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| A Practical Guide to Donating Used Computers |
By:
Marcuswellington |
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Donating used data processing systems is a great way to contribute to saving the environment and improving our children's education. To learn how you can make a computer donation, here are ten valuable tips to consider:
1. Check whether your old computer can be reused.
The simplest way to make a computer donation is through a refurbisher, who, among other things, will ensure that all the equipment that reaches nonprofits and schools works well and runs legal copies of software. However, take note that refurbishers only accept newer equipment that can run current software, so if your computer system is older than 5 years, it's better to let commercial recyclers take care of it.
2. Contact a specialized refurbisher or recycler.
Before making your donation, look for a specialized organization that accepts the type of data processing system you want to give away. Although there's also the option of donating equipment directly to a local school or charity, using the services of a reliable refurbisher is often better, as this ensures that your equipment reaches those who need it most, properly equipped, and in optimal condition.
3. Send old and broken hardware to recycling.
Any equipment that's older than five years or not functional should be sent to computer recyclers, which besides salvaging useful computer parts before breaking down what's left, will take care that any toxic materials are removed safely in the process.
4. Don't forget the accessories.
Remember to include the keyboard, mouse, printer, modem, packaged software, or any other accessories your computer is equipped with. These could be useful to schools and nonprofits, not to mention most refurbishers only accept complete systems.
5. If possible, leave the operating system intact.
While erasing your personal data from the hard drive is highly recommended before donating your computer, it's often better to leave the OS intact. Here's why: the license for preinstalled Microsoft operating systems is only valid when used with the machine on which it was originally set up. Most charitable organizations can't afford to purchase new operating systems, so sending your computer complete with the installed OS – which ensures a legal transfer – can be of great help. Of course, this rule doesn't apply to free operating systems like Linux, for example.
6. Pass on the original software media and relevant documentation.
To ensure that the software transfer is legal, gather and include all the original disks, media, user manual, and any other documentation that came with the computer system.
7. To delete any personal information on the hard drive yourself, consider using disk-cleaning software.
Many places on your hard drive can contain some sort of personal information, including your Internet browser's cache, cookies, history, the recycle bin, and so on. To make sure you get rid of any recoverable personal data from your system, use a disk-cleaning utility.
8. Follow the delivery instructions specified for your computer
Many recyclers and refurbishers ask computer donors to leave their equipment at specific locations, while others expect them to follow delivery instructions. For a successful donation, make sure you stick by their rules.
9. Keep evidence of your donation for eventual tax-deduction purposes.
Donating to a nonprofit refurbisher can render you a candidate for tax deduction. In this respect, consider asking the school or refurbisher that receives/ administers your donation to provide you with tax receipts.
10. Prepare for future donations.
To make future donations easier, remember the steps presented here and store all the documents and installation disks that came with your new computer in one place.
For more information: http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/ |
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