How to dispose hard drive data in my dying laptop?

[videopho]

Before it goes belly up I wanted to make sure all data on hard drive are properly and securely erased.
Any tools should be recommended for doing this job?
Thanks in advance.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

A .30 caliber rifle ought to do it.

 

[videopho]

^
Let me borrow yours then.:biggrin:

 

[LPCTech]

I would say format c: and then a few whacks on a hard surface then recycle or trash. Should be fine. Unless you have some real secret secrets on there.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

Before it goes belly up I wanted to make sure all data on hard drive are properly and securely erased.
Any tools should be recommended for doing this job?
Thanks in advance.

A link to a few, best way to make sure(assuming you got nudies on it) is to open it then break apart the platters, or scratch them deeply and often.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/drive_utilities.html

 

[mxnerd]

Hit it with a big hammer. If it's a 3.5" drive, I'll get the strong magnets out first, then hit it with a hammer.

 

[Blue_Max]

If it still runs now, you can always delete your critical data, then fill the drive completely with garbage (which writes over where your data was) then delete again if you wish.

After that, lappy drives are weak enough that a few good whacks with the claw end of a hammer is enough to destroy it good.

 

[nitromullet]

I used DBAN when I recently recycled a bunch of old drives.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/files/

It's a bootable .iso that runs outside of Windows that deletes the entire drive. It takes a while though.

 

[rchunter]

Parted magic secure erase and a DoALL bandsaw.

 

[RossMAN]

I used DBAN when I recently recycled a bunch of old drives.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/files/

It's a bootable .iso that runs outside of Windows that deletes the entire drive. It takes a while though.

This is what I use before selling or donating/gifting computers.

 

[cholley]

just drill a hole through it

 

[mikeymikec]

If it's an old laptop drive, then dropping it onto the pavement from head height shatters the platter(s). You'll know if it was a success if it sounds like it's filled with salt when you shake it.

A hammer is usually my preferred solution, though sometimes I open the drives and fill them with lovely corrosive stuff and leave them that way for a while.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

This is what I use before selling or donating/gifting computers.

There are programs that can uncover info even when written over several times..............
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/data_recovery_233b.html

 

[JeffMD]

drilling a hole or putting a nail through it is enough if you are just disabling it.

 

[Sabrewings]

I take them to the range and put a round through them. Or three.

 

[uberman]

Use a Raskat. Linky follows:

http://makezine.com/2008/04/01/electromagnetic-pulse-gen/

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/03/the_curious_case_of_dmitry_gol.html

He said, "Golubov doesn’t dispute that he owned a Raskat at the time, but he says he purchased it online to resell it at a local market for a tidy profit."

So he was only storing the Raskat at the time, but he kept it plugged in and there was no incriminating evidence to find. Seems like it works.

 

[Blue_Max]

There are programs that can uncover info even when written over several times..............

I just don't see how that can be even possible! The magnetic info is GONE after a full write of zeroes, ones, repeat, etc.

How would it be possible for some almost-free software recover THAT?

If the drive is failing anyway, physical destruction is good but if your data is that ridiculously sensitive, store it on something that can at least be less environmentally harmful to destroy without recycling.

 

[C1]

Just use free "Zap" or "Wipe" to clean the drive. After that I would damage the drive so that it is evident not to be re-used. (Just wack it with a hammer as it is unethical to try to pass it off as re-usable since it is unreliable.)

There are no end of e-Waste collection stations now days for ridding of such things.

 

[mrEvil]

I just don't see how that can be even possible! The magnetic info is GONE after a full write of zeroes, ones, repeat, etc.

How would it be possible for some almost-free software recover THAT?

If the drive is failing anyway, physical destruction is good but if your data is that ridiculously sensitive, store it on something that can at least be less environmentally harmful to destroy without recycling.

I agree with the almost free tools but no one mentioned almost free....plus who knows what the government has "given" away with all the times they've been compromised. The methods to ensure destruction should depend on the value of the data and not what one thinks can or cannot be recovered.

I have used DBAN for years and it is simple and effective but takes time.

With all of that said, it goes back to the value of your data. If you want another method, get ERASER and do the military grade erase on any valuable data.....then format it, open it up and wreck / break the platters. Unless you have something highly valuable that will cover it.

 

[cbn]

Before it goes belly up I wanted to make sure all data on hard drive are properly and securely erased.
Any tools should be recommended for doing this job?
Thanks in advance.

I use dban.

Here is a video on how to use it ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewisIDG-K-E

 

[fkoehler]

So much old internet mythology still going around.

Recovery from reformat or other overwrite was occasionally possible on MFM/RLL drives which had 'sloppy' head alignment.

Thats all be history for decades now with current drive head technology.

Currently today, there is no data recovery lab able to recover data from a known good drive that has had a simple full format done.

Period.
Unless somethings changed in the past 4 months when I was actively involved in trying to recover some overwritten data at work. And we had a pretty decent budget to dangle in front of a number of companies.

If you're paranoid, do a full format, then copy a movie or other large multi-GB file multiple times until full.

Or save your time, and wack it with a claw hammer as suggested until you feel better.

If you're Hillary Clinton's IT guy, get the Oxy-Acetylene torch out.

 

[TeknoBug]

Destroying platters is the best way, even when you erase all the data, data can still be recovered, it's creepy. This isn't possible on SSD's (which is why CSI forensics protested against SSD's some years ago).

 

[Puffnstuff]

I disassembled my veloraptor the other day and extracted the 3 platters from it after which I physically destroyed them to insure that nobody would be able to do anything with them.

 

[Blue_Max]

...makes me wonder what you guys are doing that's so TOP SECRET that your drives need to be utterly destroyed and turned into wasteful scrap.

Of course, if the drive is dying ANYWAY... yeah, destroy the platters and recycle it all. Nobody's going to spend $50,000 to recover data from broken platters to get into your $1000 savings account.

 

[Ziptar]

A couple of holes from a .45 Colt or a 1/4" drill bit and you will sleep like a baby. ;-)