If you have a broken laptop, there are several things you can do with it. You can repair it or have it repaired, but if it’s a little older, it might cost more to have that done than it’s worth. Some other options include, selling it in whole or for parts, or simply recycling it (rather than throwing it out, which can be damaging to the environment).
Whether or not your broken laptop can be repaired will depend on the type of issue that is going on. If you’ve dropped it, and the LCD screen is busted, that can tend to be pretty expensive to have repaired. It’s typically not too tough to replace yourself, so this could be an option. If you have some ability with electronics, and your computer is worth more than the cost of the LCD (typically $100-200) this could be a viable option for you. Also, if a broken laptop screen is your only issue, you can hook the laptop up to an external monitor and use it as a desktop. Of course, if you need a mobile computer, this isn’t the best solution. Another common bit of damage done from a drop, is that the hard drive becomes damaged. This is also something that can be repaired relatively cheaply, and requires only minor technical knowledge. Even if you can’t get your computer to start up and run from this damaged hard drive, you can sometimes dig into it and recover some of the data. Sometimes the data is more important than the computer itself, and this might be something worth paying money to have a professional recover, especially if this is a business computer.
There are many marketplaces where you can sell broken laptops. Ebay is the first that comes to most people’s mind. When posting on eBay, be sure to describe exactly what’s wrong with it (to the best of your abilities). Someone who knowingly in the market to buy broken computers is probably pretty knowledgeable about what’s wrong with it if you describe things correctly. They may ask some typical trouble-shooting questions, so try to answer them as best as you can. You may find out your broken laptop is worth more than you thought (though it’s up to the eBay buyers to determine that). You can also sell your laptop locally on Craigslist. This allows a potential purchaser to actually get their hands on the computer to take a look at it and see if it’s worth buying. You never know, there are still some really honest people out there who will examine your computer for themselves, find out the error is trivial, fix it or tell you how to fix it and be on their way.
Places That Buy Broken Laptops
If you don’t feel like going through the hassle of explaining the exact details of the problems, or dealing with customers and questions, there are websites that buy broken laptops like Gazelle.com and CashForLaptops.com. Selling your laptop on these websites simply involves filling in some information about your computer, and what works and what doesn’t. You are going to get the lowest possible value for your computer selling it here, because it’s a business and they have no way of knowing specifically what’s wrong with your computer. They can’t take the chance of buying your computer at a premium price; it would cut too deeply into their margins. However, it is a lot less hassle, and you may not even find a buyer for your computer unless you go through one of these websites. They might only give you $50, but $50 is better than zero dollars.
If You Can’t Get Cash For Your Broken Laptop – Recycle It
You might not be aware of this, but dumping your computers in the garbage is actually pretty bad for the environment. There are materials in laptop computers that are not suitable for landfills, especially the chemicals found in laptop batteries. If your computer is simply too old or too broken to be sold, you should recycle it rather than throw it away. The aforementioned websites also do free recycling for computers that have no value (according to their formulas), and there are plenty of other websites that will do the same. They pay for shipping, and usually send you packaging in order to make it as easy for you as possible. You can also often find local computer recycling centers in your city if you don’t want to send it through the mail for whatever reason.
Having a broken laptop isn’t fun. The potential data loss, and the fact that you’ll probably need to buy a new laptop is unpleasant and expensive. I would always attempt to fix or find a work-around to keep using the laptop you have, but if you really must, go ahead and sell it. If it’s a total boat anchor of a computer, then please do the responsible thing and recycle it properly.