Before donating or recycling your computer, you can avoid identity theft by erasing personal data and removing your files. Windows and Mac OS don't completely remove files you delete, but third-party software can. Here are some options:
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• One good, free program is Eraser. Just download the program and follow the instructions on the Web site.
• Alternatively, you can take many PCs back to their factory-fresh condition--expunging all the files you created--by using the Restore CD that may have come with the machine. Usually this involves booting the PC from the Restore CD and following a few on-screen prompts. If you're offered restore options, choose the one that is more thorough, usually called "full restore" or "restore with formatting." (This process is irreversible. Make sure you don't need anything that didn't originally come on the PC's hard drive.) You may have to continue restoring additional CDs or re-install applications separately.
• If you don't have a Restore CD, another thorough way to erase data is to re-format the hard drive, after which you re-install the operating system from the original CD. Here's how:
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With Windows:
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a. Restart the PC from an "emergency boot" diskette, which you can create following instructions in Windows Help.
b. Once you've rebooted to the diskette, type "format c: /s"--which will reinitialize the hard drive and make it bootable.
c. Reboot to the diskette again, selecting the option "with CD support."
d. Run the "setup" program on the Windows CD.
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With a Mac:
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a. Set the Startup Drive to be the CD drive.
b. Boot to the Mac OS CD.
c. Open the Utilities folder and run Drive Setup.
d. Select the hard drive and click "Initialize."
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