Title: How to dispose of a laptop or computer the eco-friendly way
Headings: How to dispose of a laptop or computer the eco-friendly way
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How to dispose of a laptop or computer the eco-friendly way
Thinking of throwing away your old laptop? Stop right there! We’ve got some greener ideas.
Step 1: Ask yourself, do you really need to dispose of the laptop?
How concerned are you about disinfecting while cleaning?
Step 2: Wipe your personal data (before you reuse or recycle your laptop)
Back up your files
Do a factory reset
Use data-shredding software
Remove the hard drive
Step 3: Find a way for your laptop to be reused
Hand it over to the kids
Pass it on to friends or family
Sell it or give it away online
Donate it to charity
Step 4: Laptop and computer recycling (for when all else fails)
Where can you recycle your laptop?
Want to know more about what you can recycle?

Content: You can do this in a couple of different ways: Use online cloud storage, like Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud
Use an external hard drive – something you can easily pick up at any electrical retailer. Do a factory reset
Resetting your laptop or computer to its ‘factory settings’ should leave only the bare operating system and pre-installed programs on the device – removing access to your files and any programs you’ve added. Check the manufacturer’s website or your laptop’s manual for advice on how to do this. Use data-shredding software
To be absolutely certain your data is gone, you can use data-shredding software. Windows 10 lets you shred data from within its factory reset options. But if you're using a different operating system, it's a good idea to run additional software. This Lifewire guide has some helpful suggestions. Remove the hard drive
If you don’t want to try data-shredding software, the safest way to make sure your data isn’t accessed is to physically remove the hard drive from your laptop or computer before disposing of it. Just bear in mind that if you want the device to be reused, then you’ll need to replace the hard drive with a new one (although this is relatively inexpensive to do).