Here’s how to make sure your data is really gone—even on a computer that won’t start up.

Even when an old computer won’t start up anymore, the hard drive is still in there. From financial data to private photos, that drive could hold all sorts of private information.

At the same time, dealing with an old, sluggish computer is a frustrating experience. If apps and websites are taking ages to load, it can seriously impact your productivity.

Step 3: Refresh the operating system The quickest way to make your old computer feel new again is to reset the operating system to its initial state. I do it for my desktop PC every few years.

How to Make Sure Information on Your Old Computer Is Really, Truly Deleted It isn’t as simple as pressing ‘delete’ and emptying the Trash. Here’s a step-by-step guide. By Sean Captain ...