# How do I get rid of a PC safely? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029 "2013-05-10T21:37:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/1 "2013-05-10T21:37:04Z")
note: I live in a very small town, far from everywhere, so there is not a place in town to recycle it or a business that does this. I’ve heard they have toxic materials in them (?) so they shouldn’t just go in the garbage but also I assume that would be a risk of identity theft since I used it for years and bought things with credit cards and so forth. I haven’t used it for years but don’t know how to get rid of it. I don’t want to have to driv it to a city! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/2 "2013-05-10T21:50:49Z")
You can download disk wiping programs like [DBAN](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darik%27s_Boot_and_Nuke) to make sure that no data is retrievable from the system. And as for actually disposing of the computer, check with your local trash authority or agency, or with the closest Goodwill Industries office, or with one of the big box stores; I think Best Buy will accept an old computer for recycling at no cost. And yes, the computer should not go in the regular trash. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/3 "2013-05-10T21:53:23Z")
DBAN is good. I’m lazy though and just take out the hard drive before disposing of the PC. I have a few in a box around here somewhere. I live in a very small town and the county dump collects electronics in a barn and then takes them all somewhere. Maybe something similar is going on in your area. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/4 "2013-05-10T22:01:07Z")
I don’t think the OP is talking about clearing out his data. His problem is toxic materials in the hardware that need to be recycled properly, and not just allowed to sit in a trash heap somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/5 "2013-05-10T22:10:19Z")
Well, the OP says, “I assume that would be a risk of identity theft since I used it for years and bought things with credit cards and so forth.” So clearly data protection is a concern. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/6 "2013-05-10T22:24:32Z")
she is worried about both! 😛 I can’t download anything because I only have the PC, no longer have a monitor or mouse or keyboard…I literally just moved it the last time because I didn’t know what to do with it. now I’m about to move again and I don’t want to take it with. forgot about it until I cleaned out the storage unit. gah!:smack: how can I “just take out the hard drive”? I mean, if I take a screw driver to the thing - it’s just the CPU, you know? - is it easy to find? but I’m going to call the city or county or both. that’s a good idea. thanks, folks. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/7 "2013-05-10T22:24:43Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > I haven’t used it for years but don’t know how to get rid of it. I don’t want to have to driv it to a city! If you have not used it for years, any credit card data is long past useful, any cards you used have probably expired. If you have any computer shops around many of them happily take old machines, they may strip it for parts, but most of us have regular recycling guys we deal with. ---
**Author:** ![LouLou7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LouLou7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouLou7)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/8 "2013-05-10T22:33:49Z")
Wait until after dark and sneak over and leave it on the neighbors front porch. Put a big bow on it for a more festive appearance. You’re welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/9 "2013-05-10T23:15:14Z")
To take out the hard drive, remove the side by taking out the little screws or however you get inside ( some older computers had lift off casing ), find the hard drive or drives if you have more than one — look them up to see what they are like, but usually they are rectangular metal objects 3.5 inches or 2.5. wide _connected to the motherboard_ by plastic ribbons or cables and connected to the power supply by thin cables. Remove the cables from the end of the hard drive, unscrew the hard drives if they are screwed in with tiny screws, and slide them out. The CPU is entirely different and can be identified as a square object covered by a fan. You only want the hard drives: no other residual memory of your activity resides in the rest of the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/10 "2013-05-10T23:17:38Z")
Do you have a Goodwill store locally? My local Goodwill accepts electronics for recycling. I got rid of an old CRT monitor that way. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/11 "2013-05-10T23:24:33Z")
[quote=“drachillix, post:7, topic:658029”] If you have not used it for years, any credit card data is long past useful, any cards you used have probably expired. I don’t think that is entirely correct, some of my credit cards have had the same number on them for 30 years. While the expiration date has changed the account info hasn’t. I’m sure that info could be useful to some people. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/12 "2013-05-11T00:04:53Z")
> [@LouLou7](#): > > Wait until after dark and sneak over and leave it on the neighbors front porch. > > Put a big bow on it for a more festive appearance. > > You’re welcome! _shakes fist at Aunt Lou Lou_ > [@](#): > > some of my credit cards have had the same number on them for 30 years. While the expiration date has changed the account info hasn’t. I’m sure that info could be useful to some people. yes, this would worry me, too. I mean, maybe my social security number is on there, I don’t know. _eyes Claverhouse’s post_ dingdingding! this looks like what I need. although I don’t know if I would recognize a motherboard when I see one. but I will try this. thank you, Claverhouse! ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/13 "2013-05-11T00:23:08Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Do you have a Goodwill store locally? My local Goodwill accepts electronics for recycling. I got rid of an old CRT monitor that way. we do not! there is a small Salvation Army but, man, are they cranky over there. so I don’t do any business with them. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/14 "2013-05-11T00:35:55Z")
Can’t he take out the hard drive, take it apart, and destroy the disk, if he’s really, really worried? Personally, I’d not do that. I’d plug it in to another computer and go through the data, seeing if there were any cool nostalgic things on it, save those, then wipe it. But to each his own. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/15 "2013-05-11T00:38:19Z")
there is no HE there is SHE pay attention! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/16 "2013-05-11T00:52:52Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > we do not! there is a small Salvation Army but, man, are they cranky over there. so I don’t do any business with them. How about a Best Buy? Staples? Office Depot? ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/17 "2013-05-11T00:57:45Z")
nope, none of those. folks, this is the sticks. STICKS! the town where I live is about 6,000 but it’s hours to get to a city, seriously! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/18 "2013-05-11T01:29:37Z")
For removing the hard drive, you can probably find step by step directions complete with pictures in the owners manual for the computer (which you can probably still find online). If it’s a major brand name PC (Dell, HP, etc.) they may have a recycling program where you can just ship it in to them and they’ll care of it (you’ll still want to wipe the data yourself). Try searching for recycle used computer shipping. You might even be able to sell it on craigslist for a few bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/19 "2013-05-11T13:00:54Z")
If the thing is old & worthless and you simply want to dispose of it, just smash the hard drive with a big hammer a couple times. Seriously, you don’t even need to take it out of the case. Hard disks are extremely precise devices and doing this will destroy \*\*\*any \*\*\*possibility of recovering data from it (aside from an FBI forensic electron microscope months-longs study of it!) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029/20 "2013-05-11T13:35:46Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > just smash the hard drive with a big hammer a couple times. I’ve heard that another way to make a hard drive unreadable is to bake it in the oven at the highest temperature for a couple hours. The heat warps the disk inside the case so that it can’t be read. Like an old vinyl record left in the sun, which made the needle skip.\* \*(If you’re old enough to remember vinyl records, you might like this analogy. If you’re too young to understand , then get off my lawn.) 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-a-pc-safely/658029.md?page=2)