How to Safely Recycle or Sell Your Old Computer

Punching a few holes in it with a power drill usually does the trick. Finally, click Restart in the pop-up to confirm that you want to reset the Chromebook back to factory settings. Click the tray – the section with the Wi-Fi icon, battery icon, and time on the Shelf – in the bottom left corner of your screen. Release the power button when the text below the Apple logo says “Loading startup options.” If Device Encryption isn’t an option for your PC, you might be able to turn on BitLocker, depending on which version of Windows 10 you have, or if you’re using Windows 11.

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Double-check any important files or settings are backed up to another device. In the specs of each laptop, they’ll market the company’s idea of the product’s battery life, and your mileage may vary. According to Microsoft, this process deletes all your files and settings. However, if you want to wipe your hard drive data to government standards, you might want to tryActive KillDisk, and Softpedia DP Wipe. For the Mac, Paragon’s Disk Wiper is free, and also in compliance with government erasure standards. Another good budget gaming laptop choice is the HP Victus 16z, which comes with an RTX 4050 and a larger screen than the Victus 15 variant.

So what you’re paying $200 extra for is the better processor and GPU. If you’re looking for a super portable, 2-in-1 device that runs Windows 11, check out this configuration of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 that’s on sale for just $1,299. This is the 2022 version that offers a 13-inch touchscreen. Read more about Cash for sell laptop near me here. You can do that using the Device Manager — to get started, open the Device Manager from the Start button and then find the device that needs updating in the list of devices. See our guide on how to update or reinstall drivers in Windows 10 for detailed instructions and further information.

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Besides, you can calculate an instant and upfront offer before you decide to send your gaming laptop in. An external hard drive.This old-school method arguably is the most reliable. It is also the best way to transfer large files. If you haven’t done so already, start with backing up your old files and programs. Save everything you might need down the line when you are ready to transfer your files to a new computer.

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If you choose to sell your old computer with the hard drive still in it, make sure you use a military-grade disk wipe utility on it first. Some people buy old computers strictly to extract personal information from the previous owner. Old hard drives are a treasure trove of information for would-be criminals, according to a 2007 study. Follow the instructions to complete the process, and Windows will reset the computer back to its factory default settings.