HDD Disposal

[Johan]

What method do you all use for safely and securely disposing of your old/broken hard drives? I'm a bit paranoid (I prefer to think 'wisely cautious') regarding hard drive data, but I don't really know what to do with them when they fail. I have five broken drives, and I'd love to just get rid of them, but I don't want data to be available to others.

Suggestions?

[Zurik]

Burn it in the fires of Mount Doom!

[Hydroeric]

When I cannot write 0's to the hard drive (http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/76052-45-write-clean-hard-drive), I prefer to physically destroying the drives, meaning the platters inside the enclosure.

Here is an instructional video:

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Wear safety goggles.

[AspectVoid]

Low level format. If low level format is not an option, a high power magnet will do the trick. If a high power magnet is not an option, kill it with fire. If fire is not an option, then a sledge hammer. If a sledge hammer is not an option, then go to the store and buy a sledge hammer.

[Whimbrel]

At the public institution where I work they are extremely paranoid about data on hard drives, but they are also required to sell old computer equipment, so they pull the hard drives and put them on a drill press and literally run a 1/2" bit straight through the whole thing. They then sell the remaining case and other components.

It seems like overkill, but that is how they do it here.

[Johan]

Thank you for the suggestions. I think I'll be buying a sledgehammer, or possibly a bigger drill bit/drill! :D

[stalazon]

Put it in a MRI machine..

[rubbishfoo]

I take mine to the aluminum recyclers.

[Syl]

I take mine apart and admire the platters. I just love how they look.

[lockwoodx]

So much gold and platinum in those things. I can only imagine the fortune recycling companies make.

[Johan]

Well, I had five broken drives (three with single platters, one with two platters, and one with four platters) and I dealt with them all today. I unscrewed the metal lid and learned the hard way that there are hidden screws under the adhesive sticker (has drive information) on the metal cover, and I had to scrape around to find the screw, uncover it, and remove it. The screws were all hexascrews, but I have a healthy tool kit so I had the necessary bits for my screwdriver to get them out. After removal I took the drives outside to my driveway and, using a metal stake of sorts, I hammered holes throughout the platters. Let me tell you, those suckers are tough. I broke a good quarter inch off the tip of a solid pointed metal stake, but I got the job done. Getting data off of those things is a lost cause. They're mangled. :D

[Anenome]

Old HDDs make great knife sharpeners!

http://i.imgur.com/lrV8d.png