How Can I Clean My Computer Before Giving it Away?
Donating an old computer is a great way to help out those in need, and in some cases can be a valuable tax deduction for you. Cleaning your computer of grease and grime will make your donated system more attractive to a potential user. More importantly, cleaning your computer of any personal data will protect your privacy and help you sleep easier at night.
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Things You'll Need
- Compressed air or an air compressor
- Screwdriver
- Damp cloth
- Cotton swab
- Rubbing alcohol
- Hard disk erasing program
Instructions
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Physical Cleanup
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1
Power down and unplug your computer from its power source. Unplug any other cables and cords. Place your computer on a surface you can easily reach, such as a kitchen table or workbench.
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2
Unscrew the case screws from the rear of the case and slide the side panel from the computer. If your case doesn't use the standard side-panel design, consult your owners manual for instructions on how to remove the case paneling.
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3
Use canned compressed air or an air compressor to blow all of the dust from the inside of the case. Be sure to blow out all of the fans, including the CPU fan and GPU fan (if present). Hold the nozzle at a 45 degree angle to the fan to spin the fan and clean out each blade.
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4
Use a small, battery powered vacuum cleaner to carefully remove the buildup of any dust in the bottom of the case that the compressed air may have missed.
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5
Replace the side panel and lightly tighten the screws, holding it in place.
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6
Wipe the exterior of the computer down with a damp cloth, taking care not to drip any water on the internals of the machine. If there is grime in a hard to reach place, use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean it.
Software Cleanup
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7
Insert your Windows installation disk into your optical drive and reboot your computer. When prompted, strike a key to boot from the CD.
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8
Follow the prompts until you're given an option to launch the "recovery console" or "command line."
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9
Start an unconditional format at the command. Type in "format /u" (without quotes) and press "Enter." Press "Y" when asked if you'd like to continue. The formatting process may take several minutes, depending on the size of your hard disk.
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10
Reboot your PC and remove the disk from the optical drive.
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Tips & Warnings
No format is completely secure. Although the chances are slim and the tools required specialized and expensive, it is possible to recover data from a formatted hard drive. Should you have extremely sensitive personal data, you should remove your hard disk from your computer before donating.
References
- Photo Credit computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com
