If you’ve decided to trade in your laptop for whatever reason, then you need to make sure your backup or remove the data that’s stored on it. Once you’ve traded in your laptop, then you will no longer be able to access it and its contents, so if you need anything stored on its hard drive, then you’ll undoubtedly run into problems.
If you store confidential information on your laptop (most of us do in one form or another), then the last thing you want is for that information to fall into someone else’s hands. Even if you know whoever has your laptop has honourable intentions, removing or backing up the data gives you peace of mind that no-one will ever be able to see it without your consent. This will help guard against identity theft.
You can back up your data in a number of ways. If you have bought a new laptop or desktop computer to replace the laptop you’re trading in, then you can copy files straight over. You can also buy an external hard drive on which to keep your data if you don’t want it on your computer’s hard drive or just want to create another copy (always sensible). Alternatively, thanks to cloud storage, you can back up your files online and access them pretty much anytime, anywhere.
So, before you do a laptop trade in, ensure you have deleted and backed up everything you need. If you’re not sure whether or not you’ll need it, make a copy just in case.
