Computer on start up chimes to a black screen
How do I wipe all data before disposing of the
computer 12 years old OS High Sierra OS 10.13.6
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What is the exact model of your Mac? You can get this information by entering the system serial number here:
Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support
Have you tried using an external display to see if any video is seen on the external display?
You can try using Target Disk Mode so you can connect this broken Mac to another Mac in order to try to access the data on it. This requires the proper cables & adapters for connecting the two Macs together. Mac does not need to boot or have any video for this to work. It must, however, have a working internal drive and USB & Thunderbolt ports.
If we know the exact model, then we may be able to provide other options. Since you report a black screen, I'm assuming you may have a Retina model laptop. There may be other options for certain models.