Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 17:02     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Err...trusting.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 17:02     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
No, hackers are not going after erased hard drives.


You are awfully trustworthy.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 10:37     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Anonymous wrote:On computers, remove and shred (or smash with a sledgehammer) the storage device (hard disk or SSD). That is the only part of the device that maintains data.

For cell phones, shred or smash the whole thing. Factory reset is not trustworthy if you are truly concerned about data breaches.


iPhones are encrypted. If you reset them, the password and data are lost (unless the hackers have the same resources as the FBI, and if they did, why are they going after you?)
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2024 10:36     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Anonymous wrote:On computers, remove and shred (or smash with a sledgehammer) the storage device (hard disk or SSD). That is the only part of the device that maintains data.

For cell phones, shred or smash the whole thing. Factory reset is not trustworthy if you are truly concerned about data breaches.


If you have an Apple Macbook, the SSD is soldered in. You need to boot with Command-R and erase the disk using the Disk Utility. No, hackers are not going after erased hard drives.
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2024 23:43     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
I just got new phones at Verizon. I got free new iPhones for trading mine in. I traded these 5c iPhones in. Could you do that?


Why would you do this if you were concerned about your data?
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2024 20:53     Subject: Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
I just got new phones at Verizon. I got free new iPhones for trading mine in. I traded these 5c iPhones in. Could you do that?

Also Facebook marketplace for people who need junk phones to trade in.
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2024 20:48     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Anonymous wrote:On computers, remove and shred (or smash with a sledgehammer) the storage device (hard disk or SSD). That is the only part of the device that maintains data.

For cell phones, shred or smash the whole thing. Factory reset is not trustworthy if you are truly concerned about data breaches.



Thank you
Anonymous
Post 12/29/2024 20:45     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
On computers, remove and shred (or smash with a sledgehammer) the storage device (hard disk or SSD). That is the only part of the device that maintains data.

For cell phones, shred or smash the whole thing. Factory reset is not trustworthy if you are truly concerned about data breaches.
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2024 20:01     Subject: Re:Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Bumping this thread - I have 2 Macs that won't start and no idea what to do with them. Any advice?
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2024 19:49     Subject: Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
On a phone, Factory Reset is enough.

The data is all encrypted and the key is destroyed when you reset.
Anonymous
Post 12/28/2024 19:42     Subject: Where to donate or recycle old cell phones and laptops
Does anyone know any place that can wipe these devices of personal info then accept them as donations?

I factory reset the phones and one laptop but was unable to even start the other one. I have read that even returning a device to its original factory settings doesn't delete info.

Both Apple and Best Buy said they don't do this.

Thank you in advance for any advice you might have.