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and (s)he/he copies all the relevant stuff from the existing PC, gets you all set up .... do you have the installer dispose of your old PC, or do it yourself?
Like so many other questions, the answer is: "It Depends".
Ask your installer for advise about:
* Transplant Parts to the new system, or
* Reuse of the entire system, or
* Donation, or
* Recycling.
In detail: Transplant Parts: Most of my upgrades involve getting current parts, but I also transplant some of the older parts as they can still be used. IE: CD/DVD/Bluray players and burners, hard drives that are large enough to be worth the effort to reuse, Older but still capable graphic cards so that I can use as a 2nd video source and use it to connect my PC to a TV. This could save you money with your new system if your tech guy could swap over the old Bluray burner to the new system. It's very easy to do, IF the old part still works.
Reuse: Is the older PC realistically usable by someone else? By reusable, I mean does it have a hard drive that still works, and isn't so small it's not worth reusing. If your old system had Windows installed, then most versions had a license that forbid you from using that license on an different system. So the old PC will still have value, (if it still works, just slowly), because of that license.
I've had a few systems where all the bits inside were too old or slow to transplant into the new system, so the old system was still working, just 'old' and slow. For this case, I made sure I cleaned out all my own information (have the tech guy do it, just deleting it yourself is NOT fully safe). And then I gave it to a girl friends kid as their first PC.
Donation: If the above Reuse applies, but you don't know anyone who needs or wants an old PC, then help out others by donating it to charity, (Habitat for Humanities, training centers for homeless shelters, etc).
Recycling: If the above Reuse does NOT apply, IE your old system doesn't work, or nobody wants it, then make sure it gets recycled properly. The computer boards inside will have silver and even gold in them. Tiny amounts that you can't get, but recycling plants can, and it's stuff you want to not get into landfills. Most county recycling centers have special bins for electronic stuff.
Like so many other questions, the answer is: "It Depends".
Ask your installer for advise about:
* Transplant Parts to the new system, or
* Reuse of the entire system, or
* Donation, or
* Recycling.
In detail: Transplant Parts: Most of my upgrades involve getting current parts, but I also transplant some of the older parts as they can still be used. IE: CD/DVD/Bluray players and burners, hard drives that are large enough to be worth the effort to reuse, Older but still capable graphic cards so that I can use as a 2nd video source and use it to connect my PC to a TV. This could save you money with your new system if your tech guy could swap over the old Bluray burner to the new system. It's very easy to do, IF the old part still works.
Reuse: Is the older PC realistically usable by someone else? By reusable, I mean does it have a hard drive that still works, and isn't so small it's not worth reusing. If your old system had Windows installed, then most versions had a license that forbid you from using that license on an different system. So the old PC will still have value, (if it still works, just slowly), because of that license.
I've had a few systems where all the bits inside were too old or slow to transplant into the new system, so the old system was still working, just 'old' and slow. For this case, I made sure I cleaned out all my own information (have the tech guy do it, just deleting it yourself is NOT fully safe). And then I gave it to a girl friends kid as their first PC.
Donation: If the above Reuse applies, but you don't know anyone who needs or wants an old PC, then help out others by donating it to charity, (Habitat for Humanities, training centers for homeless shelters, etc).
Recycling: If the above Reuse does NOT apply, IE your old system doesn't work, or nobody wants it, then make sure it gets recycled properly. The computer boards inside will have silver and even gold in them. Tiny amounts that you can't get, but recycling plants can, and it's stuff you want to not get into landfills. Most county recycling centers have special bins for electronic stuff.
Thanks for the detailed response which is a keeper.
I should've provided more detail though. The current PC, which is PC#3 for me, contains documents with sensitive information. After the tech copies all the relevant folders, files, and documents onto the new PC, and takes possession of the discarded one, I'm concerned with the privacy aspect.
In the past, this wasn't a concern because the two previous PCs contained no privacy issues on their hard drives.
Thanks for the detailed response which is a keeper.
I should've provided more detail though. The current PC, which is PC#3 for me, contains documents with sensitive information. After the tech copies all the relevant folders, files, and documents onto the new PC, and takes possession of the discarded one, I'm concerned with the privacy aspect.
In the past, this wasn't a concern because the two previous PCs contained no privacy issues on their hard drives.
Have them remove the hard drives and give them to you. Just hold on to them or have bring them to a destruction service.
Since you say that the tech is going to keep the PC, and I presume not use it but rather just recycle it, then as Jayrandom said, have the tech hand you the old drive.
There are many ways to electronically wipe the data so it's safe, but I go Old-School: I take it out to my driveway, and drill two or three holes all the way through the actual data platter disks.
Even the NSA couldn't recover that kind of treatment.
One side is a steel cover, don't bother drilling that. Turn the drive over and so you only have to go through the aluminum case and into/through the several disks inside. Since they are thin, you don't need a special drill. I use an 1/8 bit.
Look at the case and you'll see a round shape that is almost exactly the same size as a DVD. that's the housing for the disks inside. You want to drill about half way out to the edge. Don't forget to clean up the metal shavings afterwards as they are sharp.
If you want, find and remove any and all screws and open it up. There are two magnets inside that are rare-earth type and super-super strong, and fun to play with.
If you wish to safely donate it intact first make sure you have a process to reinstall Windows, there is usually a recovery partition that will restore the PC exactly to how you received it and can be copied to disc.
For regular HDD Download DBAN and run it. This will wipe all the data on the disk by writing dummy data to it, this process will take hours. If you have a SSD you can skip DBAN and look up how to use the secure wipe command on your particular drive, this takes seconds.
Reinstall Windows.... If you still want to dispose of the drive remove it from the case and place it in a paper chip bag or something else you can't see into and throw into the garbage. If you want to be over the top cautious take the platter out, they will be the shiny disks inside once you remove the cover. Take some fine grit sand paper to the surface.
If you want to reuse it install it in the new computer, I'd be careful about what data you store on it though since it's older.
If you want, find and remove any and all screws and open it up. There are two magnets inside that are rare-earth type and super-super strong, and fun to play with.
Those are good for finding nails/screws in wall to tell you where the studs are.
I guess I should retain the backup "hardware" device too.
Which is what?!?
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