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The Big Shred

Mail, mail mail. So much mail. While the transition to digital caused a lot of spam to pop up in our inboxes, computers also offered the ability to automate the identification an elimination of much of the spam we might receive. However imperfect those spam filters are, they are certainly a valuable tool simply because we don’t have to deal with all of the junk that comes in on a case by case basis. I’m willing to lose the occasional email to embrace that feature. The same automate process does not exist for your average physical mailbox. That wonderful system … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer 6 – Bonus Additions

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Before you dump your old computer off on a friend or family member, it is a good idea to take a little time and clean it up. You can also set up the computer so its a functional machine that can at least check email, browse the Internet, edit digital photos, listen to digital music, and type a letter or two. If you are feeling really generous, or are giving the computer to a child for college, you may want to spend a little extra time and money before giving away the computer. This last blog is a series about … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer 5 – Additional Software

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This series of preparing your computer for giveaway continues by looking at additional software you can pre-install on your old computer. We have already looked at deleting files, erasing files, transferring ownership of software, and installing security software. Office software It is a nice gesture to give someone a computer that is usable for many different purposes. If the computer came with office software such as Microsoft Office or Corel Word Perfect Office, you can legally transfer ownership of the software to the new owner if you are not going to use the software on another computer. If you don’t … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer 4 – Security Software

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It is important to prepare your old computer before giving it away. One of the most important things you can do to prepare your computer is to delete and erase all of your personal files and documents. After you have cleaned the system of any personal files, you can begin thinking about what software products you want to leave installed on the computer. Continuing this series of preparing your computer for donation, the next step is to install any security software and download the latest updates. Security Software I have previously written on the need for security software. It is … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer 3 – Software ownership

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Now that you have deleted and erased all of your important personal files, you can continue preparing your old computer to give away. If you missed the two earlier posts on deleting and then erasing files, I recommend you check them out here and here. Questions usually arise when thinking about what software to leave on the computer you are giving away. You want to make sure you are giving away legal software, which usually depends on whether you are going to use the software on another computer or not. Transferring software ownership If you have ever tried to read … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer 2 – Shredding files

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Before you give away on old computer, you should take a little bit of time and prepare the computer for use by others. Preparation includes deleting any personal files, which we began talking about yesterday. Even after emptying your Windows recycle bin, however, your files are not erased from the hard drive. Remnants of the files are left on your hard drive making it possible for someone with prying eyes to locate and access your personal information. To guard against this happening, I recommend using a file shredder. File shredders File shredders work in a similar way to paper file … Continue reading →

Giving away your old computer

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Have you ever given an old computer away to someone? If you have, chances are you copied your important files from the computer and then gave it away. With such fast changing technology, individuals and families often end up buying a new computer every couple of years or so. After a number of years, it is easy to accumulate old computers that likely are just taking up closet space. One option is to donate your old computer to an individual or local charity. Before you do so, however, I want to recommend that you prepare your computer. Preparing your computer … Continue reading →