When you bring us a computer or device to recycle, we destroy all of your data for you. Every bit of it. Files, passwords, silly 90’s screen names. It’s all gone. And we don’t even need to turn on your device to do this.
But we know some of you will still want to have a hand in deleting personal info because it makes you feel a little more confident that it’s all gone, and we’re okay with that—so here’s how:
Just thought we’d reiterate: WE DESTROY ALL DATA FOR YOU. Okay, moving on.
Before you bring in a laptop, cellphone or tablet, save any important files to a cloud account or external hard drive. Then when you buy a new device, you can easily transfer those files over.
You can also move files directly to the new device or save temporarily save them in an email account until you need them.
You can go through and “delete” all of your files by sending them to the little trashcan in the corner of your screen, but that doesn’t really “delete” every file. Crooks and thieves in ski masks can find these old files and bring them back to life.
Lucky for you, there are programs you can download that help wipe out your personal files, like File Shredder (which is completely free *fist pump*).
For computers, you can do a factory reset on both Macs and Windows. This wipes your computer again so your files are basically double-deleted.
Magnets are magical, aren’t they? Flotation, repulsion—like something straight from Hogwarts. Magnets can also wreck your files.
Take a really strong magnet (sorry, fridge decor won’t do here) and rub it directly against your hard drive or device. Leave it there overnight if you really want to bust some bytes. Then poof—like magic—the data is scrambled like Voldemort’s ethics.
If nothing else, grab a hammer or even a large rock and go to town. Smash it like it’s hot, go full Office Space, take out some frustration—it’s almost fun.
We hate to be a broken record, but if you bring in your electronics to us, we’ll clear all of your data. It’s just one more way we make recycling easier for you.
We really dig recycling. We like it so much, in fact, that if you don’t have time to drop off at our warehouse in Burnsville, we’ll gladly come to you. Our fleet of trucks run routes across the Twin Cities every week, making both in-home and curbside pickups.
To request more info, fill out the form below or call us directly at 952-894-1448.
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