Destroying old internal hard drives.

Buckeye said:
What do you folks have on your hard drive that causes all of this concern? There's nothing on mine that would be worth anyone trying to recover.
Click to expand...
It's the fear of the unknown. Did I leave my social security number or banking information somewhere on it? After a while a hard drive is filled with so much junk that you can't remember what you put on it.

And it's a privacy thing. We don't want anybody looking at our stuff, whatever it is.
 

I remove HD and format externally.
sabrent.jpg
>$20 on Amazon, HD becomes your own personal/private 'Cloud'.
 
Last edited:
Let it soak in water for some time is as good as other methods, methinks.
 
Buckeye said:
What do you folks have on your hard drive that causes all of this concern? There's nothing on mine that would be worth anyone trying to recover.
Click to expand...
Mostly a lot of sensitive financial information, but also medical and other personal information that I don't want just floating around somewhere. Starting with my most recent computer, none of that sort of information is stored on my computer.
 
CBL Data Shredder for Windows - FREE - may work. I use Linux so can't verify. If you've used a web browser & the web the information is out there. If you've used a credit card for transactions the information is out there. Good Luck! You need to stay off the grid for peace of mind. Too many devices & chances for tracking.
 
Last edited:
Tommy said:
Mostly a lot of sensitive financial information, but also medical and other personal information that I don't want just floating around somewhere. Starting with my most recent computer, none of that sort of information is stored on my computer.
Click to expand...
Tracking - You're spied on a lot of detectors for a range of reasons while you are browsing. Sensors keep track of your browsing history and monitor all your web searches via a range of means. These sensors give them a good idea of what you're doing and your desires, violating online privacy policies and making you publicly accessible. Most of the time, this targeting is for business reasons only and enables marketers to view advertisements according to their preferences and interest.
But often, this information is exploited by cyber criminals to take out illicit and unlawful acts that endanger your online life
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
TennVet said:
Does it work to pour bleach on them?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. There's several disks in the old mechanical magnetic hard drives, and if I understand it correctly, they can be <read> even many years after if someone has the means to do so. Liquids wouldn't matter, unless the liquid actually destroyed the surface of the disk (maybe), like some acid or something. I'm not even sure that bending or bashing the disks would make them completely impossible to read. It's best to erase and reformat the disk before it's discarded, but I've also heard that even that is not fool proof, so I just add the hammer treatment for good measure.
 
Tommy said:
Since the mid '90s I've disposed of three outdated desktop computers. In each case I dutifully removed the internal hard drives, saving their destruction for someday in the future. Well, "someday" finally came. I've gone online to learn how to permanently destroy them with little success, so I'm asking for advice.

All three are what I assume to be standard Seagate hard drives. They contain financial, medical, and other personal data that I don't really want to be just floating around somewhere. Internet instructions seem to fall into one of two categories. Either:

1. Use a program designed to to overwrite the drive multiple times. Too late for that; those computers are long gone. I bought a USB adapter to try to access them from my current computer but it couldn't even find the drives.

2. Disassemble the drive and . . . Hmmm - therein lies the problem. These instructions start by telling me to remove all of the screws to open up the drive. None of my drives are held together with normal screws, but rather what look like round headed rivets with a small round dimple in the center of the head. I was eventually able to destroy one drive by drilling out the "screws". It took a very loooong time, a lot of muscle, and destroyed two good drill bits to accomplish this. I then removed the metal disk and, with a bench vise and a big hammer, finally managed to bend it to a point where I consider it safe to throw away. I don't really want to have to do that again for the other two.

So, any suggestions from anyone on the forum? The only other suggestion I've found was to shoot holes through it with a high-powered rifle . . . probably not the best solution. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I‘ve gone the hammer route a couple of times.
 
I took one apart today. My tower computer died and I tried reviving it by replacing the power supply unit. The second I plugged in the computer there was a pop and that was it. It is dead. Took out the hard drive and removed all the screws. Used sandpaper on the disk and threw everything in the garbage. There's nothing on the hard drive except some personal notes to myself anyway. I will miss it though.
 
You can find pictures of your Hard Drive on line so you easily identify it when you remove the screws.

Put on gloves and safety glasses. Loosen the screws, remove the cover, loosen the hard drive screws & pull the hard drive out of the mother board, crush it. Crush the mother board, the memory and adjacent parts easily with a large object. Make sure you crush the Chips too. Screwing up the mother board will wreck the Processors.

Put the smashed-up parts separately into different baggies into different trash bags and begone evil thing. Donate the monitor to the goodwill.
Have faith in your innate ability to really wreck stuff when needed.

Enjoy your Iced Tea. Relax you now are a good disposal dude. ... :coffee: ...
 
Last edited:
Buckeye said:
What do you folks have on your hard drive that causes all of this concern? There's nothing on mine that would be worth anyone trying to recover.
Click to expand...
I have passwords, acct numbers, social security stuff, etc.
A lot of people assume taking it to a recycling center is good. But there and the kids who tear apart computers have access to the hard drives.
(not sure) but don't hard drives have a back up system as well? So there has to be a process to destroy your private info before deposing of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top