I've been transferring files and programs from the expiring Windows XP machine to the new Windows Vista machine. There are some quirks I've noticed in iTunes, Firefox, and Corel Office Suite that are puzzling and a bit inconvenient but nothing major. I'm very pleased with the pace of the transition and I should be able to get the XP machine off my desktop this weekend. I had almost forgotten how much I liked having a computer that responds to me. I had kinda gotten used to computers that take forever to load anything. When I got the expiring XP machine, I transferred files and programs from the Windows 2000 machine with a similar amount of effort. The problem? What to do with the old computer.
When I used Norton Speedisk back in the day, one of the available options, when defragging, was to write zeroes over the free space. Deleting files doesn't delete information. It just makes that space available for other files. The info is still there. Writing zeroes over it was not a bad idea if you're privacy/security-minded. On the Windows 2000 machine, I found a utility somewhere that was supposed to do something similar. It didn't work. I ended up removing the hard drives and throwing the rest away. I am facing the same dilemma this weekend and I think the same solution is the only way for me to go. Not only do I not trust software to do this, I don't trust the expiring XP machine to complete any task that takes time.
Just for curiosity, though, what do you do with your old computer once you have a new one?
Quote of the Day
When FEMA fails, everybody loses. The whole country loses.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The Embarrassment Level: I don't think a Scott Caan crush is anything to be embarrassed about, but it does make me feel creepy to say that I watched Ready to Rumble and Boiler Room almost exclusively because he shows his ass (you have to go to the deleted scenes on the Boiler Room DVD to see it, but it's there). Mitigating factor: it is one hell of an ass. Give this a 4 out of 10."
"Just for curiosity, though, what do you do with your old computer once you have a new one?"
I've still got my very first PC, a 166MHz Dell. When I got my second I loaded SCO Open Server on the first and used it to teach myself UNIX, at least enough to be dangerous. I haven't fired it up in years, but it would probably work. The second is sitting right next to it in the basement, also unused. Someday I'm going to...oh, heck. Whoever cleans out my house after I croak will get rid of them I'm sure.
We've been through a 286 (Was working when we gave it away), a 486 (Also working when given away), a Pentium 266 (Fastest machine on the market when we got it) also working when given away, a Pentium 233 (Aforementioned Windows 2000 machine) thrown away after removing the hard drives, a Gateway XP machine that still works but was also struck by lightning and will be tossed eventually, the expiring XP machine I'm upgrading now, Patsy's current laptop, and my new Vista. The earlier machines had no sensitive personal data on them but we're very concerned about that for the current machines, particularly mine because Quicken is located on it.
The last machine I had is sitting in a closet. The one before that, I took out the hard drives and put them up on a shelf in the closet and recycled the rest. I still have my first laptop which I take out sometimes as a novelty because it runs Windows 3.1.
I haven't figured out what to do with the hard drives.
I got a new computer at work recently, and I'm enjoying how quickly it responds to my wishes.
For the non-hard drive parts - most of the parts of a computer are recyclable. If you care, you could probably contact a local computer store and find out if there's a recycling program they participate in or know of.
For the hard drives, if it/they're large enough, I would slave them off your new hard drive and use the extra storage space. If it/they are not large enough to bother, there are two good ways to ensure destruction. 1. Radio Shack and other electronic stores sell specialty magnets for use by broadcasters. Broadcasters used to use them to wipe tape quickly instead of writing over something and potentially leaving bad audio on a tape. The magnet would wipe the hard drive too. 2. If you have an old microwave, a minute or two in there will kill a hard drive. Then you could just throw 'em out.
Thanks, Kim and Cullen,
There won't be much to recycle here. I'll keep the speakers, monitor, mouse, and keyboard but the motherboard has spots on it from the lightning and is starting to fail, the power supply (Never did like how noisy it is) is questionable now, and adding an 8gb hard drive to a 500gb hard drive hardly seems worth the effort. You can get an 8gb jump drive for $15 these days. I think I'll go the heat route on the hard drive (I have a plumber's torch) and just toss it.
Our local area council have electronic recycling days a couple of times a year so we wait till then to dispose of any unwanted PC bits.
When we upgrade our daughter gets the second hand PC - she's currently abandoned our first ever purchase (bought circa 1997) as it's slow as a wet week and can't cope with the CD Rom games she loves to play. I hope to pass my six year old PC with XP on it over to her very soon!
You are the third person to mention recycling here, Fi. I had never heard of doing that. Maybe next time.
I used to keep old computers in my garage as I *just knew* I'd need them some day soon. That day never came and I eventually hauled five PCs to the recycler.
(Now, I sometimes install Linux on them and play around a bit.)
I currently have 10 computers in my office. I'll probably give five away to coworkers and redeploy five here.
I am trying to resist the urge to packrat, Delmer. It is an uphill battle at CrabAppleLane. I'm married to someone who can't bear the thought of throwing something away. Someone somewhere may need it, I'm told. I'm also a bit lazy about that sort of thing. The computer that I thought I'd have off of my desktop this past weekend ... isn't.