Protecting Your Personal Data on Discarded Computers

By Greg Luther, Computer Shoppe

When you have an old computer that you no longer have a use for, what is the best way to dispose of it?  Of course, that depends on your situation, and how you used your computer.  If you have not had any personal data on the computer, you can take the computer to a refuse station like the one on Combie Road in Meadow Vista where most items are accepted free of charge.  Here is the link to their site:
Http://www.recologyauburnplacer.com/universalwaste.htm.  You can also donate your computers to Goodwill in Auburn and get a receipt for a tax deduction.  But most of us have personal data on our computers, and if you dispose of or donate your computer, your personal data -- even if it has been deleted -- can still be retrieved.  So, what are your options?  One easy way to protect you personal data is to remove the hard drive before you dispose of your computer.  This is something that you can do yourself with a little research on the Internet.  Another way is to use specialized software that overwrites the hard drive multiple times which makes your personal data very difficult to retrieve.  It's the electronic way of shredding confidential documents and personal information.  Here is the link to a software program that can erase your personal data, and the best part, the software is free:  http://eraser.heidi.ie/.  So, the next time you scrap that old computer, remember to protect your personal data.