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Rotunda, an educational community organisation in North Liverpool has joined in with the national BBC scheme #GiveALaptop. They are asking members of their local community to donate laptops and tablets for children to use while home schooling due to the national lockdown.
Sadly, Rotunda has really struggled to receive any donations and Norma Young who is running the scheme at Rotunda believes the lack of donations might be down to fears over cyber security, she said: “Their old laptops and tablets are still full of photographs and their full of personal information and we need to reassure them that they will be wiped and they will be put back to factory settings.”
With laptops and tablets used for everything from online banking to holding personal information many people are reluctant to give away these items however Rotunda has a plan in place to ease these worries.
They have teamed up with their IT service partners, Fox IT who will fully wipe and refurbish the laptops and tablets brought in. Ms Young said: “Our IT partners know exactly what they are doing.”
In recent years there have been various hacking scandals and even the police are urging people to be more cautious online and while using their devices, however once the computer is wiped the information will no longer be accessible.
Children who do not have access to this technology will find completing school from home near on impossible, Ms Young said: “Young people and children need these in order to do their home schooling and keep up with their school work and give themselves a good chance.” and the demand is high. Rotunda have received phone calls from parents and grandparents asking for laptops and tablets and so far Rotunda has struggled to help.
Are you thinking of donating a laptop or tablet but are worried about your personal information?
Then it is also possible to wipe and clear your laptop/table yourself, meaning you can check the laptop yourself before donating!
Frazer Blakesley who studies a Digital and Technology degree offered his top tips, once you have saved anything you wish to keep from your laptop onto a memory stick:
First search in your start menu ‘reset this pc’
Click and follow the ‘reset this pc’ option.
The select the ‘remove everything option’
Continue to follow any additional steps.
Once the reset has been complete to check it was successful, boot up your laptop again and the Windows (or other service depending on your laptop) set up screen will appear.
Then ta-da! Your laptop is set and ready to donate. If you donate to Rotunda, additional checks and wiping of the laptop will also be completed.