What to do with an old computer before you recycle, sell or give it away

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An old computer in the closet is a small risk. An old computer handed to a stranger with your files still on it is a large one. Deleting files and emptying the recycle bin does not remove them. The data stays on the drive until something writes over it, and free recovery tools can bring it back in minutes. Here is how to do it properly.

Step 1: make sure you have everything

Check that your files are on your new computer or in a backup: documents, photos, email, browser bookmarks, and the data files of any programs you rely on. If you are not certain, copy the whole user folder to an external drive and keep it for a year. Storage is cheap, and regret is not.

Step 2: sign out and deactivate

Before wiping, sign out of the things that are tied to the computer:

• Microsoft, Apple or Google account. On a Mac, sign out of iCloud and turn off Find My, or the next owner may be unable to activate the machine.
• Licensed software that limits how many computers you may use, such as Adobe programs and some editions of Microsoft Office. Sign out or deactivate, so that the licence is free for your new machine.
• Music and video stores that count authorized devices.
• Your password manager and any authenticator app. Make sure they are working on another device first.

Step 3: wipe it

Windows 10 or 11. Open Settings and find Reset this PC. Choose Remove everything. Then open the additional settings and turn on Clean data, which may also be labelled as cleaning the drive. It takes longer, because it overwrites your files instead of simply removing the index to them. That option is the difference between a wipe and a delete.

A Mac from recent years. Open System Settings, go to General, then Transfer or Reset, and choose Erase All Content and Settings. It is quick and thorough, because the drive is encrypted and the Mac throws away the key. On an older Mac that lacks this option, start it in Recovery mode, erase the drive with Disk Utility, and reinstall macOS.

Chromebook. Use Powerwash, in the settings under Reset.

A note on the kind of drive. Modern computers with solid state drives (SSDs) and encryption turned on are wiped very effectively by the built-in reset. Older computers with spinning hard drives need the Clean data option, because without it the files remain recoverable.

Step 4: if the computer will not start

You cannot run a reset on a dead computer, but the drive inside it probably still works, and your data is on it.

• Take the drive out. On most desktops and many older laptops this takes a screwdriver and ten minutes. Once the drive is out, the rest of the machine can be recycled safely.
• Reuse it. A drive in an inexpensive USB enclosure becomes an external drive, and it also gives you a way to rescue files from a dead computer.
• Or destroy it. For a spinning hard drive, drilling several holes through the platters or a few firm blows with a hammer will do it. Wear eye protection. Many recycling events and office supply shops also offer drive shredding.

Some thin, modern laptops have storage that is soldered in place and cannot be removed. If one of those is dead and held sensitive data, ask for it to be destroyed and not refurbished when you hand it in.

Step 5: choose where it goes

Sell it or trade it in. A computer under five or six years old has resale value. Manufacturers and large retailers run trade-in programs, and they are the simplest route.

Give it away. A wiped, working computer that can still run a supported operating system is a real gift to a relative, a student or a local charity. A computer that can no longer get security updates is a less kind gift than it appears, unless the new owner understands that.

Recycle it. Electronics contain lead, mercury and lithium batteries. They do not belong in the household trash, and in many US states, New York among them, putting them there is against the law. Your options:

• Retail take-back programs at large electronics and office supply chains. Check their current limits and any fees before you make the trip.
• Your town or county's electronics recycling days, which are usually free for residents.
• The manufacturer's own mail-back recycling program.

Look for a recycler certified under the R2 or e-Stewards standards. That is your assurance that the equipment is processed properly and not simply shipped overseas.

Do not forget the other devices

Old phones, tablets, external drives, USB sticks and printers hold data too. Many office printers contain a drive that stores copies of what they have scanned. Reset everything to factory settings before it leaves your hands, and wipe or destroy external drives in the same way as the ones inside a computer.

The short version

1. Back up, and check the backup.
2. Sign out of your accounts and deactivate licences.
3. Reset with Remove everything and Clean data, or the equivalent on a Mac.
4. Computer dead? Take the drive out, then reuse it or destroy it.
5. Sell it, give it away, or use a certified recycler. Never the trash.