Advice for 2010 iMac

[benlee]

I have a base 2010 i3 iMac. A year or two ago it started slowing down, then hard drive got loud and now I get a folder with ? when I try to start up.

My question is, I'm concerned about contents of the harddrive. I know the chances are slim, but I have years and years of personal emails and photos on the computer and I wouldn't want someone to somehow get those off the harddrive and I know I can't remove the harddrive without buying a kit to remove the screen, etc. I also would rather not spend time trying to boot from external to go in and wipe the drive (if that's even possible given the drive has failed). I'm already backed up so not worried about that

Any advice on how to dispose of this thing (if I can get a couple bucks that would be great but if I just recycle it how do I do that while also safeguarding personal info?

Thanks!

 

[toddzrx]

Are you just disposing if the machine? If so, just rip it apart, get the hard drive out, disassemble it, and destroy the discs. Easy. Then take everything to electronics recycling, which is probably done a couple times a year where you live.

 

[Roman78]

You just can remove the Harddrive. You just need a Torx 10 for the Display and maybe a Torx 8 for the Harddisk bracket. Nothing else.

And after that you could install a SSD and you wont beleve the speed of it.

 

[benlee]

You just can remove the Harddrive. You just need a Torx 10 for the Display and maybe a Torx 8 for the Harddisk bracket. Nothing else.

And after that you could install a SSD and you wont beleve the speed of it.

Oh I thought I'd need the suction cup things for the screen?

 

[Roman78]

I always use my fingernails. The suction Cups are needes for the first Alu iMacs whit the black plastic backside.