Old computers never die, they just.?

Getting rid of of old computers

[King_Fisher]

Got several old computers (who doesn't?) I would like to dispose of.
They are all in working order, or were.

I have three questions.

!. Does any chartable order take them like Good Will or Salvation
Army etc?

2. How do I make sure that all the data, files and other stuff
are off the machine?

3. In California we have laws pertaining to junking computers,
epically monitors. Does that also apply to just giving them
away?

Thanks! King Fisher

[King_Fisher]

Just thought of a better title for the last post.

" Old computers never die, they just lose their Byte "

Anybody else?

[topr8]

my old ones have gone to parents and friends and now i've run out of them they go into my mad scientist home network scheme and are used either to play with linux and test things and suchlike or for network backup/storage/fileservers.

>>>2. How do I make sure that all the data, files and other stuff
are off the machine?

depends how paranoid you are, removal of the hard disc is the only sure fire way.

[jdMorgan]

Various companies supply disk wiping programs -- some of them capable of wiping disks to DOD specifications, and some of these are even free. Do a search to find them. Wipe the disk with 7 passes of pseudo random data using one of these (might take a day or more), and it'd be pretty difficult to get anything useful off of it.

Jim

[Lilliabeth]

The local vocational-technical school takes ours.

[Essex_boy]

I was going to suggest that too my local 6th form college loves to receive these and I understand that they give them out to IT students without a PC at home.