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Yorkie
14th February 2010, 08:22 AM
hi folks,

twofold problem here.
1. old pc has crashed (press power button makes noises but nothing happens) and want to clear files off it before disposing.
2. where is the best place to get rid of old pc's.
should i just pull the hd out of the tower to make it safe?.
appreciate the advice.

thanks
Bushie
14th February 2010, 09:13 AM
I would pull the HDD out and either, install it in another PC to get whatever you need off it, or buy an external HDD case and use it that way.

Whatever you do when you have finished with it destroy the drive before disposal (I normally belt a punch through them a few times)



Martyn
Basil135
14th February 2010, 09:19 AM
Pull the hdd out, & delete the files with another pc.

You can also use a program such as Disc Shredder to ensure all data is erased and is unrecoverable.

To get rid of the actual box, ring your local Rotary group & see if they take them.

Some do, and either re-build them or recycle them for use with those that cant afford to buy one. Failing that, put it out on the nature strip with a "give-away" sign. It should go fairly quickly.

Stops the whole thing going into landfill.
loanrangie
14th February 2010, 09:34 AM
Nature strip - then i can come along and raid it for parts ;)
Mick_Marsh
14th February 2010, 09:58 AM
1. If you have files you want to keep, for a few dollars you can get a lead to connect the hard drive via a USB. Then, either crush it or format and fdisk it. If the info on the HDD is sensitive, then buy a software shredder as previously mentioned. I may have a trial version somewhere or you may be able to download one from the net.
2. There are several charitable organisations that recycle old PC's. One here in Vic is PC's for kids. The local Rotaty group send them to a warehouse in Melbourne to be refurbished and sent overseas to small schools in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
There's bound to be organisations such as these in NSW. Look in the phone book.


Nature strip - then i can come along and raid it for parts ;)

And if anyone has any IDE hdd's 80gig plus i will buy them.

Really!!
You'd travel that far for an old PC?
Bushie
14th February 2010, 11:18 AM
I was assuming you wanted to 'dump' it once you had finished with it. If you want to pass it to someone else run 'Boot n nuke (http://www.dban.org/)' over it first (note that it will wipe ALL HDDs on the computer that it finds)


Martyn
Yorkie
14th February 2010, 04:19 PM
1. If you have files you want to keep, for a few dollars you can get a lead to connect the hard drive via a USB. Then, either crush it or format and fdisk it. If the info on the HDD is sensitive, then buy a software shredder as previously mentioned. I may have a trial version somewhere or you may be able to download one from the net.
2. There are several charitable organisations that recycle old PC's. One here in Vic is PC's for kids. The local Rotaty group send them to a warehouse in Melbourne to be refurbished and sent overseas to small schools in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
There's bound to be organisations such as these in NSW. Look in the phone book.



Really!!
You'd travel that far for an old PC?

thanks, might look into this. only photos which i have backups but still no reason for others to see if i pass the machine on.
thanks
George130
17th February 2010, 07:14 PM
For the record no disk cleaning product is certified to permanently wipe the disk.
Thats why we melt down the HDD's.
VladTepes
25th April 2010, 06:04 PM
For the record no disk cleaning product is certified to permanently wipe the disk.
Thats why we melt down the HDD's.

Yeah cool eh !
Captain_Rightfoot
26th April 2010, 06:04 AM
For the record no disk cleaning product is certified to permanently wipe the disk.
Thats why we melt down the HDD's.

Sorry, rubbish. The Apple (http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24002) one offers options that exceed the US department of defence standards. I'd be surprised if all the other UNIX/LINUX distributions wouldn't offer the same kind of thing. :)
HangOver
28th April 2010, 09:33 PM
a few years back US DoD standards for secure erase was 7 passes it seems this is now relaced with "m" rating for top secret data meaning destroy the drive, ie shred it, makes it into metal confetti :D

For home use though a couple of passes is more than enough, there is heaps of free software that will do it for you.
George130
2nd May 2010, 12:53 PM
I didn't get my info from security ratings but via the manufacturers who will no longer guarantee the data is not recoverable unless the disk platters are totaly destroyed.
If you have the time gear and knowledge then the data could be recovered. but why would you bother with most. Gov sensative data and industrial espionage obviously have their own rewards.
mildred
5th May 2010, 05:13 PM
Pull the hdd out, & delete the files with another pc.

You can also use a program such as Disc Shredder to ensure all data is erased and is unrecoverable.

To get rid of the actual box, ring your local Rotary group & see if they take them.

Some do, and either re-build them or recycle them for use with those that cant afford to buy one. Failing that, put it out on the nature strip with a "give-away" sign. It should go fairly quickly.

Stops the whole thing going into landfill.

when the time came to dispose of my 2 old computers, mega slow and small HD's, I just ran over them with the tractor and put them into "my tip" , large hole in the ground. Simple really...:D maybe in 1000yrs they will excavate them on some historical program and wet themselves with an "interesting find", super slim computers from the dark ages? :p
Pedro_The_Swift
5th May 2010, 05:43 PM
it will be "SUPA LARGE" computer!:p

and the reason is the pc is filled with bad stuff that SHOULDN'T go into the soil,,,;)

The Technical version will be along shortly,,,:angel:
p38arover
5th May 2010, 06:05 PM
it will be "SUPA LARGE" computer!:p

and the reason is the pc is filled with bad stuff that SHOULDN'T go into the soil,,,;)

The Technical version will be along shortly,,,:angel:

Porn? :angel:
twigman
5th May 2010, 11:34 PM
To wipe the HDD easest way with out distroying the HDD is simply sit a big magnet on top of it for a few hours, it works used to wipe MOD and HMPS disk in this manner as for the PC its self take it to the local tip they have processes in place for this kind of waste, but make sure you run a screw driver over the main board make it unusable.
Last place I work we just burried them in the ground, well it was under 200mtr or rock and subsoil bench fill at an opn cast coal mine.
Make some historians day in a couple of thousand years time we even burried a boat and some life jackets just for fun.