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My Lenovo Yoga laptop died last year and is still sitting in a drawer at home. I’d like to recycle it, but it contains lots of personal data that I can’t delete because I can’t boot it up. I thought of removing its internal storage but that’s easier said than done because the unit is glued together. I’ve seen YouTube videos in which people use a heat gun to soften the glue so they can prise the back off. Is that really what you have to do these days to disable a redundant device? Or would you advise using a hammer?
—Roger Hughes
THE DOCTOR RESPONDS: Taking a hammer to your Yoga might be tempting, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The lithium-ion batteries in modern mobile devices are energy dense and, if pierced, can explode into flames and produce toxic fumes.
Your question highlights a real concern, however, and there’shundreds of illustrated guides that explain how to take apart various devices. The Yoga section is at ().
