Computer Club Warns those Residents Disposing of Computers
As the holidays approach it’s likely that new
computers and other tech devices will be under the tree. This discussion is not
about those items. It’s about what happens to the memory in the old computers.
For
example, it’s not unusual for grown children to pass to their parents computers
that are perfectly functional, but no longer needed because new ones will
replace them.
Here’s the point. Most
people know that before a personal computer is given away, donated or recycled
some thought must be given to what happens to the data on the hard drive.
There can be a lot of personal information on
that drive that one may not want anyone else to see. It’s important to remove
all of it. The question is how best to do that?
Suggestions abound
and some depend on where the old PC is headed. If it’s recycling there are some
people that enjoy removing the hard drive and using it for target practice. Others
suggest driving nails through the platters. Still others pound them with a
sledge hammer. These appear to be folks that enjoy the vicarious benefits
associated with brute force. They are, however, acceptable options.
Burning the hard
drive is suggested, too, but it’s not a good idea. Toxic materials are involved
in this process and breathing the fumes is dangerous. The same applies to soaking
it in chemicals.
The club’s computer
guru, Bill Hammond, has a suggestion. He recommends MariusSoft Disk Scrubber.
It’s free and can be found by going to Google and typing the name. Here is a
quote from the website: “By using the Disk Scrubber, you can ensure that
deleted data is written over and thus no longer recoverable by disk recovery
software. This is a must when selling or donating your used hard drive.”
Finally, with
regard to the replacement of a hard disk by any repair shop, always ask for the
old disk back.
No comments:
Post a Comment