Question Disposing of old, unused hard drives whilst ensuring the data is not recoverable ?

[sirhawkeye64]

So I have probably 15-20 old hard drives that I no longer use (these are smaller drives from 10+ years ago, so like 500GB drives, and a few are some 250GB drives). I no longer use them but had used them to store personal data. I'm wanting to discard them or recycle them but want to make sure the data is not recoverable. From what I recall, exposing the disk platters destroys data that's on them I believe, or maybe I need to smash the platters themselves as well or at least damage them to a point where they cannot be rebuilt. Is this the best way to ensure that data is erased? The drives may work and I had thought about doing a full DoD erase on the drives that still work, but then figured this might be a waste of time if I"m just going to destroy them before recycling/discarding them.

Thoughts?

 

[USAFRet]

Options:
1. Hammer.

2. Disassemble, recover the fridge magnets. Bend or break the platters.

3. Shooting range.

 

[Lutfij]

(Physically)Destroying the drive beyond recognition is one way of preventing a drive from being accessible, yes, LOL. Maybe have the drive placed in a(an anger)venting room...?

 

[USAFRet]

And if you do decide to go the software route, a simple Full Format in Windows File Explorer is good.
Yes, I've tested this. MS changed the functionality a few years ago. A Full format does indeed write 0's to the whole drive.

Absolutely NOTHING was recoverable.

 

[Zerk2012]

Hammer time

 

[bill001g]

Taking a drill and drilling even a couple small holes that go though the platters will discourage anybody except the government.

You could also take a bucket of water put some salt in it and let them sit in it for a couple days. Will stop all but the most determined person.

 

[fzabkar]

There is no need to physically destroy them. That would be a waste. Instead, it is sufficient to zero-fill them or to run an ATA Enhanced Secure Erase command against them. No government agency will be able to recover anything. Then you can confidently recycle the drives.

 

[JayGau]

At work we shred them. You can search online for hard drive shredding service near you.

 

[bill001g]

There is no need to physically destroy them. That would be a waste. Instead, it is sufficient to zero-fill them or to run an ATA Enhanced Secure Erase command against them. No government agency will be able to recover anything. Then you can confidently recycle the drives.

More the problem is finding a old machine with the proper cables. How long has it been since you have seen a machine that supports scsi. I was looking though my junk box in the garage and noticed I still had one of those drives.

 

[TerryLaze]

More the problem is finding a old machine with the proper cables. How long has it been since you have seen a machine that supports scsi. I was looking though my junk box in the garage and noticed I still had one of those drives.

We have the technology. We can make it better than it was. Better, stronger, faster.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EVAWWsaBUg

 

[Bob.B]

So I have probably 15-20 old hard drives that I no longer use (these are smaller drives from 10+ years ago, so like 500GB drives, and a few are some 250GB drives). I no longer use them but had used them to store personal data. I'm wanting to discard them or recycle them but want to make sure the data is not recoverable. From what I recall, exposing the disk platters destroys data that's on them I believe, or maybe I need to smash the platters themselves as well or at least damage them to a point where they cannot be rebuilt. Is this the best way to ensure that data is erased? The drives may work and I had thought about doing a full DoD erase on the drives that still work, but then figured this might be a waste of time if I"m just going to destroy them before recycling/discarding them.

Thoughts?

If I had something really important on some media the only way that media leaves my hands is in pieces.

 

[Misgar]

How long has it been since you have seen a machine that supports scsi.

Yup. Got one sitting right next to my 7950X rig. It's a Phenom II X4 965 running Windows XP, 7 and 10 with an Adaptec SCSI controller for the Sony tape drive and any Ultra320 drives I might need to resurrect. My first two optical drives and scanners were SCSI. I also have FireWire.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb3Xa1h_RqM

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Thansk for the suggestions. I think I'll do my typical method of destroying them, or at least destroying the platters themselves. I'm not fully convinced on the full-format idea or even those that claim to be "DoD" compliant though.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm not fully convinced on the full-format idea or even those that claim to be "DoD" compliant though.

I literally tried this last year.

Spare 3TB HDD.
Fill it with ~2TB data.
Full Format in File Explorer.
36 hour deep scan with Autopsy.
Zero data found. Absolutely nothing.

A few years ago, MS changed the Format sequence. It now does indeed write 0's to the entire drive.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/p...server/format-command-not-write-zeros-to-disk
"By default in Windows Vista and later versions, the format command writes zeros to the whole disk when a full format is performed."

 

[bill001g]

Thansk for the suggestions. I think I'll do my typical method of destroying them, or at least destroying the platters themselves. I'm not fully convinced on the full-format idea or even those that claim to be "DoD" compliant though.

DoD assume that someone would dig though your trash and take all the fragments of the smashed platters to get partial data since the bits still exist on the fragments. Even shredding of paper is not good enough for DoD, they used to require you to burn the shredding output but I think the environmentalists have gotten them to change that. Last I heard they mix the shredding with a water/bleach solutions and sell it to paper manufactures.