How to Properly Dispose of a Portable Hard Drive

When people try to get rid of an old portable hard drive, they often think that there is only one way or specific location of proper disposal. While there are some important things to do when preparing to get rid of your hard drive, you do not necessarily have to dispose of it in a specific way. In other words, you do have options. There are few different things you can ultimately do with your small portable hard drive when you realize it no longer has any use to you. Make Sure to "Wipe Clean" Your Portable Hard Drive No matter what you decide to do with your portable hard drive, make sure you get it wiped clean. While getting any hard drive wiped clean will cost you, as you either have to take it to someone who can do it or purchase software to do the task, it is well worth the cost. Everyone has private files on their hard drives that could possibly be retrieved in the future without your knowledge. By getting it wiped, you can be sure that none of your personal information stays on the hard drive. This is especially a good decision if you are selling or giving away your hard drive, but even when throwing it away, doing so is a good call. Give it to Someone Your old compact portable hard drive is not necessarily bad weight just because you have decided to upgrade to a newer one. If you do not feel like selling it, but feel that it is too good to throw away, you can simply give it to someone. Anyone can use a portable hard drive, and giving it to a friend or family member is a very nice gesture. Sell Your Portable Hard Drive on the Internet There are people who are curious to see if they can get some money for the portable hard drive that they originally laid out cash for, and the Internet is an easy and amazing way to do so. Online auction sites give you the opportunity to open your product up to the entire web and this strategy can help you to get a decent dollar for that small portable hard drive. Another great tool is Craigslist. Since Craigslist has sections for dozens of cities across the country you are bound to find a buyer on a budget that would love to find a good deal. Throw it Away Once you have wiped it clean, you can actually simply take it and throw it away. Considering environmental concerns, this is probably not the best way to approach disposal, however. The best thing to do is contact your local city or town office and inquire about computer hardware disposal programs they can suggest. Do not forget that your first step is making sure that you get your portable hard drive wiped clean before you get rid of it. After you have made sure that all of your personal information is wiped clean, you can be sure to figure out the best way to get rid of it. Sometimes you can sell it. Other times you can give it to someone. You can even have it recycled.