Best way to recycle...

[Jinglepot]

our first computer please. We now have 1 PC and a laptop, and hubby has just ordered a new PC ( cause I'm always on this one ; > ) )What is the safest way to recycle the old one so that any personal (banking etc) stuff is secure/removed when the computer is recycled. I worry about these things, especially since my out of date debit card managed to run up a couple of thousand pounds in Australia earlier this year,causing stress and lack of funds for 5 weeks until it got sorted out. Any help gratefully appreciated.

[Ethel]

You could take the hard drive out and smash it smithereens with a hammer; or take the hard drive out, put it in a caddy and use it with your new pc.

[Jinglepot]

Thank you Ethel, you're a woman after my own heart! That's exactly what I suggested, but, obviously it's not the right answer!! Well, not the one wanted!
Thank you again Ethel-- I feel better anyway!!!!!

[wildwood]

My goodness Ethel, I never realised you had such a violent streak in you! I'll have to be nicer to you in future :-)

JInglepot, the banking stuff is usually done through a secure site so there should be no personal banking info on your hard drive. Anyway, if you want to play safe you can install the old drive in the new comp providing there are compatible cable connection - IDE/sata. Installation is easy as even I can do it. You can then wipe the old drive with your disk management on the new comp and use the spare drive to backup vital info and personal piccies you never want to loose. You need to disable the spare drive when not in use and turn the modem off when in use so that you can't catch a virus on it.
It would be a lot easier to use an external HDD enclosure though, as Ethel said.
The parts of the old comp that you don't want can be taken to a recycle center, maybe one that rebuilds them for community projects.

[ChuckFickens]

Ethels suggestion is a industry recognised way of ensuring data on a hard drive can't be retrieved. I've had to do it several times, including on old drives from the inland revenue!

had to do it to a laptop one today that had died, spent a few minutes taking my anger out on it with a large hammer and a big centre punch.

[legendis.god]

semtex?

[stewey]

Send text to who?

[ACtheTROLL]

wildwood - if you think ethel's violent now
..... this is what she used to do

[ACtheTROLL]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rnyvFJqk81U

[wildwood]

Wow AC, that looks a lot more fun than recycling.

[Jinglepot]

Thanks everyone for your advice, all much appreciated. I might have to give the semtex a miss though since I live in Norn Iron and anyway it would scare the cat!!

[rojash]

In the excitement over Ethel's violent streak, you seem to have overlooked her second suggestion. Remove the old drive, put it in a caddy and use it for extra storage.