APEX DS » hard drive

Recycling Computers Is A Safer Way To Get Rid Of E-Waste

Adriana Noton — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:12:44 +0000

Have you ever been to the basement of your office building and seen hundreds of obsolete or broken computers sitting in the hallway? What do you do with those CRT monitors you have at home after you replace them with flat screens? What do you do with all of that e-waste? Previously, many people would just toss the computer or monitor in the trash. Thankfully, recycling computers is now easy even for the home user.

Technology is causing computers to become obsolete at a very quick pace. Prices have decreased as well, allowing users to replace the old technology with the latest and greatest available. With the stockpile of old computers growing, why is it vital that we recycle? As computers decompose, dangerous chemicals find their way to the water supply and into the air.

Computers contain many valuable elements that can be used after reclamation. These include lead, gold, and copper. For example, a 15-inch monitor can contain over five pounds of lead that can be reused to construct new system.

Consumers now have many options for disposing of their obsolete computers. One of the most common methods is donation to charity. Many charities are in need of computers to assist in their work. Typically, due to budget constraints, a proper computer is the last thing a charitable organization can afford. With your donated computer, these organizations, such as group homes, after school clubs, and senior citizen centers, can continue their programs.

Before purchasing a computer, consumers should research to see if the manufacturer offers some type of computer recycling or take back program. Most of the major manufacturers do offer some sort of program. They will typically require consumers to mail in their obsolete equipment or arrange for a pickup from the company. Some programs are free, while others will charge you a nominal fee if the machine is not their brand.

Another lesser known program is the exchange program. Manufacturers will exchange your old computer for a new model. They will turn around and renovate the old model in preparation for resale. Most manufacturers will offer these refurbished computers at a discount on their website or in their retail stores. Typically, these revamped models will come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. This allows for consumers who could not usually afford a computer to be able to benefit.

Have you ever been in the basement of your office building and it looks like a computer graveyard? Ever wonder how a business disposes of all of this e-waste? Generally, bulk waste cannot be disposed of using the same methods as consumers. Some computer manufacturers will work with companies to recycle their waste for them. However, manufacturers will typically not take back other brand names. That leaves the business to contract disposal to a third party contractor. These contractors specialize in the proper disposition of e-waste. What is important for businesses to remember is that they are still held liable for the proper disposal of their bulk computers, regardless of what methods they use. Infractions can cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

With the number of methods available for the disposal of both consumer and bulk business computers, recycling is now a painless process. By doing a little bit of research to find out your local options, you will be doing your part to save the environment from its newest danger.

At low prices and with such convenient access, purchasing used computers Toronto is an economically viable option for those seeking quality technology. Another recommended alternative is renting computers, which allows users to conserve money and test the platform first-hand.

Learn How to Troubleshoot the Computers For some of us, the computers are the most important...
Four Simple Tips For Dealing with Computer Hackers – Part 1 Most of us will feel intimidated with the word “hackers”....
Tips for Deciding When to Upgrade Your Computer – Part 1 When people buy new computers, they buy the most updated...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How Avoid Identity Theft When You Dump Your Old Computer – Part 2

Lindsy — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:47:29 +0000

You can download disk wiping products for free from the internet. There are many similar products, but the most respectable ones are Darik’s Boot and Nuke. First, download the software to your computer and save it in the drive your computer accesses when it boots up. The software then will automatically erase all the contents of all the drives detected the next when your computer boots up. Make sure that you have read the instruction carefully and back up all data you need when you use it in your computer.

The last desperate thing to do in making your data irretrievable is by destroying it. When you are in hurry and have no time to use any software to clean up your drives but you still don’t want anyone to be able to look into your data, then you can just simply destroy your hard drive into pieces. Wear goggles and gloves, grab a big hammer and smash the hammer with maximum power to your hard drive. You can also drill your hard drive if you have the tool. Just make sure that you have done maximum damage to your hard drive. In theory, experts can still retrieve your data, but it will take large amount of money and extremely sophisticated software and hardware.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How Avoid Identity Theft When You Dump Your Old Computer – Part 1

Lindsy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:55:03 +0000

One of the ways how people steal your your identity is by looking into your old computer’s hard drive. You may think that you already erased all your data when you sold or donated your computer to someone else or dumped it in the dump yard, but you actually didn’t. Just because you have erased your data, it doesn’t mean that it is no longer there. Most people do not know how to wipe off their data thoroughly from their hard drive. Two MIT graduate students bought 158 hard drives several years ago to purposely see how many people had erased their data properly. They found proofs of someone’s affair in one of the hard drives.

You may feel paranoid right now after reading the story above, yet you don’t need to. Experts say that there are still many good people out there who won’t use your erased data for illegal purposes when they buy your used hard drive. However, your hard drive may fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, here are some methods you can use to wipe data thoroughly from your hard drive.

The most simple method is by using the disk cleaner utility from Windows XP. You can find the information of the procedure from this website http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312. After you complete the procedure, reformat your drive to wipe off all the information and data from your disk. Usually formatting your drive would have been enough to erase your data forever. However, if one user has a data-retrieval software, you may want to take the next step.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.