What You Need To Do Before You Get Rid Of Your Fax Machine

These days, someone might be more likely to send a fax from your smartphone than through a dedicated fax machine, but that doesn't mean fax machines are on the outs. Plenty of businesses still use them to send and share documents.

However, as with all technology, that fax machine will eventually need to be replaced or disposed of if you don't need one anymore. Aside from making sure you're getting rid of the machine in an appropriate manner (electronics recycling centers, designated drop-off locations, etc.), there's one other thing you'll want to take care of: Wiping its memory.

Your fax machine likely has built-in memory storage, which allows it to hold onto a digital copy of whatever you fax or copy from it. While space is limited, with older data being replaced as new documents are scanned, anything left in its memory could be accessible in the future if someone were to hook the machine back up again. This is why it's important to wipe your fax machine's memory before you get rid of it, just like you would a computer or smartphone.

The exact process for dumping your fax machine's stored data will differ slightly based on the brand and model number, but the general broad strokes should be similar.

1. Make sure the fax machine is plugged in and turned on.
2. Use the menu controls on the fax machine to locate and open an option like Settings or Setup (the wording may vary).
3. Dig through the options to find something along the lines of Service, Fax Service, Tools, Fax Setup, etc.
4. Look for an option like Clear Saved Faxes, Clear Fax Log, Delete All, Reset Storage, Clear Memory, and so on. Select it, and if prompted, select Accept or Okay or something similar.
5. Wait for an indication that the information has been cleared before turning off and unplugging the fax machine.

If you're still having trouble navigating through the menus to find the right options, check your owner's manual (or look on the manufacturer's official website) for directions on wiping your particular fax machine model's memory and follow those steps.