How to Sell or Donate a Computer

We've all been there. The computer you spent thousands on a year or two ago is now a dinosaur worth pennies on the dollar. Don't toss it in the trash--it contains toxic materials that shouldn't go in landfills. Here's how to recycle, donate or sell it to recoup some of your cash.

Instructions

1. Uninstall any applications you plan to use on your next computer. (Make sure you have the installation disks and serial numbers.)

2. Purge the computer of all personal information. It's not enough to drag documents to the Trash. Use a utility program to permanently delete or overwrite sensitive documents, then reformat the hard drive and reinstall the operating system. Professional data-recovery firms can also do this.

3. Collect the original software disks and manuals for the operating system that came with the computer.

4. Find out what your computer is worth by following online auctions, then put it up for auction too, or go through the classifieds. Don't expect to rake it in; old computers aren't worth much.

5. Donate the computer to a school, charity or recycling center. Recyclers may charge a fee. Get a receipt for tax purposes.

Tips & Warnings

• Experts recently found credit card numbers, medical records, and financial data on random hard drives bought at online auctions. To truly purge your hard drive of sensitive information, destroy it with a hammer. This will decrease your computer's resale value, but increase your peace of mind.