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I'm not bothered about data recovery for myself, but I would be concerned about sending the drive for recycling with all that data stored on the drive.
I used to destroy the drives so that the data was impossible to recover, however, a couple of them are sealed units.
I guess a sledge hammer might be the only solution.
Any other suggestions?
[youtube.com...]
Also you can get the workings of a clock and make a nice shiney HDD clock for your office!
(possibly ideas for cheapskate xmas pressies!)
[edited by: Dabrowski at 5:51 pm (utc) on Dec. 5, 2008]
You're right to lack faith in the E-Recycling industry. I used to work in the industry, and what companies claim about data destruction, and what actually happens inside the shop, are two very different things.
[edited by: LifeinAsia at 5:52 pm (utc) on Dec. 5, 2008]
I was thinking of using acid, but that's not very environmentally friendly.
Equally fun is going to a machine shop and asking to borrow the use of a hydraulic press.
Now I/m pondering waht to do with the drives.
Maybe take to the demo derby and get the drivers to duct tape the drives to their bumpers?
Nails, ice-picks, geologists' hammers, bullets -- Any of these will do.
If you want the full effect, drop some sand through the hole, shake thoroughly, and then spin up the drive... :)
Jim
Lovejoy
The sledge hammer approach is only acceptable if you have a video camera in proximity.
So, if the drive still works, then use one of the hard drive eraser programs that makes multiple passes and writes wildly-different data to each sector many times. If not, use a proper magnetic media eraser applied to the 'naked' platters, or physically damage the platters so that they cannot be read without damaging the equipment used to attempt to read them.
Man, the 'retirement plan' for old hard drives is tough... They really deserve better treatment after serving us for so long... ;)
Jim
In order to erase data, the platters must be subjected to a changing magnetic field. Bulk tape erasers subject magnetic media to a field that reverses 100 or 120 times per second, depending on your AC power line frequency. So a fixed magnet is not really very effective
Tim
Jim
. . . or drop it in the atlantic ocean, and blog about it. 100 years from now people will be interested in recovering it, and Mr. engine becomes an iconic tourist attraction in a museum.
. . . or drop it in the atlantic ocean, and blog about it. 100 years from now people will be interested in recovering it, and Mr. engine becomes an iconic tourist attraction in a museum.
Boy o Boy that was Nice!
Distortion (ie, sledge hammer) will NOT prevent reading should the attempt be made.
The real question is: Is the data on the drives, "wildly written over but still can be read by spooks" a problem?
If so, and a sand blaster is not handy, open the drive, separate the platters, and use a dull wood chisel on every surface in a vigorous manner.
Distortion (ie, sledge hammer) will NOT prevent reading should the attempt be made.Perhaps not if a government agency was interested in my hard drive, but anybody who might find my drives is not likely to consider it worth their while to do *that* kind of data-recovery.
I normally use a combination approach - sledge hammer to start with, then drills, screwdrivers, axes, vices, etc., once the platters are exposed and broken apart.
and what companies claim about data destruction, and what actually happens inside the shop, are two very different things.
Human nature what it is - it is just too cool to 'liberate' a drive here and there. Not necessarily for malevolent intent, but because it is just too funny what can be found. Maybe a 'voyeur' kind of thing for some. Most drives contain files people would rather never see the light of day. Always destroy your own. Very few computers are worth selling, donating, et cetera. An old computer is simply a hunk of junk. What cost a few grand a few years ago can be replaced for a few hundred today - all new and no effort.
Once you've got the disc, a rock hound's hammer/pick-axe will render it completely FUBAR. Crank it a vise and let the sledge have a few more shots. After that, the dump is probably adequate, but have chucked a few in lakes too. There are a lot of people, for a variety of reasons, that need to be darn sure their data is never found.
Making Thermite [how2dostuff.blogspot.com]
I normally use a combination approach - sledge hammer to start with, then drills, screwdrivers, axes, vices, etc., once the platters are exposed and broken apart.
That seems unnecessarily time consuming, unless you're being paid a lot to do it.
If a sledge hammer isn't good enough, why not just stick to a quick scrub with some coarse sandpaper?
Don't forget, it's not the metal you're trying to destroy, it's the magnetic coating.
[edited by: Dabrowski at 1:11 pm (utc) on Dec. 10, 2008]
The only way to stop fraudsters stealing information from old computer hard drives is by destroying them completely, a study has found.Which? Computing magazine recovered 22,000 "deleted" files from eight computers purchased on eBay.
Freely available software can be used to recover files that users think they have permanently deleted.
While Which? recommends smashing hard drives with a hammer, experts say for most consumers that's a step too far.
[semshred.com...]
This level of paranoia will probably set you back a few hundred grand. But it looks so cool, every office should have one.
Sorry lawman I couldn't find a noncommerical site that had an image of this thing. But I certify that I have absoulutely no connections with this company. At least im not teaching people how to make thermite.
That video is going viral.... at least around our office.
