Do You Have an Old PC? Here’s What You Could Do With It

Published on: 04 April 2022 Last Updated on: 17 February 2025

Do you have an old PC that you replaced with a newer model? Whether you’re an individual or a business or an organization, what you do with that old PC is a question that is worth thinking about.

Many people simply decide to throw their old hardware in the trash – but not only is this highly wasteful, but it could also be a wasted opportunity or even a potential security breach. Any IT support professional will tell you how easy it is to retrieve data from an old PC – even a 20-year-old PC found in a landfill would have data on it that you could recover and read.

For more info on what to do with an old PC, whether as an individual or as a business, we spoke to TechQuarters, an IT support provider that operates in North London.

As they have been providing IT Support North London businesses have been relying on for years, they have a lot of experience managing their customer’s PC and hardware. From that experience, they have suggested a number of different things you can do with an old computer, the least of which is to throw it out.

Cleansing an Old PC

No matter what you decide to do with a disused PC, the first step should always be to cleanse it of your data. As we mentioned earlier, anyone can restore the data on a hard drive just by using commercial software known as Data.

Forensics software – so if you have anything on your hard drive you wouldn’t want other people to be able to access, such as bank details, passport info, etc. then you should make the effort to wipe the device.

Before you start, you should backup your personal data, by copying it to another storage device – this might be your new computer, or it could be an external hard drive.

Additionally, you should also locate any registration keys and serial numbers for software you have purchased, so that you can transfer it over to your new device – if you don’t do this, you might lose access to the software you have paid money for.

Once you have backed up everything you want to keep, you should wipe the hard drive of your old PC. To begin with, restore the PC to its factory settings.

This will superficially hide your data on the PC’s hard drive, but will not remove it – to do this, you will need to use a Disk-Wiping tool; this software will permanently overwrite your data with random information so that even if someone used Data Forensics, they would only find random data.

What to do with an Old PC?

So, once you have backed up all of your data and cleansed the old device of any personal data, what should you do with it? If your first instinct is to throw it away, think again. There are a number of things you can do to get a final return on your investment.

1. Sell for parts –

depending on the condition of the PC, you can sell it for the hardware components. This is one way to get some money back from a PC that is too old for anyone to want to use it. The hard drive, CPU, RAM, Graphics Card, and even the Power Supply Unit is potentially valuable parts that others might find useful.

2. Sell as is –

If your PC isn’t so old that nobody would want to use it, you could definitely sell it as a second-hand device. Just be sure to wipe your data completely, as someone else will be using it after you.

3. Recycle –

If you’re not bothered about making any money back from your old device, and just want to be rid of it, feel free to dispose of it – but try and avoid letting it end up in a landfill. Instead, look for a service that can take the PC from you and recycle the materials correctly. Some computer hardware chains can do this for you.

4. Donate –

Perhaps your PC is not that old, and you simply replaced it with a more powerful model. This means your old PC is still completely usable; in which case, you could donate it to an organization. For instance, schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations will all be likely to accept a second-hand PC as a donation.

5. Convert to a Server –

Seeing as servers are essentially just PCs that have been optimized for a specific purpose, you could certainly consider turning your old PC into a server. Of course, this won’t be the easiest process in the world but is doable with the right guidance (which you can find online). To start with, a server needs to be running 24/7, so you will need to configure the device to run in a low-power state, make sure it doesn’t shut down at any inconvenient moments, and that it will run properly without any input – because you likely won’t want to have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse connected to it at all times.

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Does Vinegar Harm Gun Bluing?

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Know Different Types of Chainsaw to Pick a Right One for Your Job

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The bar size and engine capacity can vary and so the performance of the chainsaw. As a wise buyer, you should first consider the engine capacity, bar size, safety features, and then select a gas powered chainsaw for your DIY or professional jobs. Though all types of chainsaws are equipped with some sort of engine for operation, the gas-powered chainsaws make revving and idling noises. Therefore, these are easy to recognize. Battery powered chainsaws: Many people are not comfortable with using gas-powered chainsaws because of the pollution it causes. Using a manually powered chainsaw is also not a great choice. It would require a lot of physical power and cutting a normal long would become a daunting task. Therefore, power tools manufacturing brands are now offering battery-powered chainsaws. This type of chainsaws completely eliminate the chances of producing smoke and the struggle people do with oil and gas mixture while using a gas powered chainsaw. 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It is not a popular choice among homeowners and professionals because nobody gets that much free time to cut or trim a log. In facts, you cannot rely on manually powered chainsaws when it comes to cutting large and wide tree logs. That’s why this type of chainsaws is not widely used. People prefer to use blades and normal saws instead of using this tool. Which type of chainsaw is the best for your job? You may forget all the other factors, but do not forget to assess these three factors while buying a chainsaw. Power: The gas-powered chainsaws come with the greater power-to-weight ratio. Therefore, the gas-powered chainsaws are the most reliable, powerful, and effective for cutting woods. You can finish your job faster while using this power tool. A corded electric powered chainsaw can also offer a decent amount of power but not as good as gas powered chainsaws. It can be useful only when you want power without pollution. When it comes to battery and manually powered chainsaws, both are suitable for DIY jobs and small jobs in the carpentry shops. Quality and reliability: Many brands produce power tools and sell them in different countries. Not all of them are reliable and some chainsaw models are pretty poor in terms of performance, quality, and reliability. It would be great if you check the best chainsaw reviews before you buy one. Thus, you can easily avoid buying a chainsaw that is infamous for poor performance and other issues. Price: Different brands sell their power tools at different costs because of the features, quality, performance, and popularity of their tools in the market. You should set a budget in which you want to buy this thing with the necessary attachments. Try to pick the best model under your budget. Thus, you will get the best power tool without crossing your budget limit. Verellenhc has featured detailed reviews of the best chainsaws. 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How To Troubleshoot The Alexa Not Responding Issue? [Fixed]

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Disable And Enable Alexa Privacy If Alexa not responding after all the above-mentioned troubleshooting steps, now is the time to enable Alexa privacy and in order to do so, follow the below steps. You will find a button at the end of Alexa’s nucleus screen. You need to press the button. This button is to enable the privacy of Alexa. If you press the button again, the device will hear you again. Give a command to Alexa in order to check whether the issue is resolved or not. 5. Check Your WiFi Connection Behind the “Alexa not responding” issue, there is a huge chance that maybe your wifi connection is not working properly. That is why Alexa is finding it difficult to respond to your commands. Well, let me tell you that if you do not have a proper internet connection, there will be no use for this Alexa device. So, check the router now. In case you find anything wrong, contact your network service provider. 6. Try Changing The Position In case you have placed your echo dot device far from your router or in someplace where it is having issues connecting with the router. This can be the main reason why you are experiencing “Alexa not responding.” Make sure that you are placing Alexa within the wifi range. The place should be accessible to yours as well so that your echo dot device can connect with the network properly and also can hear you clearly. 7. Set Echo And Smartphone On The Same Network Always keep in mind that the smartphone that you are using and Alexa have to be connected within the same network. In case they are connected with different routers or your phone is not connected with the router’s network, you will face the “Alexa not responding issues.” Connect both of them on the same router’s network in order to resolve the issue. 8. WiFi Congestions If you have connected a lot of devices within the same router’s network, it may create the “Alexa not responding” issue. Due to excessive wifi congestions, your echo dot is not able to respond to your given commands. Remove or disconnect some other devices, and then try to give your device command and check if the issue is resolved. Still Alexa Not Responding? All the steps that I have told you in this troubleshooting guide are enough for resolving Alexa not responding to voice issue. But if you face the same problem after performing all the troubleshooting steps. You should contact Alexa customer care. Call on the Alexa helpline number and ask for help. More Resources: Benefits Of Having A Cordless Vacuum Cleaner At Home What is type c cable, and is it worth buying

Do You Have an Old PC? Here’s What You Could Do With It

Cleansing an Old PC