It’s a cruel fact that all things must reach an end, and this certainly applies to your computer, smartphone or tablet. 

In time a device’s components may fail, the hard drive can become corrupted, or the operating system might crash or become obsolete. Getting a replacement is a nuisance but an additional dilemma is figuring out what to do with the old device. Will it be recycled, repurposed, sold, or donated? 

What happens to your unwanted tech largely depends upon its condition or circumstances. 

A Windows 10 computer that can’t be upgraded to Win 11 may still run well, and it would be a shame to relegate it to the recycling bin. In previous columns I detailed how you could convert a Win 10 computer to a Chromebook or switch to a Linux operating system. 

If you decide to donate or sell the device there is an important task to complete before doing anything. In order to avoid a potential personal or economic disaster, you must back up........

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