Part 1 of a 3-part tips on letting go of your old tech gear at last!
What to with all your old technology…? I find most people are reluctant to donate or discard computers, cell phones, hard drives and other data devices for fear that someone will get access to your confidential information. That is a valid fear. Data theft is actually pretty easy for a reasonably savvy scoundrel. Yet, once it’s clean, it’s pretty easy to eliminate this gear responsibly, thoughtfully or even profitably!
Part 1: Erasing the confidential data
Here’s a great video from PC World that guides you through several options to completely erase your hard drive, including the sledgehammer approach!
For mobile phone data, there are companies who would like to recycle, reconstruct and resell your old cell phone. As a service, they provide details on how to clear it for just about any mobile phone.
Pace Butler’s Data Erase Page
Or just erase it on your own. Here’s a link telling you how.