Secure your data before selling, donating or recycling an old laptop
Before disposing of an old laptop—whether selling, donating, or recycling—you must protect your personal data and prepare the device securely. Follow these essential steps:
– Back up your data first using Windows Backup or Time Machine (Mac), ideally to an external drive, as free cloud storage is limited to 5GB
– Verify important app syncs are enabled (e.g. browser bookmarks) and remove any accessories left in ports
– Sign out of all accounts and de-authorise software licences so they don't waste activation slots on a "phantom" device
– Wipe the drive securely using built-in reset tools (Windows Recovery or macOS reset) with the "clean data" option enabled, rather than simple deletion, to make files unrecoverable
– Follow version-specific instructions: Windows 11/10 use Settings > System > Recovery; Windows 8.1 uses Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery
- Always back up and securely wipe your laptop before disposal
- Free cloud storage is limited; use external drives for full backups
- De-authorise software licences and sign out of accounts first
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Engadget as “Before you throw out your old laptop, do this first”.