How to recycle or retire your old PC.

If you plan to replace your current personal computer system, don't just stick it in a closet or basement, and whatever you do, don't throw it away.

So what to do with a PC that has outlived its usefulness? If it is less than five years old, donate it to an organization that can place it in a worthy home, school, or nonprofit organization. Local user groups can usually help find a home for an unwanted but still useful computer. Some research may be necessary, however; many Goodwill and Salvation Army outlets, for example, will not accept donated PCs because they often receive computers that are too old to be sold or used.

A "senior" computer--older than five years--might need to be taken to a local recycler. If there are no local opportunities to recycle old PCs, though, it may be possible to send the old model back to the manufacturer. Dell, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard all operate recycling programs. In each case, a delivery service will pick up the old PC from a home or place of business; all that they require is boxing up the old PC and paying a small disposal fee ranging between $7.50 and $46, depending on the company and the number of pieces being picked up.

However an individual or business chooses to retire an old PC, it is critical that they first clean off any sensitive data on the machine. Simply deleting files is not enough; special software is required to overwrite them. Microsoft suggests the "wipe info" tool in Norton Utilities, a program avail able for Windows and Mac users. Other options can be found on the Shareware.com Web site; the system CD that came with the old machine also can be used to reformat the hard drive for basic data destruction.