Author Topic: Disposing of old PC  (Read 1860 times)

Offline farmeroman

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #18 on: Saturday 20 June 20 13:44 BST (UK) »
I always drill a hole straight through the drive.

Offline bradburyd

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #19 on: Saturday 20 June 20 16:38 BST (UK) »
I always drill a hole straight through the drive.
An alternative is to buy a hard drive caddy and use the old disc as additional external storage connected via usb cable.

Offline farmeroman

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #20 on: Saturday 20 June 20 17:20 BST (UK) »
I always drill a hole straight through the drive.
An alternative is to buy a hard drive caddy and use the old disc as additional external storage connected via usb cable.

Yes it is an option, although more often than not by the time a PC is due for retirement the drive is an old generation, low capacity or large form factor model. These days I don't consider anything less than 1TB and/or small form factor worth keeping.

There's also the issue of old "spinning rust" drives probably nearing end of life. Using them for backup purposes is one thing, but I'd be vary wary of using them as additional storage, which would itself need to be backed up regularly, something that I know from experience (from a support point of view) isn't something that the average user does.

Offline Musicman

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #21 on: Tuesday 23 June 20 08:32 BST (UK) »
MM - what did you do with your last one?


Ashamed to admit it - but, they're "up in Annie's room"!  :D


Offline UK4753

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #22 on: Tuesday 23 June 20 17:21 BST (UK) »
The retailer where I purchased my last PC offers a service to take in old electronic equipment for destruction.  Very convenient.

 :)
Wiltshire: JONES, BANKS
Yorkshire: FEVERS, SCALES
Kent:  RUMLEY, NIGH
London:  HUGHES, NIGHTINGALE

Offline tomkin

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 23 June 20 17:55 BST (UK) »

                  I always take the hard drive out whilst wearing surgical gloves so as not to

          scratch the very sensitive data surface.   I then take it outside wearing safety glasses

         and a face mask. I position the drive unit on top of a stone block that I have in the garden.

           I change the surgical gloves for a pair of heavy duty welding gloves.  I then pound the

           hell outa the drive with a 4 lb lump hammer screaming at the top of my voice, " I told

             yer what I would do if you let me down again. "    Not only does it destroy the drive,

         but it certainly releases a lot of pent up emotion  that these new fangled machines cause.

                             :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

           

Offline Musicman

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #24 on: Tuesday 23 June 20 21:47 BST (UK) »
Tomkin . . . thanks for the advice, but . . . . haven't got any of that gear - though I have got pack of 'Face Masks' as I will be going on a train journey soon (hopefully) and you now have wear one for the journey there and back - I've got to have a medical procedure! :o   Plus, I wouldn't have the strength these days to lift that hammer you mentioned!   :D

But, thanks for the info!  ;D

Offline tomkin

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #25 on: Wednesday 24 June 20 17:19 BST (UK) »

                    " though I have got pack of 'Face Masks' as I will be going on a train journey soon (hopefully) and you now have wear one for the journey "

                       Are you thinking of chucking the PC off the train?   ;D ;D ;D ;D

Offline Musicman

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Re: Disposing of old PC
« Reply #26 on: Thursday 25 June 20 20:51 BST (UK) »

                       Are you thinking of chucking the PC off the train?   ;D ;D ;D ;D

No way!  Am hoping that my 'medical procedure' (cataracts) might happen sooner rather later - such ops were halted in March . . . hopefully, will start up again soon.  And it'll be done in Norwich - hence the train journey!   :)