Trash old computers responsibly

If you plan to install new computers in your practice, think about how you'll dispose of your old ones—tossing them into the dumpster is a no-no. And if your old computers are such ancient relics that no one could possibly find any use for them, donating them isn't an option. So think green: Bring the old computers to a local recycling center.

But before you do the earth a good deed, be sure to remove all data and software. You can't just delete items or drag them into your "trash" folder. They'll still exist on your hard drive, where the information could be accessed by anyone who knows how to find it. Use a software tool designed to permanently erase all traces of data from your hard drive. Or, if you're absolutely positive the computers are worthless, just pop open the case, remove the hard drive, whack it a few times with a hammer, and enjoy the free therapy.