Home Forums Discussions General Discussion what to do with my old laptops

I am sure everyone has had this problem and I was wondering what everyone else does.

I have been on AC since 2006. (Wow, AC has been around for 6 years now)and old laptops come and go. I still have 3-4 old laptops that I don't use now for whatever reason. Whats the safest way to dispose of these laptops so that I don't get into trouble with some HIPPA violation or someone getting info from the laptops. I don't want to be in the newspaper saying doctor has over 5000 SS# stolen from a discarded computer.

If AC was installed but the main server was on a different computer then no data is stored on the laptops. I would look to see if you have restore disks and reinstall back to new format and then give them away.

There are companies who handle data destruction for a fee - many of the shredder companies have added this line of business.

The DIY method I recommend is to use one of the available multi-pass data destruction a.k.a. disk-wipe tools to write random 1s and 0s onto disks over multiple passes until the disk is truly wiped.

We have had companies hire us to do this, or alternately remove disks prior to equipment being sold to salvagers.

You can then donate them as you see fit, or you could install Ubu and use them as patient education tools that you have taken into a room.

If you want to be sure .... Use a sledge hammer to the hard drive

Actually, for the professionally paranoid/recovering engineers - physical damage doesn't degrade the data much unless the platters are melted, or a commercial magnet is used.

An open-source disk wipe tool is less work unless you want the anaerobic exercise.