Fribble - 11:20 pm on Nov 3, 2009 (gmt 0)

So now that everyone has very adeptly pointed out that there is no 100% solution to this security question, let me suggest another solution that has worked well for me.

You can purchase removable (and lockable) hard drive docks that fit into your case's front 5.25 bays. They cost about $20-30 each. I have three in my PC, including one for my primary HDD. If I were to have to lock down my PC, I would simply remove all drives with sensitive data (click) and install a fresh version of windows onto another drive to use for the duration of the security risk. Once everything is back to normal, or if I had to access something I would simply swap my primary back into the computer (click).

It takes a little time to set up (installing the hardware) but it makes local physical security a breeze as all you have to do is grab your drive and run.

Good luck