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Getting rid of an old laptop

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 Flinticus 30 Sep 2016
Got a Dell Inspiron 1300 (from 2006) to 'pass on' / get rid off.

Anything I need on it has been transferred then all docs & photos deleted. What else should I do: restore to original settings?

Do charities take old laptops? Any rules on their disposal?

In reply to Flinticus:
Invest in a really good data shredder?

If you have only "deleted" stuff it is still easily recoverable by any average 10 year old.

Many shredders can be downloaded for free.

Post edited at 11:08
 shaymarriott 30 Sep 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

If its that old it's likely to be worth approximately nothing. If there was ever any sensitive/private/confidential information on there I'd be inclined to dispose permanently.
In reply to Flinticus:
You can usually press an F key when it boots up to run system restore and re-install Windows to how it was originally shipped if you can be bothered. It was F11 on a HP laptop I did the other day.

PS. Although you should format the drive when you do this. Some of the data might still be recoverable by someone in the know.
Post edited at 11:13
 Bob Kemp 30 Sep 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

This Jack Schofield article might help you:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/feb/19/how-safely-recyc...

There's something about a Dell recycling scheme there plus info on how to clean your data off.
OP Flinticus 30 Sep 2016
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Thanks Yeah, after extensive googling & failed attempts I found a previous query when the OP was directed to p77 of the original manual, which I then found on the net. So I've restored to original settings using CTL+F11 (must be pressed at a particular point in the boot up sequence)

Will look to format the drive.
OP Flinticus 30 Sep 2016
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Only one drive, C, and cannot format (says its in use), which I assume it must be for the computer to be running at all!
 markAut 30 Sep 2016
In reply to Flinticus:

Download Dban 'Darik's boot and nuke' to clean all the data off. Then reinstall windows if you want to give the is away.
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