How to Destroy a Hard Drive
Back up your data., Wipe the drive., Open the computer case., Open the hard drive., Remove the magnets., Remove the platter.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Back up your data.
It’s easy to forget about all of those MP3s you ripped in the 90s and beloved family pictures when all you can focus on is destroying the cause of your shame and avoiding federal prison.
You will, however, want to make sure to back up all of your important and legal data, however, since the whole point of the resulting exercise is that those things will be... you know... gone. -
Step 2: Wipe the drive.
Always wipe your hard drive before beginning destruction.
While the more exciting methods of destruction will do a pretty good job of rendering data irretrievable, they can’t be 100 percent guaranteed (especially if you have reason to believe the government is willing to spend several months and millions of dollars to find your dirty, dirty secrets).
Wiping your data and blowing up your drive, however? Yeah, nobody’s getting that back.
Let’s be realistic for a minute here, though: a serious wipe of your computer will probably do the trick.
Only someone with very serious equipment would have any chance at recovering your data and even then, there isn’t very much evidence that it’s really possible. , Open your computer case and find the hard disk drive.
They are located in different spots in each type of case, sometimes located within a metal box.
You may have to look up your particular model if you’re having trouble locating the hard disk drive. , Open the hard drive casing.
This will largely amount to loosening a bunch of screws in different configurations depending on the make and model of your hard drive.
Possibly cutting some tape.
Be warned that there are often screws hidden underneath labels, so you might have to go poking around. , You will need to remove the arm and magnet structure in order to reach the platter underneath (your real goal).
There are screws involved.
It’s pretty straightforward.
Remove the magnets carefully because they are seriously very strong and you can really hurt yourself with them.
Seriously, you will struggle to get them off a fridge.
You can break fingers with these things.
And for the love of whatever you pray to, don’t eat them and don’t let your pets eat them (pets, in this case, includes kids). , This is the thing that looks like it would make a nice mirror.
You’ll probably need to unscrew the circular piece at the center which holds in down.
This is the thing that stores (the majority at least) of your data.
This is the thing you need to destroy.
Sometimes there is more than one platter, so pay attention to that. -
Step 3: Open the computer case.
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Step 4: Open the hard drive.
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Step 5: Remove the magnets.
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Step 6: Remove the platter.
Detailed Guide
It’s easy to forget about all of those MP3s you ripped in the 90s and beloved family pictures when all you can focus on is destroying the cause of your shame and avoiding federal prison.
You will, however, want to make sure to back up all of your important and legal data, however, since the whole point of the resulting exercise is that those things will be... you know... gone.
Always wipe your hard drive before beginning destruction.
While the more exciting methods of destruction will do a pretty good job of rendering data irretrievable, they can’t be 100 percent guaranteed (especially if you have reason to believe the government is willing to spend several months and millions of dollars to find your dirty, dirty secrets).
Wiping your data and blowing up your drive, however? Yeah, nobody’s getting that back.
Let’s be realistic for a minute here, though: a serious wipe of your computer will probably do the trick.
Only someone with very serious equipment would have any chance at recovering your data and even then, there isn’t very much evidence that it’s really possible. , Open your computer case and find the hard disk drive.
They are located in different spots in each type of case, sometimes located within a metal box.
You may have to look up your particular model if you’re having trouble locating the hard disk drive. , Open the hard drive casing.
This will largely amount to loosening a bunch of screws in different configurations depending on the make and model of your hard drive.
Possibly cutting some tape.
Be warned that there are often screws hidden underneath labels, so you might have to go poking around. , You will need to remove the arm and magnet structure in order to reach the platter underneath (your real goal).
There are screws involved.
It’s pretty straightforward.
Remove the magnets carefully because they are seriously very strong and you can really hurt yourself with them.
Seriously, you will struggle to get them off a fridge.
You can break fingers with these things.
And for the love of whatever you pray to, don’t eat them and don’t let your pets eat them (pets, in this case, includes kids). , This is the thing that looks like it would make a nice mirror.
You’ll probably need to unscrew the circular piece at the center which holds in down.
This is the thing that stores (the majority at least) of your data.
This is the thing you need to destroy.
Sometimes there is more than one platter, so pay attention to that.
About the Author
Kenneth Hill
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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