What Should You Do With Old, Broken Laptops?
Old laptops are a pain in the neck when recycling them. They’re not worth much and take up space at your home or office.
Whatever the issue with your laptop or computer, there are some ways you can dispose of it. Some popular methods are through donation or recycling, but these options will depend on how big or small the damage is. This article will show you some of the best ways to dispose of your broken laptops and computers and how to dispose of them correctly.
If The Display Works, Use Dual Monitors
One of the most common laptop issues is not hardware-related. If your laptop screen is still working, then all you need to do is connect it to an external monitor or some additional monitors. Using a projector is also an option if you don’t have one. All you need to do is connect it to whatever portable USB monitor options.
Convert A Used Hard Drive Into An External Hard Drive
Another common issue is that broken laptops may have a failed laptop drive. You should do so if you have extra cash to buy a new external drive. It may cause you some money at first, but with the promise of a space saver, you won’t have to worry about running out of storage soon.
There are plenty of options available, so pick something that suits your needs. For example, you could use a portable USB, which should offer better performance than older models. Or maybe you want something more portable, like a 2TB version.
You may also choose a cloud storage solution since many cloud storage services are available to use as a storage drives. It might not be a physical storage device, but you can bring it everywhere for future storage, and it has an excellent interface for storage drives.
Donate To The Computer Science Teacher At Your Local School
If you have a newer or older laptop with excellent battery life, consider donating it. It could be as simple as handing it down to your kid or friend. Still, local, national, and international organizations like human-I-T, the World Computer Exchange, Computers with Causes, and Digitunity supply at-risk students and families with working laptops.
Some non-profit organizations might repair broken laptops and computers before they give them away to their beneficiaries, and others might need those still working correctly. It’s best to ask the organization before you give them your used laptop so you can have it fixed.
Try Selling Parts To A Computer Repair Or Rebuilding Shop
There might be cases where only a part is missing from your laptop computers, such as a motherboard, laptop speakers, lithium-ion laptop batteries, RAM module, or some precious metals. You could try contacting a computer repair shop or rebuilding shop in this case. These shops often purchase parts from individuals who no longer need them so that you can get a good deal.
However, these shops also typically charge pretty high prices for their services, so you’d likely spend more money than you would by buying new parts. The price will always depend on the issue, battery, connection, and laptop salvage operation.
Get Paid To Sell It Online
You might not believe it, but some websites pay you to sell things. You can list items on eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and other sites and earn cash when someone buys your item.
It’s important to note that most of these sites aren’t designed for individual sellers; they’re more geared toward businesses and larger companies. But if you’re willing to do the work, you can make some extra cash.
Find A Good E-cycling Spot Near You
E-cycling shops are popping up everywhere, and many accept donations of unwanted electronic devices. You can take your old laptop, tablet, smartphone, or whatever else and drop it off at a nearby e-waste center.
The nice thing about doing this is that you’ll avoid shipping your device back home. And because these centers usually pay for shipping, you’ll save even more.
Of course, you’ll still have to clean your device first, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. Just remember to remove any sensitive data before sending it off.
What To Do With Old Working Computers And Laptops
While there are lots of ways to recycle old computers and laptops, here are some of our favorite ways to do with them:
Donate To A Friend Or Family Member Who Does Not Have Access To A Computer Or Laptop
Donating is always a great way to help out those around you. However, if you don’t know anyone who needs a computer or laptop, consider donating to a charity instead. Many organizations provide free access to technology to people who otherwise wouldn’t have it.
Donate To An After-school Program That Does Not Have A Computer Budget
Another way to donate is to give to an after-school program that doesn’t have a budget for computers. Many schools use these programs to teach students how to use computers, and they often have special needs kids who benefit significantly from using computers.
If you want to find one near you, check out the American Association For Children With Special Needs (AACSN) website. They’ve got a directory of programs throughout the country.
Make A Contribution To A National Or International Computer Distribution Charity
Computer Aid International is one such organization. They distribute donated computers and laptops to developing countries where they’re needed most.
They also partner with local charities to ensure that the computers reach the right people. So if you want to help out, consider donating them.
Things To Do Before Selling Your Laptop
Before selling your laptop, you should ensure it works properly. If not, then you might as well get rid of it.
You may need to perform simple tests to determine whether your laptop will sell. Here are some things you can follow:
Save your files
Of course, you should save anything important on your laptop before you sell it. But you should also keep any documents you plan to send in an email attachment.
This includes Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, etc. It’s best to save these files locally so that you won’t lose them when you move your hard drive to another machine.
Factory reset
You should factory reset your laptop because it can sometimes cause problems when upgrading to a new operating system. This means that you’ll have to start over again with all your settings and preferences.
However, if you’re planning to sell your laptop, you probably won’t care much about losing everything. Many buyers will appreciate the simplicity of starting fresh.
Here is how you can factory reset any Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS laptops:
Windows
1. Select Start Menu and click Windows key + X.
2. Choose Delete Personal Data.
4. A pop up will show and you need to confirm that you want to delete data on your laptop. Once done hit Finish.
5. After the data has been deleted, restart your laptop.
mac OS
1. Go to FInder and click the top left corner of your laptop screen.
2. Type the following command into the terminal window: sudo rm -rf /.
4. Click Enter.
5. Wait for a few seconds for your Mac to restart.
Chrome OS
1. Log out of your Chrome account.
2. Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
3. Hit Restart.
4. You will then see a box that will pop up. Click on Powerwash and hit Continue.
5. Follow the steps and log in on your Google Account.
6. Once you’ve reset your Chromebook, you can use it good as new.
What Should You Do With An Old Computer If It Can’t Be Donated Or Sold?
There are several options for what to do with an old computer that can’t be sold or donated.
In this case, you need to talk to a professional about regulatory standards. They will be able to give you advice on what to do next if you can’t sell or donate your old laptop or computer.
Have You Had It Reviewed Offline Or Online?
The first thing you should do after buying a used laptop is to check its condition and see what the type of issue is. You may either check it online with some tools or offline by meeting up with the seller.
Offline
You can negotiate a time and place where you can ask them to bring the used laptop to you or near your area.
Online
If the seller is not near your area, you can use online laptop checking tools such as:
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- CheckMyLaptop.com
- Crowd Repair
- iFixit
Before Tossing It In The Trash, Ask How You Can Recycle It
Old laptops and computers, despite being outdated, still contain valuable materials like copper and aluminum. These metals can be recycled and reused as raw materials to make other products.
You may not know it, but most states offer programs that collect these types of waste. Check with your local government to see if they have such a program.
