Disposing of hard drives?

[Freitag]

Is there a proper way to dispose of a hard drive? I've got about 10 of them. What I plan to do is dump everything on them to a large hard drive, then format each one, and then drill holes in the platters.

Is this correct, or is there another way?

Also, I found this awesome little gadget on Amazon - it's basically the "guts" of a hard drive enclosure for much cheaper - it's a USB cable with a SATA, 3.5 IDE, and 2.5 IDE connector on the other side.

[Cleophus James]

Is there a proper way to dispose of a hard drive? I've got about 10 of them. What I plan to do is dump everything on them to a large hard drive, then format each one, and then drill holes in the platters.

Is this correct, or is there another way?

Also, I found this awesome little gadget on Amazon - it's basically the "guts" of a hard drive enclosure for much cheaper - it's a USB cable with a SATA, 3.5 IDE, and 2.5 IDE connector on the other side.
Just drillem, At work I have them saw them in half if need be.

[Cleophus James]

Why do I quote from the post right above me. I'm an idiot.

But to be clearer. As soon as you cut or damage the disk, its useless.

[ANC]

Why do I quote from the post right above me. I'm an idiot.

But to be clearer. As soon as you cut or damage the disk, its useless.

Just drillem, At work I have them saw them in half if need be.

I agree. What I do here at the office is format the drive, open it up and slice apart the physical drive.. Sometime for good measure I sit it on an industrial strength magnet for an hour (pointless since I'll chop it up, but whatever)

[MadMatt]

Is there a proper way to dispose of a hard drive? I've got about 10 of them. What I plan to do is dump everything on them to a large hard drive, then format each one, and then drill holes in the platters.

Is this correct, or is there another way?

Also, I found this awesome little gadget on Amazon - it's basically the "guts" of a hard drive enclosure for much cheaper - it's a USB cable with a SATA, 3.5 IDE, and 2.5 IDE connector on the other side.

That's the ticket. If you want to go further, do what the British Government does - do the above, plus use a magnet, then throw them in a furness until the drive is obliterated.

What is the "non-enclosure drive gadget" called. I could DEFINITELY use one of those here at work.

EDIT: I searched Amazon and found them. NICE!

[topless_mike]

drill press it.

[Freitag]

That's the ticket. If you want to go further, do what the British Government does - do the above, plus use a magnet, then throw them in a furness until the drive is obliterated.

What is the "non-enclosure drive gadget" called. I could DEFINITELY use one of those here at work.

Sabrent USB-DSC5 Serial ATA or IDE 2.5-/3.5-Inch to USB 2.0 Cable Converter Adapter with Power Supply
(http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-USB-DSC5-3-5-Inch-Converter-Adapter/dp/B000HJ99DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1201273099&sr=8-1)

It's a little more expensive than other places, but the price shakes out because the other places charges shipping. Amazon doesn't (aslong as you get something else, like a book or CD)

[bnceo]

I'm always down for more hard drives. Give them to me!

Anywho, getting rid of them? Magnets, triple formats will do the trick.

[Dougie Brootal]

i smash em with a sledge.

[tupper65]

http://my.opera.com/sanshan/homes/blog/hammer.jpg

[topless_mike]

http://www.people.exeter.ac.uk/nkjdatta/photos/abroad/macau2/cannon.jpg

[JPMNICK]

i have a linux utility which write's all 0's to the hard drive. i run that 4 times, and then toss it. i also do not have anything really important on the drives, so i do not care much.

make sure to bring them to a recycling center, they have more security for these things. some towns have monthly days for computer parts

[Cleophus James]

http://blog.makezine.com/linux-penguin.jpg
Bragger

[KC2OSO]

I usually blow them up with a:
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/war-tech-nuclear-bomb-200.jpg

Then I put them in MEIN HINEY!

[CountryBob]

Go to a steel mill and dump em in the molten metal. It sure worked good for obliviating the TERMINATOR.

[HBox]

I send them to this friendly man in Nigeria. Not only did he say I won the Nigerian lottery he'll also dispose of all my old hard drives! I don't even have to delete them!

[ToddEVF]

i just overload them with data and hope they get synaptic seepage.

wait. . . thats how I dispose of Mnemonic Carriers. My mistake.

Just drill them sombitches

[Snoogans]

Set that bitch on fire

[Death Metal Moe]

I usually blow them up with a:
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/war-tech-nuclear-bomb-200.jpg

Then I put them in MEIN HINEY!

LINGERRRRRRRRRRR LONGERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IMSlacker]

If you want to go further, do what the British Government does - do the above, plus use a magnet, then throw them in a furness until the drive is obliterated.

You forgot the step where they piss on them. That's an essential step.

[Chris from TX]

I make sure all of my email and documents are readily accessible. Then, I leave it on the curb so Louis C.K. can come by and pick it up.

[PapaBear]

I can't even begin to comprehend the concept of throwing away computer components that still work. At the very least, they take up some closet space until the next "free after rebate" USB hard drive enclosure deal comes around. It never hurts to have a free external 40 gig hard drive sitting around the house.

[Ritalin]

I don't do anything that special. I just remove it from the tower, then wipe my ass with it, then throw it away.

Then, if anyone tries to get any information off of it, joke's on them.

Edit: Besides, it's just porn. Big Whoop.

[Bulldogcakes]

You need to travel to the local reservoir where you get your drinking water from and throw them into it. Preferably, as close to the exit drain as you can get it.

[sr71blackbird]

Just out of curiosity, is it really such an issue where people are obtaining information from the drives? I would have though a ball bat to them would be sufficient, no?

[plug]

It's amazing what one can extract from a found hard drive. Here is a test if bored, download a copy of EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard Professional 3.3.4 from somewhere like a popular torrent site. Install software.

Format the drive you want to throw away, after getting the data off.
Run the EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard Professional 3.3.4 software afterwards and be amazed that you can get 100% of the content back. Format the drive several more times.. The DoD formats old drives multiple times prior to disposal.