How do I destroy a hard drive?

[blueschica]

So many here are wise in the way of things computer, so maybe you can help me. We are a Mac family and have two old ones in the garage, a G4 and a G3 from the turn of the century.

 

I thought I could wipe them clean and recycle them at the county recycling day, but even with the start up disc, the disk utility won't do the erase function it is supposed to do. I found handy instructions on the internet and armed with my Torx screwdriver, I guess I will take out the hard drives tomorrow instead. :o

 

After that, I am OK with Staples or the recycling day taking the shell that is left, but what do you do with the hard drives? They had all our kids' financial aid forms for college on them. Do you really put them in a bag and smash them with a hammer? Will that release weird heavy metals that I should try to get my husband to take to the chemical waste trash at his work? Or can I just throw the pieces away in the trash, then?

 

I'm serious, I've done home construction before but never Mac destruction! :P

[Principled Man]

Do you have a fire pit in the back yard?

 

Or, some simple power saws will do the trick......(and be sure to wear your safety glasses!).....

[grep]

I use a power drill when they crash. 2 or 3 holes, and even the fracking NSA can't recover anything.

[x1yyz]

Just unscrew the case and take apart the insides. Scratch up the disk platters. There will be no retrieving data after that, and you end up with some SUPER-strong magnets to boot.

[EagleMoon]

I've heard of using a sledgehammer, or using a drill. Either one would work. I would think if you destroyed the pins where it plugs in that that would work.

[grep]

I've heard of using a sledgehammer, or using a drill. Either one would work. I would think if you destroyed the pins where it plugs in that that would work.

 

you gonna do physical damage to the platters in the drive. Hence the drill.

 

The pins and circuit boards are replaceable. Trust me.

[EagleMoon]

I've heard of using a sledgehammer, or using a drill. Either one would work. I would think if you destroyed the pins where it plugs in that that would work.

 

you gonna do physical damage to the platters in the drive. Hence the drill.

 

The pins and circuit boards are replaceable. Trust me.

 

I wonder if you submerged it in water for a few days if that would work?

[grep]

ask youself..does water destroy magnetism?

[x1yyz]

I've heard of using a sledgehammer, or using a drill. Either one would work. I would think if you destroyed the pins where it plugs in that that would work.

 

you gonna do physical damage to the platters in the drive. Hence the drill.

 

The pins and circuit boards are replaceable. Trust me.

 

I wonder if you submerged it in water for a few days if that would work?

 

All you have to do is take it apart. You can do that in a few minutes.

[Mr. Not]

[HemiBeers]

30 year IT pro here, so this is in my wheelhouse.

 

I used to destroy old hard drives with the physically destructive methods. But the hard drives can actually be re-used or recycled so there's a more friendly way to do it. Although this is a MAC, there are many free utility programs that allow you to overwrite your hard drive, making it impossible to recover files. The one I used (sorry I don't do hardware anymore) was a linux utility that you would boot up from CD and run. Basically it would make 7 to 20 passes over your hard drive and right random 0s and 1s to it. The old files would be sufficeintly garbled, but the drive could also be reformated and reused after running the utility. Here's a link to a bunch of utilities.

 

http://pcsupport.abo...on-software.htm

Edited October 24, 2015 by 2112FirstStreet

[laughedatbytime]

According to the person some think will be the next president of the US, all you need to do is wipe it with a cloth.

[Lorraine]

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

Edited October 24, 2015 by Lorraine

[blueschica]

Thanks so much, everyone! It helps to know to open up the actual hard drive and proceed to destruction from there! :P

[grep]

30 year IT pro here, so this is in my wheelhouse.

 

I used to destroy old hard drives with the physically destructive methods. But the hard drives can actually be re-used or recycled so there's a more friendly way to do it. Although this is a MAC, there are many free utility programs that allow you to overwrite your hard drive, making it impossible to recover files. The one I used (sorry I don't do hardware anymore) was a linux utility that you would boot up from CD and run. Basically it would make 7 to 20 passes over your hard drive and right random 0s and 1s to it. The old files would be sufficeintly garbled, but the drive could also be reformated and reused after running the utility. Here's a link to a bunch of utilities.

 

http://pcsupport.abo...on-software.htm

 

The ultimate boot CD - has all those tools. You're right about this.. if one wants to reuse the drive /donate / recycle. But that writing over the drive takes time. Many hours. or more depending on the size.

 

My frame of reference i guess is either a drive that's faulty, or one that for one reason or another I just want to dispose of quicly. Hence the physical destruction.

 

Edit: For windows users...if you have some time, and want to see for yourself that deleted files aren't really deleted, try this easy to use recovery software called Recuva. Point it at your hard drive(s) and let it churn for a while. You'd be suprised what it thinks it's able to recover.

Edited October 24, 2015 by grep

[blueschica]

30 year IT pro here, so this is in my wheelhouse.

 

I used to destroy old hard drives with the physically destructive methods. But the hard drives can actually be re-used or recycled so there's a more friendly way to do it. Although this is a MAC, there are many free utility programs that allow you to overwrite your hard drive, making it impossible to recover files. The one I used (sorry I don't do hardware anymore) was a linux utility that you would boot up from CD and run. Basically it would make 7 to 20 passes over your hard drive and right random 0s and 1s to it. The old files would be sufficeintly garbled, but the drive could also be reformated and reused after running the utility. Here's a link to a bunch of utilities.

 

http://pcsupport.abo...on-software.htm

 

Thanks so much for your information, also, FirstStreet. Rewriting/Erasing the hard drive and then recycling was what I originally wanted to do, but when I tried it on the one computer, I couldn't get any kind of rewriting program to work; I think something might be wrong with the hard drive. The other computer is so old I can't even get it to boot up so I'm just left with the destruction option, sigh. There is too much old stuff hanging around right now and it will help to just have these out.

Edited October 24, 2015 by blueschica

[x1yyz]

Thanks so much, everyone! It helps to know to open up the actual hard drive and proceed to destruction from there! :P

 

Just unscrew the small screws on the outside of the case and start pulling things apart. Scratching or breaking the disk platters will also render them unreadable.

[Turbine Freight]

I use a power drill when they crash. 2 or 3 holes, and even the fracking NSA can't recover anything.

 

This. Drill some holes in it & it's wrecked.

[Lorraine]

I use a power drill when they crash. 2 or 3 holes, and even the fracking NSA can't recover anything.

 

This. Drill some holes in it & it's wrecked.

 

Just drill the holes anywhere?

[treeduck]

I use a power drill when they crash. 2 or 3 holes, and even the fracking NSA can't recover anything.

 

This. Drill some holes in it & it's wrecked.

 

Just drill the holes anywhere?

So many here are wise in the way of things computer, so maybe you can help me. We are a Mac family and have two old ones in the garage, a G4 and a G3 from the turn of the century.

 

I thought I could wipe them clean and recycle them at the county recycling day, but even with the start up disc, the disk utility won't do the erase function it is supposed to do. I found handy instructions on the internet and armed with my Torx screwdriver, I guess I will take out the hard drives tomorrow instead. :o

 

After that, I am OK with Staples or the recycling day taking the shell that is left, but what do you do with the hard drives? They had all our kids' financial aid forms for college on them. Do you really put them in a bag and smash them with a hammer? Will that release weird heavy metals that I should try to get my husband to take to the chemical waste trash at his work? Or can I just throw the pieces away in the trash, then?

 

I'm serious, I've done home construction before but never Mac destruction! :P

Go on the kind of porn sites that Johnny Blaze visits and your hard drive will be destroyed within a week!

[HemiBeers]

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

 

Oh no no no, don't dump it in a river. All kinds of nasty chemicals and metals released into the water.

 

I guess the consensus from the forum is that they can't wait to bust some computer stuff.

[EagleMoon]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PpX_mjuhM6Y/VOdRRDoVTBI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/zCM8FFq7QmM/s1600/Koala-meme-kill-it-with-fire-22.jpg

[HomesickAlien]

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

 

Seal the pieces in a block of concrete and bury it in the forest under cover of darkness ...for the truly paranoid.

 

http://youtu.be/Fi26vFwoPvw

[blueschica]

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

 

Seal the pieces in a block of concrete and bury it in the forest under cover of darkness ...for the truly paranoid.

 

http://youtu.be/Fi26vFwoPvw

 

Ahahahaha! The new neighbors already look sideways at us when we set fire to our tent caterpillars and yellow jackets. Burying things in the yard would be awesome. . . .

[Cygnus 2112]

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

 

Seal the pieces in a block of concrete and bury it in the forest under cover of darkness ...for the truly paranoid.

 

http://youtu.be/Fi26vFwoPvw

 

Ahahahaha! The new neighbors already look sideways at us when we set fire to our tent caterpillars and yellow jackets. Burying things in the yard would be awesome. . . .

Smash it to bits. If you don't have the strength to do that, find someone who does.

 

Or, you can drop in a river. Or another large body of water. :)

 

Seal the pieces in a block of concrete and bury it in the forest under cover of darkness ...for the truly paranoid.

 

http://youtu.be/Fi26vFwoPvw

 

Ahahahaha! The new neighbors already look sideways at us when we set fire to our tent caterpillars and yellow jackets. Burying things in the yard would be awesome. . . .

Bury it in a 6foot long bad, and do it at night.