TIMES RECORD • May 25, 2021
It turns out that many people keep old computers for much too long. Privacy and data theft are the most cited reasons for this phenomenon. In most cases, simply erasing the hard disk with a reformatting utility is enough. For more sensitive data, the U.S. Dept. of Energy recommends a three-pass erasure, and the Department of Defense recommends seven passes. If all else fails, remove the drive from the computer, remove the back plate, then hit the shiny disks inside with a hammer until they break into small pieces. Or drill a hole through the entire hard disk unit and mount a clock mechanism through the hole. Then sell it for $40 at a yard sale. You can sell pretty much anything at a yard sale with a clock in it! ~ Harry Hopcroft