What To Do Before Disposing of Computer

[zl55lz]

I'm guessing this has been covered before, and I've read some stuff online.

My understanding is when disposing of a pc, it is best to remove the SSD or HDD completely. I am speaking of a Windows PC or laptop.

1) Is it necessary to remove the RAM or anything else? I read the RAM does not retain data once pc turned off.

2) If giving to a trusted family member, is it enough to just do a "reset" and "recovery" and reinstall from the cloud with cleaning the drive option and leave the SSD as is, ready for them to set up under their account? Is all my info removed including account login info so they can start from scratch as is?

3) Any other recommendations?

Thanks and I appreciate any comments.

 

[skyking1]

I think it depends entirely on your degree of paranoia.
In the olden days we stored a lot more personal info on the hard drive. For example, all the quickbooks files with personal account numbers and the like.
When you handed a computer off for complete re-use, like a family member, you still would download a utility or pop a disk in the drive that could wipe the hard drive by writing over the sectors, sometimes several times.
The theory was, somebody could lay hands on it and run any one of several recovery programs on the drive and re-construct the files.
My personal take is, the paranoia is not warranted. Nobody is out to get you or your info.
If the computer comes with install media do a fresh install and hand it over to your friend or family.
Most times your old computer is so far behind the times, you take it to recycle. If that is the case and you are concerned, remove and physically destroy the hard drive.
The recycling place I use certifies that the drive will get wiped.

 

[Jerry1]

If not giving it to a trusted person, I’d take the hard drive out. Nothing else. If giving it to someone, I’d feel very comfortable reinstalling the original image of the drive.

 

[REWahoo]

4 Things to Do Before Selling Your Windows PC

According to this, no need to remove the drive. You can do a factory reset to remove files and wipe any data from the computer.

 

[SecondCor521]

If you know what you're doing and have very very valuable information on the hard drive or SSD, you could download disk tool software and do a secure erase or crypto erase (if your drive supports those features), or a DOD erase.

If you have regular levels of personal information on the drive and are giving it to a family member, you could just reinstall Windows which would do at least a quick format. A quick format does less than a low level format, which is in turn less than any of the options mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Any of the above options will prevent an average user from having access to your account and login info but still might be accessible to a data recovery type person. Any of the options in the first paragraph will prevent anybody except government level skilled folks from getting your data.

No need to remove RAM; it doesn't store anything after the power is off.

 

[statsman]

Put me into the paranoid category. Back up the data, then use an erasing utility to wipe the drive several times, then re-install the OS before handing it off. If the drive is starting to give indications that it might be failing, I attempt to erase the drive several times before handing it off to a location for recycle.

 

[zl55lz]

I read the little gum stick sized SSD is difficult to destroy due to how it "spreads out" data.

What is the best way to physically destroy an SSD?

Can a SSD be "erased" or written over like the old HDD?

 

[SecondCor521]

I read the little gum stick sized SSD is difficult to destroy due to how it "spreads out" data.

What is the best way to physically destroy an SSD?

Can a SSD be "erased" or written over like the old HDD?

All SSDs spread out their data regardless of their physical form factor.

I don't know what the "best" way to destroy an SSD would be, but relatively easy ways that would work to put the SSD out of the reach of all but expert restorers would be to cut it in two lengthwise or melt it in an oven. Melting it in an oven may give off plastic fumes which might be dangerous to your health. Smashing it with a hammer would also work very well.

SSDs can be secure/crypto erased (assuming they support the feature set, which pretty much all of them do). They can also be written over like HDDs. In fact, other than reporting an RPM of "0" and not being subject to air pressure concerns, they can do everything an HDD can do.

 

[skyking1]

Put me into the paranoid category. Back up the data, then use an erasing utility to wipe the drive several times, then re-install the OS before handing it off. If the drive is starting to give indications that it might be failing, I attempt to erase the drive several times before handing it off to a location for recycle.

yup. That works for you. If I am feeling that way then I set the drive on the pavement and caress it with "mjolnir" a couple of times.
It's my 12 pound close quarters sledgehammer pictured here, removing an excavator sprocket. After that tender kiss the drive will not give up any secrets.

 

[jim584672]

https://www.bleachbit.org/ will wipe an old drive securely.

 

[big-papa]

I tend to keep my computers way too long, making them virtually useless for anybody else to use.

So when it's time to say goodbye, I do 2 things
1. I remove the hard drive completely and send that to our local e-waste disposal
2. I take the hard drive and sufficiently "kill it" before also sending it on to our local e-waste disposal

How you do #2 is only limited by your imagination.

Newer laptops are

 

[Andre1969]

I got rid of a few really old tower PCs a few months ago. Basically, so old that they were junk. I pulled the hard drives out, first. I had no idea how to dispose of the hard drives, so I just threw them in a large burn barrel that I have. I've had a few fires since then, and I can occasionally see those hard drives down in there when I mix up the ashes and cinders, nice and scorched looking.

I just googled it though, and apparently burning is not a guarantee of destroying the data on a hard drive. In fact, many sites warn against it, because of fumes and such.

 

[JoeWras]

A lot of new mini-desktops have nothing removable. Just an SSD soldered to the motherboard. Your best bet then is a wiper then a sledgehammer to the little motherboard.

Aside: 15 years ago or so, I was building some "frankenstein" systems from spare parts. I went to the county dump and they let us scavenge. (They do not allow this anymore!). I pulled out a system based on the size and form-factor. Taking it home I powered it up and it worked, it was Windows 95 or 3.1, can't remember.

I thought to myself: "Self, surely there's nothing on here?" Saw a document on the main page and double clicked it for fun. It was some sort of break-up/kiss off letter to a partner.

I was horrified. I immediately wiped it by installing a new OS. I felt fortunate for whomever this was that I wiped it for them. I mean, I think there was a lot of finance stuff still on there. Can't recall because I didn't probe deeply.

Don't be that person. Do something.

 

[target2019]

To truly destroy the data on your storage device you need to take more drastic (and time-consuming) measures to overwrite your drive space with ones and zeroes. That’s where this guide comes in.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/461014/how-to-securely-erase-your-hard-drive.html

 

[zl55lz]

A lot of new mini-desktops have nothing removable. Just an SSD soldered to the motherboard. Your best bet then is a wiper then a sledgehammer to the little motherboard.

Aside: 15 years ago or so, I was building some "frankenstein" systems from spare parts. I went to the county dump and they let us scavenge. (They do not allow this anymore!). I pulled out a system based on the size and form-factor. Taking it home I powered it up and it worked, it was Windows 95 or 3.1, can't remember.

I thought to myself: "Self, surely there's nothing on here?" Saw a document on the main page and double clicked it for fun. It was some sort of break-up/kiss off letter to a partner.

I was horrified. I immediately wiped it by installing a new OS. I felt fortunate for whomever this was that I wiped it for them. I mean, I think there was a lot of finance stuff still on there. Can't recall because I didn't probe deeply.

Don't be that person. Do something.

This brings up a question: Supposing someone had the knowledge to retrieve info from a computer if it wasn't disposed of properly, what exactly could they find? Obviously any folders, documents, and other stuff created by the user and stored in the pc, but what about other things such as the sites visited and the user/password specifics for stores, banks, etc? The pc account info and login info, every keystroke ever entered, etc., etc?

 

[skyking1]

no keystrokes. That would require a keystroke logger.
Docs and web history and saved login info for websites are the fear. I find it to be a what if scenario that has no basis in reality. Because a thing is possible does not mean it is a regular happening.

 

[brett]

On one desktop given to a relative I reformatted the hard drive, re-installed windows, and tuned it up.

On the second, I removed a malfunctioning hard drive and smashed it to smithereens. Perhaps I was being overcautious. Don't really know.

 

[rk911]

I removed the hard drives from my old Win7 desktop and added them as extra storage drives in my new Win10 desktop.

 

[Sojourner]

On one desktop given to a relative I reformatted the hard drive, re-installed windows, and tuned it up.

IMHO, this is all one really needs to do in most cases. A full disk format and then a complete reinstall of Windows will sufficiently "wipe" any personal, sensitive data such that it wouldn't be recoverable by anyone who wasn't very determined and very technically skilled.

 

[OldShooter]

I just pull the hard drive, clamp it about halfway into my workshop vise, and whack it a few times with a sturdy hammer. When the case has a pronounced bend in it, I toss it into the garbage.

 

[Sunset]

This brings up a question: Supposing someone had the knowledge to retrieve info from a computer if it wasn't disposed of properly, what exactly could they find? Obviously any folders, documents, and other stuff created by the user and stored in the pc, but what about other things such as the sites visited and the user/password specifics for stores, banks, etc? The pc account info and login info, every keystroke ever entered, etc., etc?

Years ago, I bought a computer at a garage sale for ~$10

They hadn't wiped the drive, it had all the personal files you can imagine on it for viewing, along with all the bookmarked websites and browser history. Worst was the tax returns.
No passwords unless they wrote them down or had the browser save them (those would just work but didn't show).

 

[mpeirce]

I recommend to people that they turn on whole disk encryption.

If you do that, then your disk is filled with what looks like random data. So no action necessary when you’re done with it.

 

[Sunset]

On the old drives, when getting rid of them, I'd open them up as there are large rare earth magnets.

Lots of fun to play with.

 

[Sojourner]

All the posts mentioning various methods for physically destroying old hard drives reminds me that Western Digital has a free disk recycling program that can be used by those who don't want to throw their old hard drives in the trash. I've used this service several times in recent years to dispose of old, damaged drives. For the security conscious, WD claims they will destroy and recycle all drives in accordance with various industry/government protocols.

https://www.westerndigital.com/company/programs/easy-recycle

 

[Sojourner]

On the old drives, when getting rid of them, I'd open them up as there are large rare earth magnets.

Lots of fun to play with.

+1!

Rare earth magnets are very strong, fun to play with, and can be used in a variety of ways around the house.