How do I Properly destroy a HDD

Format _C:

Format _C:

2[H]4U
Joined
Jun 12, 2001
Messages
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I was given an old computer and the HDD has medical records on it. The computers a P133 MMX and I tried DBAN but I got an error message "fatal error(s) has occurred, Usually caused by drives with bad sectors/clusters" or a message similar to that effect the drive is a maxtor 71626AP (1.6GB So no big loss) So whats the proper way to destroy the drive so I can safely throw it out? Thanks
 
set it on fire, then run it over whilst its on fire, the hit it with a sledge hammer a few (6 or 7?) times, then throw it in a lake.
 
SoAndSo said:
set it on fire, then run it over whilst its on fire, the hit it with a sledge hammer a few (6 or 7?) times, then throw it in a lake.
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Or download the stuff that the US Gov. endorses run a few passes, recycle it and get a $5 discount on something.

Cash back and a good way to help the environment. (Yes, I went completely Green. Mother Earth feels better but not my wallet. :( ;) )
 
CptFalcon said:
Or download the stuff that the US Gov. endorses run a few passes, recycle it and get a $5 discount on something.

Cash back and a good way to help the environment. (Yes, I went completely Green. Mother Earth feels better but not my wallet. :( ;) )
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You could always pull the platters, and then reassemble the drive and recycle it. Then just pick your favorite way to destroy the platters and you are good.
 
siliconnerd said:
You could always pull the platters, and then reassemble the drive and recycle it. Then just pick your favorite way to destroy the platters and you are good.
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Maybe I am being a dick about being green, but isn't it better just to wipe it and donate/recycle it with everything inside of it? Last time I checked, silicon is still worth quite a bit.
 
I can't wipe it the drive has bad sectors & clusters DBAN failed. Oh and I took a hammer to the PCB and I took the sandpapper attachment from my dremel and I scratched the hell of of the platters and then I cut them in half.
 
Format _C: said:
I can't wipe it the drive has bad sectors & clusters DBAN failed. Oh and I took a hammer to the PCB and I took the sandpapper attachment from my dremel and I scratched the hell of of the platters and then I cut them in half.
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id say ur good to go
 
Format _C: said:
I can't wipe it the drive has bad sectors & clusters DBAN failed. Oh and I took a hammer to the PCB and I took the sandpapper attachment from my dremel and I scratched the hell of of the platters and then I cut them in half.
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Well then problem solved. Still coulda recycled it.
 
Don't ya'll watch Mythbusters.

A simple magnet will not erase magnetic information. It takes a strong alternating magnetic field to erase data.

That said, I still won't bring a magnet anywhere near my data. ;)

The only way to be sure of killing the data on the platter is to sand the magnetic layer off of the platter. Otherwise, in theory, you would still be able to read some of the data.

For us normal people though, just drilling a hole through the middle of the drive will kill it very dead with no practical possibility of reading the data.

But, it is more fun to totally demolish the drive.

I like to open up my old drives and remove the magnets that operate the read heads. They are ultra powerful, and make great conversation pieces. Just be careful if you give them to kids as they will pinch little fingers. They are also fun to mount on refrigerator magnets. It is fun watching people trying to move them. Kinda like the quarter glued to the floor trick.

Don
 
Whatever you do, make it cool and record it.
 
DonDon said:
They are also fun to mount on refrigerator magnets. It is fun watching people trying to move them. Kinda like the quarter glued to the floor trick.
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I actually expoxy a plast tab to the magnet so we can use them hold a fairly heavy calendar to our fridge. Best part...you only need one. :D
 
EnderW said:
drop it in a volcano
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An Oxyacetylene cutting torch would give you similar results with a lot cheaper travel budget.

I will be in Hawaii next month if anyone wants to send me their drive to dispose of. Scratch that, Kauai does not have any active volcanoes. :mad:

I actually expoxy a plast tab to the magnet so we can use them hold a fairly heavy calendar to our fridge. Best part...you only need one.
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My wife had these wimpy little clips that she has on the front of the fridge that she hangs important papers from. I finally got mad after they fell off for the millionth time and glued a hard drive magnet on each clip. They will each hold and encyclopedia volume now. :D
 
Yea, HDD voice coils are extremely strong which is why the idea that a magnet will erase your data is totally bunk. I like the volcano one the best.
 
BLENDTECH that bitch.

Or some C4 should do the trick, if you don't have C4 just get some break fluid and some pool shock put all that shit in a bucket and close the bucket lid and kaboom, or you could be gangster and shoot it then run it over the take a huge deuce on it.
 
Many of the ideas here are crap. One of my former cube mates did destruction testing for the government. With the right equipment, they could recover data from a hard drive even after blowing it up with a pound of C-4. To truly get rid of it you need to remove the magnetic material from the platters - sanding it off will do it, as well as microwaving it, although only an industrial microwave should be used for this. That being said, the data on the drive usually isn't worth the incredible expense of recovering it. And smashing the PCB does nothing - It can be replaced with another one from the same model easily enough.
 
Fenris_Ulf said:
Many of the ideas here are crap. One of my former cube mates did destruction testing for the government. With the right equipment, they could recover data from a hard drive even after blowing it up with a pound of C-4. To truly get rid of it you need to remove the magnetic material from the platters - sanding it off will do it, as well as microwaving it, although only an industrial microwave should be used for this. That being said, the data on the drive usually isn't worth the incredible expense of recovering it. And smashing the PCB does nothing - It can be replaced with another one from the same model easily enough.
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I call bullshit on the blowing it up and still being able to recover data off it, I have a friend who blew one up and you couldn't even find a piece bigger than a penny to recover from......O wait that friend is me.
 
Fenris_Ulf said:
Many of the ideas here are crap. One of my former cube mates did destruction testing for the government. With the right equipment, they could recover data from a hard drive even after blowing it up with a pound of C-4. To truly get rid of it you need to remove the magnetic material from the platters - sanding it off will do it, as well as microwaving it, although only an industrial microwave should be used for this. That being said, the data on the drive usually isn't worth the incredible expense of recovering it. And smashing the PCB does nothing - It can be replaced with another one from the same model easily enough.
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Assuming he's talking about data destruction rather than environmental impact, then this post is probably the right answer. After all, he did ask what the "proper" way of destroying a hard drive is; not necessarily what the most effective, easiest, quickest, and/or the most fun method of destruction is.
 
SockMan! said:
Assuming he's talking about data destruction rather than environmental impact, then this post is probably the right answer. After all, he did ask what the "proper" way of destroying a hard drive is; not necessarily what the most effective, easiest, quickest, and/or the most fun method of destruction is.
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hahah this if funny becuase your sig says did it blow up yet.

I have one word that will solve it all.

MICROWAVE
 
Are platters still made of glass or have they moved on to something more exotic? It wouldn't take much to destroy the glass.
 
Look, in theory, if there is magnetic media left on the disk platter surface, it is POSSIBLE to read it. Not easy, not cheap, but definitely possible.

The only way to make a HD platter unreadable is to remove the magnetic coating from the platter, with extreme prejudice. I recommend 80 grit sand paper, or a high speed angle grinder.

Now, for 99.999% of hard drives, it is not worth the time and expense for even simple data recovery, let alone the hard core forensics recovery that is possible.

But for the tin foil hat and black helicopter crowd........ you can never be too sure! ;)

Speaking of microwaves, has everyone tried microwaving a CD yet. That is fun.

Don
 
Fenris_Ulf said:
Many of the ideas here are crap. One of my former cube mates did destruction testing for the government. With the right equipment, they could recover data from a hard drive even after blowing it up with a pound of C-4. To truly get rid of it you need to remove the magnetic material from the platters - sanding it off will do it, as well as microwaving it, although only an industrial microwave should be used for this. That being said, the data on the drive usually isn't worth the incredible expense of recovering it. And smashing the PCB does nothing - It can be replaced with another one from the same model easily enough.
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I call bullshit on this.
 
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