Question Can I still use an OLD HD

[Recruiter]

I still have my very old HD (Dated Mar 2008) that came from my tower running Vista. When I switched to a laptop, I purchased a SATA drive converter to USB, which I still have.
The "new" laptop was running Win 8, but I still needed to move a lot of sensitive data.
It's a Hitachi Deskstar 7200RPM, 750GB drive. Model #HDS721075KLA330, if that helps. I got the inclination to try to use it as an external data backup drive.
Obviously, I would have to format the drive first, without it interfering with my current HD.
Anyone think this is still possible/advisable or am I simply on a fool's errand.
If so, I need to know the best way to do it.
FYI: it was partitioned with 2 OS on it - both Vista, and 2 data partitions.
Thanks

 

[Darkbreeze]

Any drive that old is a very bad choice as a "backup" unless it's only one of multiple backups that will have the same information on it. That drive is 16 years old. Generally, I trash any HDD that is more than ten years old unless it's something I know for certain has been barely used and even then I will still only use it as a second backup in case something happens to the original and first backup.

Plus, that is one of the worst hard drives of all time. They used to be known as Deathstar instead of Deskstar, because they failed so often, so quickly and so spectacularly that usually anything on them was just gone.

 

[USAFRet]

17 years old.

You can use it, right up to the moment it dies.

Being already 17 years old, that date is probably quite soon.

A Hitachi DeathStar? Amazing it still works.

 

[Darkbreeze]

17 years old.

You can use it, right up to the moment it dies.

Being already 17 years old, that date is probably quite soon.

A Hitachi DeathStar? Amazing it still works.

Amazing it worked after the first year.

 

[Recruiter]

Any suggestions how to best wipe the drive clean before I junk it?
Believe it or not, it did still work. (I plugged it in out of curiosity)

 

[CelicaGT]

Amazing it worked after the first year.

Usually any drive that makes it a year makes it a decade. This IS a deathstar however so ya, amazing is an understatement.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Any suggestions how to best wipe the drive clean before I junk it?
Believe it or not, it did still work. (I plugged it in out of curiosity)

Drill four holes of any size directly all the way through the entire drive. Like so, where the red dots are. Three through the platters and one through the head assembly actuator arm. Nobody is ever getting anything off of it after that, I don't care who they are.