What's the best way to physically destroy a hd?

[mikeford]

What makes you think anyone wants your data or that if anyone with any resources really wanted it would not already have it?

Write a few passes of random data then sell on ebay.

 

[shortylickens]

 

[Bird222]

This is funny.

 

[Bird222]

Open it and remove the platters. You can also remove the PCB to destroy the chips too just in case. With all the spy bugs on devices now days it's best to play it safe. The larger IC chips are most likely memory such as cache which you'll want to destroy. I'd imagine burning with a torch should do. You can destroy the rest of the chassis to make sure there arn't any other chips but really it's the platters that are the most important to destroy.

For the platters, I like to just scratch the hell out of them with a sharp object. You can fasten them to a grinder to do this faster, using sand paper. You can also pass them along low grid sand paper. Keep in mind that an actual line of data is VERY tiny, so even all the scratches the sand paper is doing is probably missing lot of data, but it is making it extremly difficult to recover, and traditional disk recovery methods in a clean room are out the window when the platters are scratched this badly. The NSA probably has electron scaners they can just put the platters on though so don't count on just destroying the heads. Also keep in mind that it is very hard to corrolate the data between each platter so just removing the platers and handling them already made anyone's jobs very hard.

I have a bunch of platters in a pile that are more than likely unreadable as is, but when I accumulate more I'll probably melt them all with some thermite. Mostly just for fun.

Also hard drives have big magnets in them, you can probably pass this magnet over the platters, pretty sure this will erase all the data on it's own.

I had actually built a rig that sended a small EMP to the platters, I would just stack them in the rig and throw the switch. I'd hear the power supply complain a little but but that's all she wrote. I stopped using the rig though because I did not really have a way to actually certify that it even did anything. That's probably why professional rigs for this are very expensive.

Long story short, take platters out, scratch the hell out of them with sand paper. Maybe drill a couple holes and bend them, and I doubt anyone is getting that data. You can even cut them in pieces and dispose of them in different garbages at different months.

What you could also do is all of the above, but put it all back together after, and fill it with spray foam just as a big FU to the government.

Thanks for the serious response.

 

[HN]

 

[DownTheSky]

I was going to say toss in in a volcano but this works.

 

[Craig234]

I was replying to the OP but please tell us how you secure you data from a govt with a virtually unlimited budget. One that works with hardware, software, OS and computer security makers. One that bends and skirts laws in the name of homeland security.

The same way they hide military secrets from you, by not using the internet. The military has a rule against computers with classified information being physically connected to it.

 

[Craig234]

Bird, what sort of information would lead you to ask this? Tax fraud?

You can see how Britain answered this, when they destroyed the disks from Edward Snowden, drilling the disk platters into junk.

 

[MagickMan]

HDD shredder, or several whacks with a 20lb sledge hammer. If you want to be meticulous, take the drives apart, smash the PCB, and roast the platters with an acetylene torch.

 

[Rakehellion]

Bake it in the oven.

 

[Harrod]

Could you drill a hole in the case and fill it up with salt water?

 

[lxskllr]

Nothing more is needed than to beat the shit out of them with a hammer. Open them up, remove the magnets(cause Yay magnets!), then hit the platters with an ordinary hammer. Just cause someone could theoretically scan the surface with an electron microscope, it doesn't mean they will ;^)

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah keep the magnets, they're fun. Watch your fingers though. D:

You can also make an alternator, motor, speakers or other fun stuff with them if you're bored.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The company I work for formats them 7 times, then chops them into little pieces, then melts them in a firey pit of hell. I am not kidding.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Throw it into the fires of Mount Doom.

 

[Jeff7]

- Remove the platters.
- Feed them into a belt sander until nothing's left but dust.

Yeah keep the magnets, they're fun. Watch your fingers though. D:

You can also make an alternator, motor, speakers or other fun stuff with them if you're bored.

And your eyes - if they smash together, tiny pieces of magnet can go flying.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Give it to a couple of 12 year old kids and tell them it's the most valuable thing you own.

 

[highland145]

Give it to a couple of 12 year old kids and tell them it's the most valuable thing you own.

:thumbsup:

I was thinking of just letting the wife/kid surf the internet without any blocks.

 

[stormkroe]

I came here because OP meant to type 'psychically destroy', I see he's playing along with his typo, now I leave disappointed (like I knew I would).

 

[TheSlamma]

Geez guys wtf?

You take the platter out, go to a safe place for flames and fumes (outdoors) while wearing goggles and gloves hold it in some channel locks and you melt it with a basic $20 map or propane torch you get from any Homedepot. It basically vaporizes shortly after it turns orange.

 

[highland145]

Geez guys wtf?

You take the platter out, go to a safe place for flames and fumes (outdoors) while wearing goggles and gloves hold it in some channel locks and you melt it with a basic $20 map or propane torch you get from any Homedepot. It basically vaporizes shortly after it turns orange.

So no hammer?

I've been lied to.

 

[midwestfisherman]

A 30 round mag of the dreaded M855 5.56mm green tipped ball ammo though it at 25 yards should do the trick!

 

[Bird222]

A 30 round mag of the dreaded M855 5.56mm green tipped ball ammo though it at 25 yards should do the trick!

It's all sold out.

 

[dr150]

This volcano should do the trick :thumbsup:

I hear magnets work too:

You can also give it to this guy:

 

[MongGrel]

The company I work for formats them 7 times, then chops them into little pieces, then melts them in a firey pit of hell. I am not kidding.

If you're going to smelter anyways why bother with the other ?

A 30 round mag of the dreaded M855 5.56mm green tipped ball ammo though it at 25 yards should do the trick!

Yeah, I see they've started to realize the whole green tip thing is a joke to begin with.