give the laptop to charity, it is christmas after all.

macman

Why destroy a perfectly good drive? Just use DBAN or similar to wipe the drive.
With a working hard drive it has some secondhand value.

kippygolf

Thank you people.

If I decide to take out the hard drive, how will I recognize it?

macman

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=laptop+hard+drive&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&tbo=d&biw=1680&bih=876&tbm=isch&tbnid=XP3Ns4TrIa01CM:&imgrefurl=http://www.nus-datarecovery.co.uk/laptop-recovery&docid=nk5bqX9_yNlzQM&imgurl=http://www.nus-datarecovery.co.uk/assets/editor/uploaded/laptop%252520hard%252520drive.jpg&w=436&h=326&ei=LrjBUOPZKcnZ4QSn6oCQCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=4&vpy=164&dur=4121&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=115&ty=88&sig=113253419501583102571&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=45&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:111

Normally accessed simply by removing a hatch on the base of the laptop,marked with the hard drive symbol.

arrallas

As Macman says, just Google "DBAN" (stands for Darik's Boot and Nuke). Easy to use and will clean your hdd completely). If you still have the Windows installation CD, you could include that with the sale, if you have no use for it.

kippygolf

Thanks all, especially Macman for link to photo of hard drive, now located.

What quick and helpfuyl responses. Sorted!

closed

more use to a new owner if you factory restore it, and wipe free space with ccleaner