News Microsoft uses automated robots to disassemble and recycle HDDs — company typically shreds two million hard drives per year

[Admin]

Instead of shredding outgoing HDDs, Microsoft disassembles them, then recycles rare earth metals and other valuable materials.

Microsoft uses automated robots to disassemble and recycle HDDs — company typically shreds two million hard drives per year : Read more

 

[edzieba]

Hard drives are a nice use-case for automated disassembly: the fasteners are a planar (all facing the same way) and often are all on the same side of the device, At most you'd need to flip the device once to get the screws on both sides, but often there will only be screws on one side anyway so you can use a 2.5D robot (2D axes plus lift/drop toolhead) and overhead cam rather than needing a 5/6-axis robot and much more complex machine vision and path planning system.

 

[einheriar]

They also use this technique on windows 11 development it seems

 

[NinoPino]

With dozens of models there is no need of AI at all. It is more simple and reliable to program once per model where are placed the peaces to dismantle.
Nethertheless it is a very good to know that existed such recycle type. I wonder if this can became a global trend for HDD.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

Why am I not surprised that Microsoft is heavily invested in collecting and dissecting the physical devices that hold user data?

 

[USAFRet]

Why am I not surprised that Microsoft is heavily invested in collecting and dissecting the physical devices that hold user data?

One should see this as protecting user data.

Dismantling the drives prevents anyone downstream from reading whatever data might have been on them.

 

[dave.rara66]

One should see this as protecting user data.

Dismantling the drives prevents anyone downstream from reading whatever data might have been on them.

Good lord, you entirely missed the point. ThomasKinsley is suggesting that Microsoft - who is notorious for mining data - will happily dismantle an HDD... after stripping any data left on it.

 

[Geef]

A very good use for old HDDs is to pull them apart and get yourself a couple super strong magnets. I have three of them together within reach of me that hangs on to a ton of CPU screws.

 

[Amdlova]

The HDD plate is a nice heat transfer using one here to fix warped music CD.
and you can get some money from the aluminium

 

[edzieba]

Good lord, you entirely missed the point. ThomasKinsley is suggesting that Microsoft - who is notorious for mining data - will happily dismantle an HDD... after stripping any data left on it.

If you're mailing drives to any third party without formatting them first, then any data loss is on you.

 

[pf100]

They also use this technique on windows 11 development it seems

Touché

 

[dimar]

Eco Centers in Canada should get those machines and let visitors watch their HDDs being disassembled and recycled onsite.

 

[USAFRet]

Good lord, you entirely missed the point. ThomasKinsley is suggesting that Microsoft - who is notorious for mining data - will happily dismantle an HDD... after stripping any data left on it.

but but...the internets told me Microsoft already has that data.
Every file, every keystroke...uploaded to the mothership, in real time.