California, (January, 2012) – If you were fortunate enough to receive a new tech gadget this holiday season, it can be a great opportunity to donate or sell an older device that you no longer need. Before you send it off with a fond farewell, however, keep in mind that most electronic items contain a wealth of personal information that you want to ensure doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Whether you’re handing down your laptop to your teenager, giving your old phone to Uncle Fred, or donating your gadget to Goodwill, make sure that you take a few steps to wipe your data off the device before you re-gift it to gain a few more years of use.
#1 Computers and Laptops:
If you’re passing along a hand-me-down computer or laptop to a trusted family member, performing a backup (to transfer your data to the new system), formatting the hard drive, and reinstalling windows is the easiest way to return the system to factory-like condition. Many people think that this is sufficient to wipe your data from the drive, but information is still retrievable using a data recovery software program. What if your nephew decides to sell your old computer on EBay to fund his new iPad? It’s important that you completely erase your data off a hard drive before you send it to a new home, or into the unknown. Instead of just deleting data, you’ll want to use a program like DBAN (www.dban.org, free) to overwrite all of the partitions on your hard drive, which makes the information impossible to recreate. If you’re donating a computer or laptop, I’d recommend that you simply pull out and destroy the old hard drive so that there’s no risk of anyone gaining access to your personal information. Don some safety glasses, grab a hammer, and get some revenge on the system that failed you.
#2 Cell phones and Smartphones:
Before handing off an old cell phone, pull the SIM card (if possible – Verizon doesn’t utilize removable SIM cards) to disable the phone’s ability to connect to a cell provider network and remove some personal information. Also make sure to remove any expansion memory cards, which many Smartphones have. Your next stop should be ReCellular. Enter the make and model type of your phone, register, and they’ll email you detailed instructions to wipe the data off your device. If that doesn’t work, check your phone’s manual, or the manufacturer’s website for instructions to wipe the phone’s drive. Dropping it off with your carrier will not ensure that your personal data is removed before your device ends up re-sold or donated, so make sure you take the necessary precautions before you hand off your old phone.
#3 Music and entertainment devices:
The good news about MP3 players and tablets is that they typically utilize flash memory and store data in cloud applications or synched with your main computer instead of writing your data to a hard disk, so it’s easier to wipe a device and return it to factory default settings. Most have an option through their general settings menu to reset all content and settings to its original state, wiping your files in the process. For a detailed walkthrough, check eHow (www.ehow.com) for a video tutorial specific to your gadget.
#4 Still has some life? Selling it:
Selling an electronic item that you no longer need can be a great way to earn a few bucks. Once you’re confident that all trace of your personal data has been purged, make sure that you clean and refurbish the device so you can get top dollar. Gazelle (www.gazelle.com) is a gadget-specific resource to sell or recycle your old toys. Because there’s a third party that inspects and confirms it’s condition before sending money on to the seller, buyers are often willing to pay a higher price than through the more unknown, buyer-beware experience of Craigslist or EBay.
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
About Nerds On Call: Established in a spare room in Redding, Calif., in March 2004, Nerds On Call offers on-site computer and laptop repair services to consumers and businesses. Nerds On Call provides trouble-shooting for PCs and Macs, home and office networks, printers, iPods® and MP3 players, handheld devices and cell phones, home theaters and game systems, and virtually every other form of digital entertainment. In 2009, 2010, & 2011 the company was named to Inc. magazine’s list of 5000 fastest growing private companies. With 7 locations across California and Oregon, Nerds On Call serves more than 40,000 satisfied customers per year. For more information, visit callnerds.com or call 1-800-919-NERD.
