OT: Old Computer Parts

[Atrocities]

Hey Guys, what do you do with old PC parts?

I have two old desk tops, one is a 486 parts machine, which I have already taken apart. The other still works, but I am not sure if it is a 486 or later as it has win 95 installed.

I have the HD, Memory, CD, Floopy, MB, Sound Card, and modem from the 486. I think I will keep the chip as a artifact.

Oh ya, I also have the Pacard Bell desk top case with all the parts - minus the ones listed O/C.

I am looking to get rid of this crap, either donate it, or trash it. So if any one is interested in these old PC's and parts, let me know.

[Glyn]

Old electronic equipment is a problem. Some office supply stores and computer stores will dispose of the equipment for a fee.

If at all possible you should wipe the hard drive clean (format with overwrite).

[El_Phil]

If its something you'd be really really bothered about someone else seeing then smash the hard drive. 'tis the only way to be sure.

The rest of the stuff would only be good together as a working system. Even then only for a really low end use. I do remember hearing about a charity collecting old PCs 'for Africa' quiet what they were doing with them I've no idea.

I mean if your an Ethiopian who refuses to move to an area that actually has rainfall it ain't going to do you much good to have an old 486. Your still going to starve unless someone gives you some food or you head to the south of the country. Where the are rain forests. Or is that heresy?

Blimey wandered of topic there.

[Renegade 13]

Wouldn't a magnetic wiping erase everything off the HD without fear of having it recovered by someone with way too much time on their hands? I've always been under the impression that, used correctly, magnets will totally wipe your HD.

Little off topic, sorry.

[Slick]

Yes. Ensure you wipe the harddrive. There are several decent ones available for free.

I usually donate my old computers. I get more of a tax write-off than if I sold them and they go to worthy causes. Most places that accept computer donations don't care if they are in working condition or not. They use them for parts most of the time. There are probably some schools that would still want an older machine.

[El_Phil]

If you do have way too much time on your hands then you can get anything of almost any HD. I remember the story of the data recovery firm that specialised in recovering vital data from utterly wrecked drives. Everything from torched drives to magnetically wiped ones.

The details are hazy but I do the guy saying there was no drive he couldn't recover data from given time and, of course, money.

Having said that a decent format and a re-writing over the entire disk should do it unless you're really paranoid or have the bad luck to sell it to someone with too much time on their hands who is out to get you.

[Slick]

Do not attempt to format/rewrite by yourself to clear a harddrive. Use the software. The software completely writes 0's , 1's, random, etc over the entire harddrive in several passes. Don't be surprised if it takes several hours to complete the wiping. Most software allows you to set the number of passes. There are those who say that they can recover data from such wiped harddrives, but without getting specific here, I can say that this method is used by many "companies" in the world to destroy sensitive data - and it is a very secure method.

[El_Phil]

Oh yeah of course you should get software to do it. Should have made that clear. Would these be the same "companies" that leave laptops full of sensitive stuff on trains, throw out whole computers and sell unformated hard drives on EBay?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Use them to play old games?

[boran_blok]

us it as a small family webserver (if your ISP allows this) if you're a software developer even nicer things could be done with it (CVS repository, etc)