Help me get rid of a dead PDA w/data

September 14, 2007 7:17 PM

I have an old Palm Tungsten C that I fried when I plugged it in in Kenya with a bad converter. I could never use it again, couldn't even turn it on, ever. I want to dispose of it, but there *was* sensitive data on it before it fried. Can you help me with the a) most enviro-friendly and b) data protective way of disposing of it?
posted by tristeza to Technology (4 answers total)

If memory serves correctly, Palm devices use battery-backed RAM for storage. Once the power is cut, the data is lost forever.

So you've got that going for you.
posted by DoctorFedora at 7:46 PM on September 14, 2007

Best answer: Did you save sensitive data to a SD/MMC card installed in the Palm Tungsten C's expansion slot, or just to the Palm's internal memory? Unlike modern devices, the internal memory of a Palm Tungsten C required power to preserve data. In its "off" state it only had enough battery power to preserve the data for a couple of weeks.

If you've got very sensitive data on your Palm Tungsten C and you want to play it very safe, I'd suggest the following:

1. Remove any SD or MMC card from the expansion slot and smash it into powder with a hammer.
2. Use T6 Torx screwdriver to remove the back cover from the Palm.
3. Once the Palm is open, remove the battery connector from the Palm's motherboard. This will destory any data stored in the Palm's internal memory.

Once you've destroyed any SD or MMC card and disconnected the battery, you can safely take what remains to an electronics recycler without worrying about the exposure of sensitive data.
posted by RichardP at 7:58 PM on September 14, 2007

I'd think the most environmentally productive way to dispose of the device would be to pop the SD card out and list it as-is on eBay(Be honest about what happened!). Lots of folks are looking for parts to keep their handhelds alive, and an intact screen is pretty valuable.
posted by Orb2069 at 8:20 PM on September 14, 2007

With my Palm III a strong magnetic field would lobotomize it nicely. (This would happen when I would pick up and carry a stereo speaker.)

(Also it had AAA batteries and would only remember data for about 30 seconds, so you had to change batteries quickly. So simply removing the internal battery should also do the trick.)

and seconding that ebay is a great way to for recycling old electro junk.
posted by kamelhoecker at 8:51 AM on September 15, 2007