Week 3- Clear

When people have an object that is no longer useful to them they throw it away. Although this may seem logical, it is not always the proper solution. Personal computers should not just be trashed when the owner doesn't need it anymore. Computers contain metals and chemicals that are hazardous to the environment. They should be taken or shipped to professionals that know how to properly recycle and dispose computer parts. Another option for someone who is getting rid of their old computer to change to an upgrade is to donate it. In this situation, the old saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" could be true.

Find A Company Near You That Recycles Electronics

A very important factor to keep in mind when getting rid of a computer is that the computer still contains your information. It is especially important to clear the data from your computer before giving it away. Personal information, private business files, images, and everything that could be saved on your personal computer needs to be erased. A hardware system that is made to protect your disposed information is Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) Link to DBAN. This overwrites computer data over three times so that information cannot be seen. If your hard drive is a magnetic disk, getting it degaussed makes information irretrievable. Other ways to protect your work would be to burn or cross-cut shred your memory hardware.