Computer Help and Support

QED

(2,929 posts) Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:33 AM Aug 27

Recycling laptops

I have 3 old laptops that I want to donate to an organization run for high school tech nerds. These machines are between 8 & 15 years old. What should I do with them before donating? Should I reformat the hard drive? If so, how do I do that?

Or should I just remove the hard drive completely?

8 replies

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Recycling laptops (Original Post) QED Aug 27 OP

If you remove the hard drive, you reduce the value to zero. mahatmakanejeeves Aug 27 #1

Good question... QED Aug 27 #4

I should have read more on their website...the info is there. QED Aug 27 #6

I removed the hard drive. Where are you donating them? I have 3 also. OLDMDDEM Aug 27 #2

It's an organization in AZ called Strut QED Aug 27 #3

Thanks. I live in Maryland so I am going to see if there is a place similar to AZStrut. OLDMDDEM Aug 27 #5

Supposedly hard drives can be written over 99 times in one operation bucolic_frolic Aug 27 #7

There are several free tools canetoad Aug 27 #8

mahatmakanejeeves

(60,665 posts)

1. If you remove the hard drive, you reduce the value to zero.

Reply to QED (Original post)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:34 AM

Aug 27

What does the organization say to do?

QED

(2,929 posts)

4. Good question...

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Reply #1)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:39 AM

Aug 27

I'll email them and ask. I didn't see any info on their website about this.

https://azstrut.org/

QED

(2,929 posts)

6. I should have read more on their website...the info is there.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Reply #1)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:40 AM

Aug 27

https://azstrut.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AZ-StRUT-Hard-Drive-Security-Procedure.pdf

They will wipe the drives.

OLDMDDEM

(2,063 posts)

2. I removed the hard drive. Where are you donating them? I have 3 also.

Reply to QED (Original post)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:36 AM

Aug 27

QED

(2,929 posts)

3. It's an organization in AZ called Strut

Reply to OLDMDDEM (Reply #2)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:38 AM

Aug 27

They refurbish them..

https://azstrut.org/

OLDMDDEM

(2,063 posts)

5. Thanks. I live in Maryland so I am going to see if there is a place similar to AZStrut.

Reply to QED (Reply #3)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:40 AM

Aug 27

bucolic_frolic

(46,732 posts)

7. Supposedly hard drives can be written over 99 times in one operation

Reply to QED (Original post)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:43 AM

Aug 27

Randoming out the data, replacing it with zeros. But some say they can still recover data.

Personally I'd be ok with DoD (Dept of Defense) erasure, then I'd probably pass a strong magnet from an old hard drive over it 99 times. As to whether it would still operate ....?

But then I've never disposed of a hard drive. They simply wore out from exhaustion.

canetoad

(18,073 posts)

8. There are several free tools

Reply to QED (Original post)

Tue Aug 27, 2024, 09:03 PM

Aug 27

To make hard drives unrecoverable.

https://diskwipe.org/ This is one of them. You can search for others but beware the ones that say "Free download" or similar. There will be a catch such as disabled features. You need to find true Freeware.

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