How to Safely Prepare Hard Drives, Computers & Other Devices for Recycling
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Computers and electronic devices can’t just be recycled like your old cans or cardboard boxes. When computers are recycled after a person has upgraded to a new system, they often put back into use by someone else.
Methods of recycling include donating electronic devices to a good cause, trading them in to a retailer for some type of credit, or taking them to a recycling center, where they may get scrapped or may be sold to a new user.
The danger to you if you don’t properly clean your electronics before disposing of them is that your confidential information could end up being used for identity theft, credit card fraud, or something else.
If a business that’s upgrading to modern office technology doesn’t properly wipe its technology, it could result in a major data breach and violation of data privacy guidelines.
80% of company desktop computers and laptops contain sensitive information.
Any type of electronic hardware is going to have a digital footprint. In order to securely get rid of electronics, that footprint needs to be completely removed.
Deleting Your Files Is Not Enough
Just deleting the files on a USB drive, removable hard drive, or computer is not enough to ensure your device is properly secure.
There are file recovery tools designed to retrieve files that a user accidentally deleted that could be used to restore those files you thought were gone.
Here are some tips for securely wiping your digital devices before they’re recycled or donated to ensure your data is completely removed.
Mobile Devices – Sign Out & Reset
Smartphones and tablets will typically have a factory reset that you can do that wipes all the data off the device.
It’s important to sign out of any cloud storage accounts before doing a reset (like iCloud), otherwise, you may find that your photos are gone from the cloud because you deleted them from your phone during the reset.
This hard reset back to original factory settings is generally how cell providers wipe your phone if you trade it into them when upgrading.
You also want to be sure that you’ve removed the SIM card in the device before recycling it.
Printers, Scanners, Faxes – Remove Memory Cards & Reset
Printers, scanners, and faxes will also typically include the hard reset back to factory conditions. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve removed any memory cards that the device may be using.
It’s also a good idea to check the device after the reset to make sure it’s not retaining any information, like the Wi-Fi password or your company name/number.
Steps for Properly Wiping Computers
The steps are a little more detailed when it comes to wiping your desktop or laptop computer. There are multiple areas on a hard drive where data can reside and be extracted.
Just think of all that autofill information that makes your life convenient, like passwords or credit card details. It could make a hacker’s life pretty convenient as well if you hadn’t properly wiped your device before they got their hands on it.
Here are steps you can take to make sure your computer is ready for recycling without any of your data on it.
Back Up Your Data First
You don’t want to wipe your device and then realize your data wasn’t properly backed up. Make sure to back up data to a trusted service prior to cleaning your device.
You may also want to have your data migrated by BrainStomp to your new device before cleaning your old one. We’ll ensure everything is transferred over safely and completely.
Sign Out of All Your Accounts
To be completely secure that syncing accounts won’t cause data loss and that a stranger can’t get into your Facebook account, sign out of all accounts that you’re signed into on your computer.
This can include:
· Social media accounts
· File storage accounts (like Dropbox)
· Cloud accounts (like Microsoft 365)
· Web accounts (like Amazon.com)
Use a System App or 3rd Party App to Wipe & Reset Your Device
You have a few options for resetting your device and removing all the data, including your files, and browser and system footprints.
In Windows 10:
· Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC
· Chose “Remove everything”
· Click the “Change settings” options on the Additional settings window
· Toggle on the “Data erasure” setting
· Click the Confirm button and follow the prompts to erase your device
For those on a Mac, the instructions are a little more detailed for resetting your computer. You can find them on Apple’s site here.
You can also choose to use a 3rd party tool that wipes your device. Some popular ones include DBAN and Eraser.
Have a Professional Wipe Your Device
If you’re not computer savvy, then you may want to have your device professionally wiped by an IT pro. We can confirm that all data is completely removed and can’t be recovered using data recovery tools.
Need Help Migrating to a New Computer?
Upgrading to a new computer can be frustrating if you’re trying to handle all the data transfer and disk wiping yourself. Make the process much simpler by coming to BrainStomp. We’ll ensure that your new device is set up properly and your old one is safe to recycle.
Contact us today to schedule a technology consultation! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.
