I would like to throw away my old HP 8620 printer but am afraid to due to fax or memory erased

[Shikiboo]

I have a printer that I'd like to throw away. The fax and memory were not erased before the print head went out. Do I need to erase the fax and memory before throwing it away? Can someone get my information from the printer's memory if its not erased and faxes deleted?

[Raj_05]

Hi @Shikiboo,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Yes, it's a good practice to erase the fax and memory data on your HP 8620 printer before disposing of it, especially if it contains sensitive or personal information. While it's generally unlikely that someone will retrieve data from your printer's memory, taking precautions to ensure data security is important.

To clear the memory and data from your HP 8620 printer, you can follow these steps.

• Access the Printer Control Panel: If your printer is still functional, access the printer's control panel.
• Navigate to Settings: Use the control panel to access the settings or menu options on the printer.
• Clear Memory: Look for options related to clearing the printer's memory or deleting stored data. The exact location and wording of this option may vary depending on your printer's firmware and settings.
• Reset to Factory Defaults: If you want to ensure that all settings and data are erased, you can perform a factory reset. This will return the printer to its original, out-of-the-box state.
• Remove the Hard Drive (if applicable): Some printers, including certain HP models, come with an internal hard drive that stores data. If your printer has an internal hard drive, consider removing it and securely disposing of it separately.
• Delete Stored Faxes: If you have stored faxes in the printer's memory, make sure to delete them as well.

Taking these steps will help ensure that any sensitive information stored on your printer is not accessible to others. While it's relatively unlikely that someone will retrieve data from a discarded printer, it's better to err on the side of caution when it comes to data security.

I hope this helps. 
 

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4
HP Support