What to do with old laptops?

[samtam]

Between us we have accumulated 6 dead laptops, which I'd dearly love to toss, (or donate should their innards be of interest; I know of a charity that does just that). I am of course concerned about residual personal information on them. How can I remove (bleach) that effectively?

[PJPom]

If they are not working the only certain way to remove any information is to remove the hard drive and physically destroy it. Should you prefer to donate them with the hard drive find someone who can remove and attach them to a working machine and scrub them via one of the many apps available.

[Inn Between]

I remember seeing something about using a powerful enough magnet to destroy any data, but you'll likely have to remove the HD's to do it....and find a big ol' magnet. 

[Mapguy]

You can find the necessary information on wiping a disk in many places.  You can also go to a repair shop to do it

 

But the basic question remains, what do you do with computers to be junked ---  in an environmentally good manner, of course?  That is definitely a BIG question.  Sell for parts?  Other?

Edited January 4, 2020 by Mapguy

[FritsSikkink]

Here loads of info about erasing data:

 

https://www.bing.com/search?q=wipe+hard+disk+tool&form=EDNTHT&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&refig=1c9d8095a3084e1ad3efe7ba739079a9&sp=4&qs=SC&pq=wipe+harddisk&sk=PRES1SC3&sc=8-13&cvid=1c9d8095a3084e1ad3efe7ba739079a9&cc=US&setlang=en-US

[bendejo]

My favorite drive wiper strategy:

1)  use Darik's Boot and Nuke

This is real mean, there's no coming back, and the partition table will become the digital equiv of ground meat.  I've used it from Hiren's boot CD  (both DBN and Hiren's are no longer supported, which doesn't mean they've stopped working, but I'm not sure how DBN will handle UEFI.)  On the TV series Silicon Valley there was a scene where they were going to intentionally destroy data, and I recognized the DBN screen.

2) re-partiton and reformat disk, do not use quick format.  This is actually enough.

3) this one may not be necessary, and will take a while

load all the space on the disk with garbage.  Be sure your garbage does not contain anything identifying.  I like large movie files of bad movies.

If you want to be a rascal and mess with someone who may try to extract data from the disk, do a quick reformat: if/when they try to retrieve the data, the garbage files will give the impression they are on to something. 

 

DBN is mentioned here

https://fossbytes.com/best-hard-drive-eraser-tools/

 

 

[JetsetBkk]

Ask Hillary.

[justin case]

On 1/4/2020 at 9:14 PM, Inn Between said:

I remember seeing something about using a powerful enough magnet to destroy any data, but you'll likely have to remove the HD's to do it....and find a big ol' magnet. 

 

MICROWAVE for a few seconds till it sparks

[Isaanbiker]

I have donated some PC's and Laptops to schools in the sticks that do not have computers.

 

   Are they still functioning? Or what are the problems and how old are they?

 

   I know quite a lot of schools where students would be more than happy to use a Computer. I have some language learning programs where students can earn English without having a teacher who speaks it. 

 

  These schools are in Sisaket province, the poorest area in Thailand. There aren't Thai teachers who speak any English.

 

   

 

 

[Russell17au]

If there is nothing wrong with the hard drives you could remove them and buy some of the covers and use them as external storage that can be used instead of USB's. There are plenty of cases available to use just look around or even go on Lazada

[Eindhoven]

Are they truly dead? List some model numbers. Perhaps they are salvageable and can be sent up to Issanbiker or some other worthy cause.

I would certainly help with the refurbishment if I can find the time before leaving.

[keithkarmann]

On 1/4/2020 at 9:14 PM, Inn Between said:

I remember seeing something about using a powerful enough magnet to destroy any data, but you'll likely have to remove the HD's to do it....and find a big ol' magnet. 

I have a bulk tape eraser that I use to erase all the information on reel to reel tape. It is a powerfull electro magnet. I may try it on a faulty hard drive, hopefully it may repair the hard drive. Will repost after I have tried. Not much use to you unless you live close to me. They used a giant electro magnet in Breaking Bad to erase info on a laptop.

[Kurtf]

Go to the nearest hardware store. Buy an ax. Take it home and start whaling away. When all the pieces are no larger than 4 inches in diameter, collect them all up and place in the nearest garbage receptacle. Problem solved.

[keithkarmann]

3 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

I have a bulk tape eraser that I use to erase all the information on reel to reel tape. It is a powerfull electro magnet. I may try it on a faulty hard drive, hopefully it may repair the hard drive. Will repost after I have tried. Not much use to you unless you live close to me. They used a giant electro magnet in Breaking Bad to erase info on a laptop.

If you remove a hard drive you can put it in a caddy, connect to a working laptop and format the drive in the caddy. I used this method on my laptop that had crashed badly, connected it to my wifes laptop and let it do a repair  that took about 12 hours . I was not very hopefull doing this but it worked.

 

[Captain 776]

Whatever you do...........take the hard drive out and give it the “Clinton” treatment..........so no one sees all that porn on there.........

 

[david555]

14 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

If you remove a hard drive you can put it in a caddy, connect to a working laptop and format the drive in the caddy. I used this method on my laptop that had crashed badly, connected it to my wifes laptop and let it do a repair  that took about 12 hours . I was not very hopefull doing this but it worked.

 

https://www.jib.co.th/web/product/readProduct/11422

 case 270 baht at Tuckom upstairs Jib computers , serious big shop, I bought 2  who I use with 2 disks from older laptops and I use as system image backups 

Edited January 6, 2020 by david555

[xxeo]

Do remove the hard disks! Do destroy them physically. More than once and with full power, I killed hard disks and sticks with a big hammer.

 

I got 500 Baht at tuk.com in South Pattaya for my old Compaq. Without HD.

[khunPer]

Low level format of Hard Drive should do it – perhaps you still can low level format a HD from the computer's BIOS screen when starting up, if the computer can still start.

 

Otherwise, if you can take the HD out, you can connect it to a working computer as extra, or external, HD and do a full format it from there (not quick format).

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, justin case said:

 

MICROWAVE for a few seconds till it sparks

Sure, and both HD and microwave oven are useless...????

[david555]

4 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Low level format of Hard Drive should do it – perhaps you still can low level format a HD from the computer's BIOS screen when starting up, if the computer can still start.

 

Otherwise, if you can take the HD out, you can connect it to a working computer as extra, or external, HD and do a full format it from there (not quick format).

you an also use them to store downloaded movies and play by media player from Smart Tv or by a stand alone media player 

Edited January 6, 2020 by david555

[khunPer]

54 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

I have a bulk tape eraser that I use to erase all the information on reel to reel tape. It is a powerfull electro magnet. I may try it on a faulty hard drive, hopefully it may repair the hard drive. Will repost after I have tried. Not much use to you unless you live close to me. They used a giant electro magnet in Breaking Bad to erase info on a laptop.

If it's a bulk tape eraser for 1/4 inch tape it will not be powerful enough, you might need a more professional one to spoil a (shielded) HD, like the ones used for 2 inch multi-track tapes.

[khunPer]

4 minutes ago, david555 said:

you an also use them to store downloaded movies and play by media player from Smart Tv or by a stand alone media player 

Be aware that HDs have a limited life-time; reusing old HD as storage might equal loss of data. Professional storage companies change HDs after three or five years, no matter the HD's condition.

[david555]

8 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Be aware that HDs have a limited life-time; reusing old HD as storage might equal loss of data. Professional storage companies change HDs after three or five years, no matter the HD's condition.

My oldest disk  is now from a former MSI Wind clone (Medion ) 10 inch (11 years ago bought ) and still working fine , same as my first 1 gb usb stick same age  in daily use for small outgoing to shop printing things

Edited January 6, 2020 by david555

[david555]

34 minutes ago, Victornoir said:

A simple cable also works well (100 b).

 

Perhaps also rebuild one or more functional machines with the parts in good condition. Hard drives, memory cards and even screens are easily commutable.

This looks anyway more professional & secure for dust an capable 3.00

 

[ChouDoufu]

On 1/4/2020 at 9:56 PM, samtam said:

Between us we have accumulated 6 dead laptops, which I'd dearly love to toss, (or donate should their innards be of interest; I know of a charity that does just that). I am of course concerned about residual personal information on them. How can I remove (bleach) that effectively?

phrasing please!

 

from the title i thought, oh, just drop 'em off at the bar where you got 'em.

didn't realize until further reading that it was about organ donations.

but residual personal information?  oh, my.

[SAFETY FIRST]

Buy a copy of Windows 10 from eBay,only a few hundred baht.

Do a fresh install thus erasing everything.

Now use it for music, Spotify.

Connect to 5.1 surround sound system.

 

Stream your music.

[kingstonkid]

OP the simple way is the easiest.

 

Take out the HD or SSD

open your front door 

Walk to your garbage bin

Put laptops beside bin

Go inside

Guarantee it will be gone in the morning

 

[Jane Dough]

A second hand dealer might give you 1,000 baht for six. Why should you be worried about the data. They will just want the bits like screens and other parts won't they.

 

Rooster

[Guest]

Is it really so difficult to write a posting with basic information .. like ... the city you are in ... the general age and type of laptop ...etc. ??? If you were in Bangkok .. I could tell you exactly who to give them to.  Too tired to do the detective work to figure out where you are. 

[Jaggg88]

On 1/4/2020 at 2:14 PM, Inn Between said:

I remember seeing something about using a powerful enough magnet to destroy any data, but you'll likely have to remove the HD's to do it....and find a big ol' magnet. 

How do you test that it has worked?