What to Do Before Selling Old Computer? [Detailed Guide]
Many times, people wish to sell their current computer to make way for a new one or switch to laptops. In that case, it becomes essential to prepare it correctly before the eventual sale. If you don’t know what to do before selling old computer, worry not! We will mention the best solutions to implement before sending it to a new place.
Why People Want to Sell Out Old Computers?
There are many reasons for people looking to part with their older PCs (personal computers), and we will mention some of them here:
- Newer Model Upgrade: New computers come every month with new features – swift processors, additional data storage, and additional benefits. Moreover, they tend to be lightweight and more secure than the older models. Hence, it becomes essential to sell the older model you possess to upgrade to the newer one.
- Space Decluttering: Another reason to sell old computer is to free up physical space in your home or office. Old computers occupy a lot of space, more so when you don’t use them currently. Therefore, selling them helps you tidy up the busy space and make some additional area for a new computer or a laptop.
- Monetary Profit: Although your old computer isn’t comparable with the new models, it can still earn some money and find a new home. You can sell it for a decent amount, rest depends on the condition and its technical specifications. This way, you can generate the money for the new PC.
- Environment Conservation: Reselling or even recycling your old computer helps protect the environment by rejuvenating it for another life cycle. This way, you prevent electric pollution, conserve resources, and keep your computer away from landfills or dumping sites.
These reasons compel people to sell their old computers, and the following section explores the solutions to implement before trading their PCs.
Read More: How to Make Hard Disk Data Unrecoverable? – Answered Here!
What to Do Before Selling Old Computer? – Perfect Methods
Now that we have read the reasons behind trading old computers, this section mentions the steps to follow before selling your computer.
Data Backup
The first step before trading in your PC is backing up the outgoing computer. You can backup in external hard drives or cloud storage sites like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. One thing to remember here is that these services offer limited storage capacity for free account users, so you can upgrade to a paid plan depending on the storage you require for your backed-up data. Make sure that the data you are backing up gets synced to the hard drive or cloud storage in time.
Deauthorize Software and Programs
The second step of the “what to do before selling old computer” checklist is the deactivation of the software or programs added to the outgoing computer. Since many software programs, like Adobe Photoshop and Norton Antivirus, come with activation keys or licenses, it becomes essential to keep a copy of the licenses to reactivate the software on the new computer. Contact the vendor or the company directly if any issues arise regarding the license reactivation. Moreover, backup the entire App Data of each software on the hard drive to reuse it on the new PC.
Sign Out of All Accounts
Continuing the previous point, you must sign out of all accounts before selling old computer. It ensures that your accounts stay safe and the new owner can’t unlawfully access your data.
Automated Computer Data Deletion
Another step to follow before trading your old computer is formatting the internal hard disk. You must completely wipe out the data residing on the hard disk before trading your computer. It ensures that the new person can’t use any tactics to recover any sensitive information from the hard disk.
The manual methods for wiping out the hard disk data are unfeasible to implement due to data recoverability. Hence, it becomes imperative to use reliable and secure automated software for the data deletion process. The SysTools Data Erasure Tool is the best hard disk data wipe-out software with no data recoverability scope. This software works using a specialized algorithm to completely erase your computer’s data, including the hard disk, leaving no residual data (data remanence). Moreover, it uses globally recognized data-wiping standards like US Dod/US Air Force and Peter Gutmann to permanently erase computer data.
Clean the Computer
Now that you have backed up all the data and erased it from your outgoing computer, it’s time for a physical cleaning. Clean out the monitor, keyboard, and CPU using a cleaning spray. Moreover, use compressed air to clean the cooling vents and the keyboard keys. Ensure that no scratches damage the computer once you clean it.
Conclusion
This blog post explored the solutions to follow before selling old computer and the reasons behind them. The reasons mentioned here necessitate the urgent sale of the older computer. The solutions listed here work perfectly to backup your data before selling the old computer. The automated software described in the blog is your perfect answer for a complete data wipeout from your computer with no recoverability possibility.
