Find a New Home for Your Old PC

We all love getting a new computer that's faster and more powerful than our old one, but just because you have a shiny new toy sitting on your desk, doesn't necessarily mean you have to discard your old machine. If you're old PC is in good working order, then there may be another user out there that will treasure your trash.

Give it to Charity
Donating a working computer to charity is a sure way to bless someone in need of a computer, and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from giving. This generosity can also provide your business with some sweet tax credits and valuable PR. If you donate your old computer to someone in need, then be sure to take some pictures and write a blog article about it for your company's website. This is a great way to score some goodwill points with any potential customers.

With your old PC, you may even be able to help out the charitable organization's administration. Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC charities are used to running on shoestring budgets because they rely on donations, and they would prefer that as much of these donations as possible go to meet the needs that they are serve. Additionally, charities aren't looking to make a profit. This means they don't need the latest technology to have a competitive edge and they will appreciate being given a computer that meets their needs, even if it has some mileage on it.

Pass it Down to Another Department
You may be purchasing a new computer because your old one no longer meets the demands of your job, but keep in mind that there may be another position in your company that's not as technologically demanding and may need a reliable computer. For example, accounting may need a PC that can run QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, and browse the Internet. Your old PC built to render graphics will easily be able to handle these basic tasks and be a huge upgrade for your accountant that's using a beige box. Finding a new home like this for your old PC is a great way to save on your IT budget.

It may be that everyone in your office has a reliable computer and may not need your old one, if this is the case, then you can retool your old PC into an NAS device and improve the efficiency of your company's network. This may also be a good solution for what to do with the beige box you just replaced in accounting.

By reconfiguring your old computer, you can turn it into a print server to handle the network traffic from all the printers, or you can use it to host business applications. A used PC is not a replacement for a full blown server unit, but it can perform several network functions you need. Configuring a used computer into an NAS device can be a very technical job, so be sure to give Computerware a call at (703) 821-8200 if you require assistance.

Don't Pass on a Lemon
If your old computer is in terrible shape, you don't want to pass on a lemon to someone in need and then proclaim your generosity. If your old PC is junk, then you can recycle it and maybe scrap a few usable parts out of it. You will also want to be careful about haphazardly giving away your old computer if there's still sensitive information on the hard drive. Keep in mind that just because you emptied all your files in the recycling bin, doesn't mean that the information is completely gone. There may still be trace amounts of data that can come back to bite you.

One sure way to give your old PC a new shot at life before handing it off to another user is to give it a new hard drive. Hard drives are fairly inexpensive and easy to install. This is also a great way to ensure that none of your sensitive data is retrieved. Disk drives have a typical lifespan of five years; therefore, if you're passing on a five year-old computer, you may be giving away a ticking time bomb of a hard drive.

Do you need help preparing your old PC for a new life? Computerware can help retrofit it into an NAS device, wipe it clean of your old data, install a new hard drive on it, and even recommend a deserving Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC charity that will appreciate the gift. Before you trash a perfectly good PC, give us a call at (703) 821-8200. We can help you find a new home for your old friend!