Find a new home for your computer. Generally, if your computer is less than five years old and in working condition, someone else may be able to use it. The sooner you find a new home for it the better; it's estimated that PCs lose about half of their value, on average, each year.
Options for donating:
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• Check with thrift stores and charities; many may take usable computers for groups or individuals that can't afford to buy new ones. Some may even refurbish and repair the machines. For options, search Earth911 and TechSoup which offer Zip-code searchable listings of local and national organizations. One option is the National Cristina Foundation, which connects potential computer donors with local schools and charities.
Note: Before you pack up your computer, be sure to contact the organization, or check its Web site to find out if it's currently accepting the type and condition of computer you plan to give away and whether you should include any software.
• Consider giveaway sites, such as freecycle.org, where your computer will be listed online in your community and possibly picked up for free by a neighbor who wants it.
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Options for selling:
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• If the system isn't too old and is still in working condition or at least repairable, another user might buy it through an ad in your local paper or an online service like Craig's list or an auction site like eBay.
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Don't donate or sell your identity! Before you donate your machine, make sure that you rid it of all traces of personally identifiable information that could be used for identity theft. Visit our Protect your identity section to learn how.
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