Do You Recycle Your Old Computers?

Fiver

New member
Jan 30, 2009
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I need to get rid of a couple of old ones and I see there are recycling centers around me. However, I feel less comfortable handing off my computer to some teenager and trusting him to wipe the data than I do sticking it in a trash bin where it will go straight to the city dump.

How do you guys feel about this stuff?
 


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlAZR7NoQTA]Thermite To Destroy Computer And Hard Drives - YouTube[/ame]
 
But what about smashing the shit outta it instead? Wouldn't that also work?

Taking a hammer to an old hard drive is quite satisfying. You need to beat the living shit out of it until it sounds like a bunch of loose gravel inside. Might want to put it in an old pillow case or wear some eye protection while you do it as bits of the casing and circuit board should be flying off if you're doing it right.

As for the rest of it, old cases, mobos, videos card, power supplies, keyboards, etc. etc. I just leave that stuff by the dumpster here and it'll be gone in an hour or two. I just cleared out three old PCs with aluminum Lian Li and Antec cases that were still in good shape. I'm sure someone put them to use or has simply recycled them for the scrap metal.
 
If you can still be paranoid about the hard drive, you can still use the computer in a Beowulf cluster.

Because its better for the environment.
 
No, because I usually run my computers into the ground to the point I can't even give them away.

Actually, that's wrong. I give away any computers that are still half-working by the time I buy a new one. You always know someone who is struggling financially and has a kid who could use a computer, or whatever.
 
There are many free Data Destruction Software Programs available online to completely wipe a drive clean. If you are giving your old machine away, wiping rather than smashing will save the recipient the cost of another drive.

Fuck the recipient, let them get some other shmucks hard drive.
 
NEVER give away your hard drive! Smash and drill ftw
...................................................................^^^^^This!!

If you have a drill press just drill holes through the platters and the circuit board.

DONE and DONE!!



But....if you're REALLY paranoid.....just do what you see in this video and you can rest, assured that your data will never be retrieved.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_k38p-AjJI"]Erasing A PC Hard Disk With 4 kV HV And Calcium Thermite - YouTube[/ame]



R.I.P