Most computers contain hazardous materials that don’t belong in a landfill. Reset your Chromebook to factory settings Your operating system will come with a program that will let you erase all your files from the hard drive and reset it to factory settings. You also might be able to schedule automatic backups. You choose which files or folders to back up. It might cost a little more than a USB drive, but it gives you more storage capacity and transfers data faster. Another option is an external hard drive. Option 3: Save Your Files to an External Storage DeviceĪ USB flash drive is an affordable option that offers a moderate amount of storage. Look for one that offers multi-factor authentication to protect your information. If you’re thinking about using cloud storage, find out what level of privacy or security the different services offer. Providers of cloud storage use encryption to protect your data - encryption is the process of scrambling the information to hide the contents of the file. Many providers give you some free storage space and let you pay for more.

You might be familiar some of these services - like Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, or iCloud - but there are many others out there. Most operating system manufacturers have support articles that tell you how to do this.Īnother option is to save your files and data online. If you bought a new computer, one option is to transfer information from your old computer to the new one. Option 1: Transfer Your Files to Your New Computer How much storage space will you need to save that information? Knowing what you want to save and how much space you’ll need will help you choose the best solution for backing up your data. Think about what important information you want to save, like photos, videos, or important documents.

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How to wipe out a computer