Do  the  "PC"  Thing:
                        Donate Computers
Upgrading electronic equipment? Do the PC thing: donate your current equipment for reuse.
Reusing computers benefits communities, helps us use valuable materials wisely, and keeps work-
ing PCs out of landfills.
Getting Started

First, Consider Upgrading Your Software and
Keeping Your Computer

Before donating, have you considered keeping your computer
longer? Sometimes, software problems can cause a computer
to become slow and "crashy," making you want to get rid of
the computer and upgrade to a new one. While the hardware
of a computer is generally expected to last at least seven
years, the lifespan of a software program is generally only
three years. Because software is constantly being updated
and improved, one way to extend the life of your computer is
to simply upgrade your software. Developing some software
troubleshooting skills or having a good repairperson avail-
able can be helpful. If you do not have the appropriate skills,
many good software optimizing utilities are available that can
clean up your computer. A comprehensive list and reviews of
several optimizing utilities are available at


Copy Any Data You Want to Retain

Be sure to copy any data you would like to retain (e.g., files,
Web URLs, email addresses) to a thumb drive or CDs.
For more information on backing up your hard drive,
visit  or 
     Pass  It  On?
Can Someone Use Your Donation?

If your computer is less than 5 years old and in working
condition, chances are someone else can use it. If, however,
it is older than 5 years, broken, or below Pentium PC (or Mac
Power) level, you should recycle it instead. Visit
 or 
fora list of recyclers.
                               www.epa.gov/plugin

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Selecting the Recipient

of Your Donation

Schools and charities generally prefer to receive computer
equipment that has been checked out by a national clearing-
house, such as National Cristina Foundation, or that has been
upgraded by a refurbisher. After repairing or upgrading the
equipment, refurbishers will then pass on ready-to-use equip-
ment to nonprofits, schools, and low-income individuals at
a low cost or for free See  for a list of refurbishers. Prior to donating, contact
your selected refurbisher to ensure your equipment meets the
organization's specifications and packaging requirements.

Clearing  Personal Data

All computers have important, non-encrypted, sensitive data
on them such as passwords, documents, credit card informa-
tion, emails, and Web site visit logs. Data on your computer
resides in several different hidden places on your hard
drive. Deleting a file doesn't really remove it. Emptying your
computer's  "recycle bin," deleting your Internet browser's
cache, deleting your emails and documents, reformatting
your hard drive, or even repartitioning your hard drive are all
inadequate to erase  the data on your computer. Furthermore,
many software licensing agreements require that particular
programs be removed from a computer before it leaves the
original purchaser's ownership. Businesses and other institu-
tions are often required by law to carry out data security
actions before computers, their hard disk drives, floppy disks,
and other forms of removable media are  sent outside of the
organization.

Clearing  Data Yourself

If you decide to clean your computer yourself, you can pur-
chase software via the following commercial sites, or obtain
them for free at shareware sites:

Commercial Windows Disk Cleaning Software

•   Blancco Data Cleaner
    www.blancco.com

•   WipeDrive
    www.accessdata.com/products/wipe

•   CyberCide Data  Destruction
    www.cyberscrub.com/products/cybercide/
    index.php
Is  Data Really Gone?

Deleting something from your computer
or e-mail is similar to removing a card
from the library's card catalog but not
removing the book from the shelf—the
information is still in the library if you
look for it. In the case of a computer hard
drive, the file's location information is
removed from the drive's index, but not
from its place on the drive, so the  file can
easily be recovered by someone using
sophisticated data recovery software.
DataEraser
www.ontrack.com/dataeraser

DiskEraser
www.comtechnologies.com

Clean Disk Security
www.diskcleaners.com/clndisk.html

DriveScrubber
www.batchconverter.com/
DriveScrubber-download-13267.shtml

East-Tec Sanitizer
www.east-tec.com/disposesecure

Stellar Disk Wipe
www.stellarinfo.com/file-eraser.htm

Paragon Disk Wiper
www.disk-wiper.net

Pinion Sanitizer
www.infraworks.com/sanitizer.php

UniShred Pro
www.lat.com/0ur Products.html

Wipedrive
www.whitecanyon.com

Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities and System Works
www.symantec.com

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Freeware Windows Disk Cleaning Software (the
following are available at www.shareware.com)

•   Active® Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser
    www.killdisk.com/eraser.htm

•   Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN)
    dban.sourceforge.net

•   BCWipe
    www.download.com/BCWipe/
    3000-2092_4-10009333.html

Macintosh Disk Cleaning Software

•   Shredlt
    www.mireth.com/pub/sxme.html

•   SuperScrubber
    www.superscrubber.com

•   Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities (using this, you can
    delete single documents and files)
    www.symantec.com


Leaving Data Cleansing

to the Pros

If you would rather leave the data cleansing to a professional,
ask your refurbisher if they have a process to cleanse data
from computers. Many of these companies use reputable
disk cleaning software following U.S. Department of Defense
guidelines. This software systematically overwrites all data
and then verifies that this was done. Make sure that you have
a good understanding of how the company will be addressing
your concerns about data security if you will not be address-
ing this issue yourself. You may even want to go so far as
to ask your refurbisher for a written statement indicating the
specific method the company will use to cleanse the data
from your computer.
Packaging Your Donation

Keep the Operating System Intact

If you are donating hardware with a pre-installed Microsoft
operating system, pass on the operating system software.
Microsoft licensing agreements require that the software
stay with the original machine in which it was installed.

Include Accessories and Original Documentation

Remember to include the keyboard, mouse, speakers, and
other ancillary equipment. If possible, also include the origi-
nal documentation that came with the equipment and proof
of license.

Follow Equipment Delivery Instructions

Follow any additional requirements specified by your refur-
bisher or charity before donation.
                                  Do  the PC Thing:
                                           Donate

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                       Additional  Resources

  For additional tips on donating your computer, visit:
  Ten Tips for Donating a Computer
     www.techsoup.org/products/recycle/articlepage.cfm7ArticlelcN524
  Computer Reuse and Recycling Frequently Asked Questions
     www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm7ArticlelcN537
  Keeping Old Computers Alive
     www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm7ArticlelcN554
  Preventing Trouble on Windows Through Regular Maintenance
     www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm7articleicN531 &topicid=1
  Automating Windows Maintenance
     www.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fdirectory%2Fworldwide%2Fen-gb%2Fmaintain.asp
     www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,107861,OO.asp

  In addition to the following resources, Internet searches on "donating computers" will also turn up nonprofit organiza-
  tions that may accept computer donations:

  Reusing and Donating Electronics
     www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/basic.htm
  Plug-In To eCycling
     www.epa.gov/plugin
  National Cristina Foundation
     www.cristina.org
  Tips for Donating a Computer
     www.goodwill.org/page/guesVabouVhowweoperate/donations/tipsfordonatingacomputer
  Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) Program
     www.techsoup.org/mar/default.aspx
  Electronic Industries Alliance
     www.eiae.org
  eBay's Rethink Initiative
     rethink.ebay.com
This fact sheet was developed jointly by Computer Recycling Center/Computers in Education, Computer Recycling For
Education, Computers for Schools, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Hargadon Computer, Intel, National Cristina
Foundation, Rethink, San Francisco Dept. of Environment, Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) Silicon Valley,
Tech Soup (Compumentor), Truecycle, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Plug-In To eCycling program.
                                                                                         EPA530-F-07-003
                                                                                              May 2007

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