How do you properly dispose of an old CPU?

Question

I have an old computer and is technically obsolete. You cant any more parts from it, as far as I know. I worry about someone rebuilding or it taking it out of the thrash, using some technology to take out the information if any that remains on it. Maybe its watching too many cop dramas. I dont know with ID theft so prevalent in the news its hard not to think of these things.

Answer 1

There is no way to dispose of a PC "properly". Regardless of whether you dump it or take it to an official tip etc. it will cause damage to the environment. Even if you take it to a PC shop for disposal or to a company that disposes of PCs, it will end up in India and will be salvaged using toxic chemicals. The Indians will recover any expensive metals and dump the poisonous chemicals, sludge and plastic etc. Donating a PC is no better as it will still end up being dumped, somewhere. The best thing to do is to see what you can salvage for use in your current PC. Use the Hard Drive as a "Back Up" Drive as Data cannot be guaranteed to be wiped. It is not uncommon for data to be recovered from HDDs that have been in big fires. If your current motherboard supports the old RAM and you have a spare slot, increase your RAM. You can add an extra DVD Drive, CD Drive etc. You could buy a kit that converts your HDD into an external USB HDD. If you can't be bothered with gutting the PC, why not network it with your current one. To finish, remember that any parts that you cannot use will eventually end up in a tip and will add to land polutants that are destroying the environment. Try to use what you can and if you need a new PC in the future, try to build your own (upgrade), using your current case, HDD, RAM etc. It's what I usually do and an upgraded PC can be as good as or even better than a new PC.

Answer 2

You can't take info off of a CPU. Just take the hard drive out and then nobody will be able to get the data. If you want to erase the data permanently from the hard drive, wipe the outside of it with a strong magnet (i recommend a neodymium magnet, fridge magnets will not cut it) and the data will be gone forever.

Answer 3

You will want to remove the hard drive from the inside of the computer. I would then recycle the rest of the computer and either keep or destory the hard drive. You can also have a professional completely remove all information from the hard drive.

Answer 4

Technically obsolete. but does it work, even a tad? In some cities, there are places that they take old computers, fix them up and give them to volunteers, and/or employees. But the computers or monitors have to be working, at least a tiny bit. Or you could take it to the county dump, and place it some where, at the dump. Or at least, that's possible, where I live.

Answer 5

You can do a government wipe(low level format) which writes 0s onto your whole drive. or take your disk drive out, keep the hard drive and recycle or give your puter away minus the hard drive.

Answer 6

Just take out the hard drive and destroy it. With a hammer or something! That should do it.

Answer 7

I'd donate it.