What to do Before Selling Old Laptop? – Know the Solutions!
The constant development in technology is reflected in the new electronic gadgets coming out every month. Talking about electronics, computing companies are developing new laptops with new features and advanced technology. You may feel left behind with your old laptop and may look for a newer laptop to assist you in your work. But selling out the older laptop isn’t easy since you have to follow specific procedures to ensure smooth reselling/recycling. This blog post explores the answers to the commonly asked question – What to do before selling old laptop? – and also describes the reasons behind the trade of your older laptop.
Why Do People Look to Trade Their Old Laptops?
There are many reasons people look to part with their older laptops, and the following points mention some of them:
- Technology Upgrade: New laptops come with faster processors, more data storage capacity, and other additional features like enhanced security. Moreover, new laptops are being designed to be lightweight and slim, which makes old and bulky laptops outdated in today’s digital society.
- Financial Profitability: Another reason to part ways with your older laptop is the financial benefit. Selling your old laptop helps you generate some money for the new one or helps you gain some additional money for saving purposes.
- Environment Protection: Another reason behind selling old laptop is environmental conservation. Reselling your older laptop helps save the environment from hazardous chemicals and pollution. Moreover, it helps with a renewed lifecycle for the laptop.
- Space Revamping: Selling out your old laptop helps you free up space for the newer laptop or other purposes. Moreover, it also simplifies your office or home space for other items.
- Data Security: Another reason to sell your old laptop is data security. Reselling the older laptop secures your data in either cloud storage or an external hard drive. Ultimately, it ensures that the new user can’t access it at all.
These reasons necessitate urgent trading of the older laptop. We will mention the solutions to follow before reselling it.
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Solutions to Follow Before Selling Old Laptop
We have read the reasons for selling older laptops in the previous section. We will now explore the solutions to implement before the actual sale occurs.
Laptop Data Backup
The first and most crucial step in the laptop presale checklist is data backup. Create a backup of the entire laptop’s data on an external hard disk or cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. Don’t leave any single data file on the laptop, since the new user can access it for the wrong purposes. Another thing to remember is that cloud storage services offer limited storage in free accounts, so you may have to upgrade to a premium plan to save all the laptop data, depending on the size and file types.
Remove Passwords Before Selling Out Your Old Laptop
Another step to follow before selling old laptop is you must remove all the passwords. Even though you are logging out of all the websites and deactivating installed software, it becomes essential to remove passwords for all the accounts. This way, you ensure that all your accounts stay secure when you re-login with the new laptop.
Delete Sensitive Information
Delete sensitive information from the laptop – financial details, medical information, professional documents, etc., – to ensure no one else can access them. Your data belongs to only you, and no other person must access it. Hence, it becomes crucial to delete all the critical files from the laptop before selling it.
Wipe Out the Hard Drive
The most significant step to follow before selling old laptop is wiping out the laptop’s hard drive. Since manual formatting may not suffice due to data recovery possibilities, you must rely on automated software for data wiping. The SysTools Data Eraser Software helps you completely wipe out the data from the hard disk with no scope for recovery later. This automated tool uses advanced algorithms to overwrite the hard drive data numerous times, thus ensuring complete deletion. Moreover, it uses various standards, like US DoD / US Air Force, British HMG IS5, and NATO Standard to permanently delete the data from the laptop’s hard drive.
You can also use this software to delete data from other devices, including SSD, SATA, PATA, and SAS.
Reset the Entire Laptop
The next step in the “what to do before selling old laptop” agenda is resetting the laptop to its original condition. This method completely reboots the laptop but is time-consuming due to the laptop’s specifications and the data stored in it.
Reinstall the Laptop OS (Operating System)
If your outgoing laptop works incredibly slowly, you must reinstall the operating system to ensure a smooth working experience for the new owner. Moreover, you can install the latest OS by purchasing the activation links and adding other add-ins like graphic cards.
Physical Cleaning
The last step before selling your old laptop is the physical thorough cleaning before it goes for sale. Use compressed air to clean the keyboard; mousepad, cooling and speaker vents; and cleaning solution to neatly wipe the screen. Be careful not to put any scratches on the laptop, since it may decrease its value. Moreover, use screen protector film and laptop skin to protect the screen and the laptop from dust and minor scratches.
Conclusion
This blog explored the solutions to implement before selling old laptop and the reasons behind trading it. The reasons for selling the old laptop range from monetary gains and technological upgrades in new laptops to environmental protection. The solutions mentioned here work perfectly to wipe out your precious data from the laptop before you sell it. The automated software mentioned here works to completely wipe out the data from your laptop with no recoverability. Thus, it ensures that the next owner can’t access your data through any means.
