Outdated electronic equipment

[Buckman]

We have a fully functioning top rated JVC video camera that is no longer used as easier to use the phone plus we can no longer download anything that has been recorded. In addition we have a HP printer used solely for printing postcard size photos. Can no longer use it as drivers are not recognised by Win 10. Also seems our DVD player may be going the same way as have not used it in the past year as we stream videos from Prime, Netflix etc.

It just seems a terrible waste dumping good working equipment as no one wants them as outdated and no longer compatible. What have you doen with your "good" equipment when it has reached its end of life due to software & hardware advances?

 

[JezzerB]

I put our last full size pc on freecycle-and our cathode ray tvs. The computer went quickly and there was interest on the TVs but the taker was a bit drippy and missed my email and I'd been to the tip with them. But worth giving away-someone may want them?

 

[otherclive]

I’ve just persuaded my wife to get rid of a Panasonic twin head HD recorder as it’s two years now since we had to have freesat in our new house. The recorder was down to a 6 part series recorded three years ago. 🤐 It still works perfectly so I will put it on Trash Nothing which I also did with my MiniDV recorder and most things that I consider may be useful to someone.
Technical obsolescence is unavoidable and even if parts were still available many devices aren’t really made for repairs. My 2013 IMac had no fastenings to access the internals. It was a fully bonded unit so to access inside required a very thin blade to cut the 3M tape holding the display assembly and screen away from the body. Not good for DIY.

 

[Woodentop]

If the OP likes the HP printer and/or it is a good photo printer, there is a simple solution.
Download Microsoft Virtual PC and install it. Find the most recent version of Windoze with which you printer will work and look on the MVPC site to find where to download that version of Windows for free. Run the VPC and install that version of Windows within the VPC. When you have it up and running you will be able to install your printer and use it.

The Virtual PC looks to W10 just like one great big file. When you run it with, say, XP loaded, to you you are using XP but the VPC acts as an interface between XP and the outside world so you can use your printer. You might just need to save your pics on a stick in W10 and then download them from the stick into XP when you have it running.

For the record anything that will run on W7 or later should run perfectly well on W10. Ergo if you have W7 drivers for the printer just use them, W10 will be quite happy.

 

[audiorob]

You may find a work around for installing your printer - this video might help..
Installing An HP Printer With An Alternate Driver On Windows 10 For A USB Cable Connection - Bing video

or if you have disc you may be able to use 'Compatibility mode' as per this video.
How to Install Old Software in Windows 10 Using Compatibility Mode - Bing video
I have used this to install (and then run successfully) an old accounts package.

Good luck!

 

[Beehpee]

I know how the OP feels I’ve got all sorts in my loft, I’ve dug up recently 3 working laptops that once I’ve removed photos off and checked that there’s nothing else I might want to keep I’ve then got to find a home, I’m a bit wary of passing it on as I’ve heard horror stories of hard drive files being interrogated and all the info restored and I’ve no idea what might be on there, personal files, banking etc etc, I doubt there’s anyone that would want it with the hard drive removed so it’s probably up to the tip.

BP

 

[Beachball]

When we got our HP Printer it came with a disc i have had no problems loading to Windows 10 . i traded in my last laptop when i got my new one but wipe it clean .

 

[Beehpee]

I believe that even if the hard drive is wiped clean it can be recovered by some of the unscrupulous people who get hold of them, it’s obviously possible to recover info as the police do it when needed.

BP

 

[otherclive]

I know how the OP feels I’ve got all sorts in my loft, I’ve dug up recently 3 working laptops that once I’ve removed photos off and checked that there’s nothing else I might want to keep I’ve then got to find a home, I’m a bit wary of passing it on as I’ve heard horror stories of hard drive files being interrogated and all the info restored and I’ve no idea what might be on there, personal files, banking etc etc, I doubt there’s anyone that would want it with the hard drive removed so it’s probably up to the tip.

BP

No, schools are crying out for laptops to help underprivileged children carry on with remote schooling. Some school DT departments are cleaning the HDD disks of data using proprietary shredding software. You could do it yourself by a fresh reinstall of the OS or by freeware shredding downloads. Some security systems include it.

 

[Woodentop]

When you wipe a disc all that happens is on piece of disc data in a specific directory location is changed which makes the machine think the file is empty, or rather that it can be overwritten. If you format a disc it will recreate the disc storage structure which may overwrite some of the data, but some may remain.
If you want to completely wipe a disc get a copy AOMEI Partition Assistant and set it to erase to 5220.22M standard which is Department of Defense approved. It will overwrite all data on the disc with zeros, and it can be made to do it more than once. The alternative is to replace the HDD with a new one - they are quite inexpensive these days.
Having said that, why not keep the laptop and run a different operating system on it such as Linux. If you are interested in computers you will get many happy hours learning how to write software for it.

 

[otherclive]

This link gives a description and shows a wiping tool(s)
https://uk.pcmag.com/how-to/88534/how-to-wipe-your-hard-drive

https://www.thepcinsider.com/best-f...dows 10,... 4 BleachBit. ... 5 System Ninja.

 

[Beachball]

This link gives a description and shows a wiping tool(s)
https://uk.pcmag.com/how-to/88534/how-to-wipe-your-hard-drive

Hi oc i put that link down for myself when i trade my next laptop in very useful tool to have .

 

[Buckman]

When you wipe a disc all that happens is on piece of disc data in a specific directory location is changed which makes the machine think the file is empty, or rather that it can be overwritten. If you format a disc it will recreate the disc storage structure which may overwrite some of the data, but some may remain.
If you want to completely wipe a disc get a copy AOMEI Partition Assistant and set it to erase to 5220.22M standard which is Department of Defense approved. It will overwrite all data on the disc with zeros, and it can be made to do it more than once. The alternative is to replace the HDD with a new one - they are quite inexpensive these days.
Having said that, why not keep the laptop and run a different operating system on it such as Linux. If you are interested in computers you will get many happy hours learning how to write software for it.

That is a good idea. I still have my old ASUS which had been upgraded from Win8 to Win 10. How would I go about reformatting it to take it back to original so that I can load a Linux program like Ubuntu?
I am not tech fundi on computers so don't want to mess up and make the laptop inoperative. Also at same time I would want to remove all old data permanently with a view to donating the laptop to a school at a some future date.
Step by step would be nice.

 

[JTQ]

That is a good idea. I still have my old ASUS which had been upgraded from Win8 to Win 10. How would I go about reformatting it to take it back to original so that I can load a Linux program like Ubuntu?
I am not tech fundi on computers so don't want to mess up and make the laptop inoperative. Also at same time I would want to remove all old data permanently with a view to donating the laptop to a school at a some future date.
Step by step would be nice.

You can make a "Bootable" USB stick version of the many Linux versions
and with these initially run, albeit a bit slowly, the OS from the USB stick without killing the Windows that is there.
SEE:

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview

Then, if "happy" do a Ubuntu or whatever install that overwrites the Windows.

Also with a machine that ever ran a legal copy of Windows 10 you can recover from say a disk replacement or a "B" up corrupted Windows 10 a clean fresh latest version reintsall, for FREE.
Your motherboad holds all the MS licencing info to accept the reinstall as legit. IE it hold the "digital licence" if purchased with WIN 7 onwards pre installed.
This can be done via a USB stick, where the requiste image is downloaded from any Windows operating PC.

Create installation media for Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to create installation media for installing or reinstalling Windows.

support.microsoft.com

This removes all the hassle of screwing up the OS. I suggest at the same time if the HHD is readily physically accessible you replace it with a £20 odd SSD, make the machine boot that bit quicker so easier again to live with aging technology.