Nowadays, the average individual owns approx. 4-8 Internet connected devices and that number in North America is expected to rise to 13 by 2021. Not all devices in our possession remain necessary or useful to us and that can lead to the question of “What to do with all these gadgets”? Disposing of them traditionally in the trash or dump is not only incredibly hazardous to the environment, it places all of your data and sensitive information at risk. The most responsible options are to donate, recycle or sell your unused devices and we have a couple recommendations to help you prep your electronics for whichever solution you decide to go with.
Back Up Important Files
Backing up your files should be as common a practice as running a routine anti-virus scan; it’s a fundamental step that shouldn’t be overlooked as you can never have enough redundancy for data protection. There are a variety of options available ranging from cloud storage to external hard drives.
Once your data is backed up, the next step is to…
Wipe or Keep Your Hard Drive
A lot of people like to retain their drives and place them in a safe (or any secure location) for peace of mind. Not everyone cares for holding onto components of the devices they’ve decided to part with and for those individuals we suggest the implementation of a disk wiping program. There are a number of free ones available and our preferred Windows program is DiskWipe. It utilizes DoD (Department of Defense) formatting algorithms with multiple passes to ensure data has been completely removed from the drive.
Once you’re satisfied your data is secured, it’s time to decide how you would like to part ways with your device:
Recycle Your Computer
Donate Your Computer
Trade-in Your Computer
If you have any questions, request for recommendations or would like us to handle the removal/disposal of your old electronics, give us a call at (512) 388-5559.
CEO, Central Texas Technology Solutions