6 Smart Uses For Your Old PC

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repurpose an old monitor

This article shares 6 smart uses for your old PC.

When you’ve upgraded to a new computer, the old one is a bit of an albatross. You paid good money for that desktop or laptop, and you want to continue to see a return on investment. Plus, disposing of that technology feels wasteful. It’s not as if a computer is going to compost itself! To help, we’ve provided six solid ideas for how to repurpose your old, extra computers.

#1 Turn it into a Kids’ PC

repurpose old pc for kid's pc

Make the computer available exclusively to your young ones. You can set the device up with parental controls software to:

  • limit the sites they can access;
  • control when and for how long they can use the computer;
  • restrict them from downloading without your approval;
  • monitor their activity.

You can also isolate the device from the family’s home network to further restrict access and cut the risk of malware infection.

#2 Make a PC for Seniors

repurpose an old pc for seniors

Another wise use for your old PC is a PC for seniors. For example, turn the computer into one geared for older family members. Optimize screen display color contrast for those with poor vision. Make the text size bigger. Set up the use of voice commands. You might even use puffy paint on the keyboard to make standard keys easier to find.

#3 Convert to Storage

repurpose an old pc into storage

Storing documents, videos, photos, and music on your computer takes up a lot of room. So, turn that extra computer into a media storage device to keep your new computer in top shape. Think of it as an external storage device with much more capacity than a thumb drive.

Backing up your documents and media to the cloud is always an option. Yet, you may have more that you want to store than you wish to pay the fee for storing.

#4 Share a Printer on the Network

repurpose an old pc to share printer on network

If you have a printer that connects via a USB cable, you can generally print from that computer only. However, you can turn your old computer into a print server that shares the printer over the network. This way, any computer on the same network can make use of the printer.

#5 Donate

repurpose an old pc for charity

If the computer is in decent condition, donate it to a school, library, charity, or other non-profit. But, of course, before doing so, you’ll want to clean it up:

  • Back up and then delete all your files.
  • Consider wiping your hard drive so no one can recover the data.
  • Reinstall the operating system, so it is usable by the recipient.

#6 Sell Parts

repurpose an old pc for parts

You could continue to see value from that old computer by parting it out. Selling parts is a good idea, especially when the computer is no longer working. In some cases, components sell for more than complete computers.

When you’re looking for that new computer or coming up with ways to repurpose your old one, I can help. Contact me today at 863-582-2596!

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