How to properly destroy a Internal Hard Drive

[Guest]

Anyone got any tips on how to destroy an internal hard drive to effectively remove and data I have on it?

 

[USAFRet]

Anyone got any tips on how to destroy an internal hard drive to effectively remove and data I have on it?

As said before...DBAN or a hammer.

 

[Shektron]

Take a hammer and smash it to as many bits as possible(no pun intended). And I'm not joking - that's the only way to do it.

 

[Guest]

Anyone got any tips on how to destroy an internal hard drive to effectively remove and data I have on it?

As said before...DBAN or a hammer.

Hammer the platter until it shatters? That a good rhyme and solution?

 

[Shektron]

Hammer it until the internal disk type thing(yes, I think it's called a platter) is just not there anymore.

 

[USAFRet]

Anyone got any tips on how to destroy an internal hard drive to effectively remove and data I have on it?

As said before...DBAN or a hammer.

Hammer the platter until it shatters? That a good rhyme and solution?

If it is an aluminum platter, it will not necessarily 'shatter'.
But hit it enough times, and it will be bent enough so that any residual data is completely unrecoverable.

 

[Guest]

Hammer it until the internal disk type thing(yes, I think it's called a platter) is just not there anymore.

How many shatters until its unrecoverable?

 

[USAFRet]

Hammer it until the internal disk type thing(yes, I think it's called a platter) is just not there anymore.

How many shatters until its unrecoverable?

If you have a large enough hammer, you only need to hit it once.

 

[Guest]

Hammer it until the internal disk type thing(yes, I think it's called a platter) is just not there anymore.

How many shatters until its unrecoverable?

If you have a large enough hammer, you only need to hit it once.

Ok

 

[Shektron]

Don't worry too much, just hit about 10 times really hard, until it looks more like mashed potatoes than a hard drive, and from there you can be sure no one's recovering it.

 

[Guest]

Don't worry too much, just hit about 10 times really hard, until it looks more like mashed potatoes than a hard drive, and from there you can be sure no one's recovering it.

After destroying it where should I dispose it?

 

[Shektron]

It'd be best you bury it deep.
Just kidding. Toss it into the trash can.

 

[Guest]

It'd be best you bury it deep.
Just kidding. Toss it into the trash can.

Pretty sure where I live no one is going to waste time scrounging in normal trash for a hard drive

 

[USAFRet]

Don't worry too much, just hit about 10 times really hard, until it looks more like mashed potatoes than a hard drive, and from there you can be sure no one's recovering it.

After destroying it where should I dispose it?

Recycling.
Not just toss it in the trash.

(but to allay your fears...they won't be able to recover any of your personal data from it.)

 

[Shektron]

Yeah, if you care about the environment you could recycle it as well. Don't know why I didn't think of that..

 

[Guest]

Don't worry too much, just hit about 10 times really hard, until it looks more like mashed potatoes than a hard drive, and from there you can be sure no one's recovering it.

After destroying it where should I dispose it?

Recycling.
Not just toss it in the trash.

(but to allay your fears...they won't be able to recover any of your personal data from it.)

I'll give it to microcenter so they can recycle the bits and pieces they get from it.

 

[Shektron]

It's okay if you give bits...don't give them the bytes though xD. Sorry I couldn't resist 😛.

 

[Guest]

It's okay if you give bits...don't give them the bytes though xD. Sorry I couldn't resist 😛.

I'll probably just go with my local recycle center so I can get like .03 cents back.

 

[USAFRet]

It's okay if you give bits...don't give them the bytes though xD. Sorry I couldn't resist 😛.

I'll probably just go with my local recycle center so I can get like .03 cents back.

Or...if its still functioning...you could just put it in another PC and continue using it.

 

[Guest]

It's okay if you give bits...don't give them the bytes though xD. Sorry I couldn't resist 😛.

I'll probably just go with my local recycle center so I can get like .03 cents back.

Or...if its still functioning...you could just put it in another PC and continue using it.

Well it is still functioning its just. I need to reinstall windows 10 on it for it to work. And I currently can't right now because the family member does not have the build ready.. So what if I just have it formatted and then wait until they get the OS and everything ready for install?

 

[USAFRet]

Well it is still functioning its just. I need to reinstall windows 10 on it for it to work. And I currently can't right now because the family member does not have the build ready.. So what if I just have it formatted and then wait until they get the OS and everything ready for install?

If it still works, don't just toss it away or destroy it.

Use it as a secondary drive in something. Doesn't need an OS or anything...it would be just another drive letter, and more drive space.
Use it for a primary, and install an OS on it.

You don't have to do anything with it right now.
If it is to become the primary drive in a new system, you can wipe all the existing partitions during the OS install.

What size/make/model is this drive?

 

[Guest]

Well it is still functioning its just. I need to reinstall windows 10 on it for it to work. And I currently can't right now because the family member does not have the build ready.. So what if I just have it formatted and then wait until they get the OS and everything ready for install?

If it still works, don't just toss it away or destroy it.

Use it as a secondary drive in something. Doesn't need an OS or anything...it would be just another drive letter, and more drive space.
Use it for a primary, and install an OS on it.

You don't have to do anything with it right now.
If it is to become the primary drive in a new system, you can wipe all the existing partitions during the OS install.

What size/make/model is this drive?

This is currently my OS drive and I am going to have my stuff reinstalled on a bigger hard drive. Whilest I am doing this a family member is in need of a new HDD. If I format this HDD and do not reinstall windows will they be able to install windows 10 at a later time?

 

[USAFRet]

This is currently my OS drive and I am going to have my stuff reinstalled on a bigger hard drive. Whilest I am doing this a family member is in need of a new HDD. If I format this HDD and do not reinstall windows will they be able to install windows 10 at a later time?

Absolutely, yes.
There is no need to simply throw away a fully functioning drive.

 

[Guest]

Well it is still functioning its just. I need to reinstall windows 10 on it for it to work. And I currently can't right now because the family member does not have the build ready.. So what if I just have it formatted and then wait until they get the OS and everything ready for install?

If it still works, don't just toss it away or destroy it.

Use it as a secondary drive in something. Doesn't need an OS or anything...it would be just another drive letter, and more drive space.
Use it for a primary, and install an OS on it.

You don't have to do anything with it right now.
If it is to become the primary drive in a new system, you can wipe all the existing partitions during the OS install.

What size/make/model is this drive?

This is currently my OS drive and I am going to have my stuff reinstalled on a bigger hard drive. Whilest I am doing this a family member is in need of a new HDD. If I format this HDD and do not reinstall windows will they be able to install windows 10 at a later time?

Absolutely, yes.
There is no need to simply throw away a fully functioning drive.

Ok and the family member will be using a disc install. Any difference between the two?

 

[USAFRet]

Ok and the family member will be using a disc install. Any difference between the two?

None whatsoever.
It is simply a hard drive. It does not care what OS, or what data, or where it comes from.

If it functions and is of a relevant size...use it.
Don't fill up the landfill with stuff that still has value.