Thinking for recycling your old PC

[ILLMAS]

If you are thinking of taking your old PC those those recycling you better think twice. Just watch this program from PBS's Frontline World.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/

[kcjenkins]

Taking out the hard drive and smashing it with a sledgehammer is the only way to be sure your data can not be stolen.

[Catherine]

Taking out the hard drive and smashing it with a sledgehammer is the only way to be sure your data can not be stolen.

Running one of those super-powerful rare earth magnets over the hard drive a few times and _then_ smashing it with a sledgehammer also works. ;)

[Jack from Ohio]

Taking out the hard drive and smashing it with a sledgehammer is the only way to be sure your data can not be stolen.

Or drill a 3/8" hole through it! I like the sound the drill makes when it hits the platen!!

Or, take it apart. There are some VERY strong Rare Earth magnets in them. Then destroy the platen.(disk)

[Lion EA]

Snopes e-newsletter this morning covered protecting your data if your computer is lost, stolen, or given away. Of course, you can make more severe changes if you're giving it away, so the smash-the-hard-drive-with-a-sledgehammer method was the number one suggestion. If your computer was stolen, it's too late for the sledgehammer, though.