How to deal with a removed HDD?

ChrisR

ChrisR

I'm a well known grump...
Messages
11,034
Name
Chris
Edit My Images
Yes
I have a 1TB HDD which I removed from our ancient family PC, installed in 2012, replacing it with a SSD. It's been sitting around for a few years as, frankly, I don't really know what to do with it. I'm pretty sure it has not been re-formatted, as I think I was concerned that the replacement might not go well (I'm a bit ham-fisted at DIY), though in the end the new drive worked fine. So now I have an old drive that might have some confidential information on it (accidentally rather than deliberately, ie there are no known sensitive data from other sources, but presumbly there might be passwords etc).

So, what should I do with it? I've heard comments like "hit it with a hammer", but the case is so solid I think I'd need a jack-hammer!
 
ChrisR said:
I have a 1TB HDD which I removed from our ancient family PC, installed in 2012, replacing it with a SSD. It's been sitting around for a few years as, frankly, I don't really know what to do with it. I'm pretty sure it has not been re-formatted, as I think I was concerned that the replacement might not go well (I'm a bit ham-fisted at DIY), though in the end the new drive worked fine. So now I have an old drive that might have some confidential information on it (accidentally rather than deliberately, ie there are no known sensitive data from other sources, but presumbly there might be passwords etc).

So, what should I do with it? I've heard comments like "hit it with a hammer", but the case is so solid I think I'd need a jack-hammer!
Click to expand...

Buy an external enclosure and make it an external drive or back up drive.

If you really don't want it then open the drive up and drill holes in the platters or scratch them up with a screwdriver or something.
 
Last edited:
I drilled all the way through my old drives when I upgraded my pc ;)
 
Angle grinder.
 
Normal practice in my Computer Business is to use a Disk Jockey Hardware Device to securely wipe to NSA 0x3 standards if it spins, otherwise, drill a 5mm hole in top casing and insert a hardened steel punch, then hit it hard, it will shatter the internal platter and keep the bits inside.

Be careful if you open to destroy, it can shatter and you then get nasty sharp shards everywhere......

PS Remove you wrist watch unless its digital, large magnet can cause havoc!
 
I destroyed my old HDD by taking it bits as the case unscrewed. I took the platters out and scrunched them I think then left them in the house and sent the rest of the HDD off to the tip. Think I ran a magnet over the platters as well just in case. I may still have the platters. I think they were thinner than I expected so quite like the disk bit out of a floppy disk.
 
I have a stack of old HDDs here, as keeping them seems easier than securely disposing of them. When I have enough of them, I guess I'll drill them, and maybe leave them in a bucket of salty water for a few weeks.
 
what ecoleman says. Buy an enclosure and keep it in a safe place or use it as additional storage. I've got some going back 20 years and still work fine, even though my first one was a MAHOOSIVE 16Gb....
 
As someone else said keep is a back-up. It's not exactly a massive space hugger, and if the one your using has a heart attack you'll be seriously glad of it.
 
Snapsh0t said:
Newbie! My first HDDs were 10MB.
Click to expand...
I splashed out and had a 32Mb HD in my first PC (along with both 5.252" and 3.5" floppy drives) - and the 640x480 Colour (16 from 65) display :LOL:

Now my watch has more memory and a better display!
 
Drill, baby, drill!

I believe MI5 can still get data off them though :ROFLMAO:
 
Some creative options:
1. Place it in a microwave:runaway:
2. A few dips in the sea
3. Dipping in Sulphuric Acid
 
I got my 2 Grandchildren to take mine to bits, they then scratched the discs and drilled some holes in them and had fun playing with the magnets.
 
Snapsh0t said:
Newbie! My first HDDs were 10MB.
Click to expand...
Mine was 10MB but it was 2 platters in a 19" rack mount enclosure that you had to "calibrate" with an oscilloscope any time you moved it (or jolted the table it was on, or the temperature varied by more than 10°C,...)

Eventually I got skilled at adjusting the read/write head by eye because you could see the magnetic tracks...
 
Pick axe, pointy end, one blow is all you need, straight through the whole thing. It's what I've always done.
 
ChrisR said:
I have a 1TB HDD which I removed from our ancient family PC, installed in 2012, replacing it with a SSD. It's been sitting around for a few years as, frankly, I don't really know what to do with it. I'm pretty sure it has not been re-formatted, as I think I was concerned that the replacement might not go well (I'm a bit ham-fisted at DIY), though in the end the new drive worked fine. So now I have an old drive that might have some confidential information on it (accidentally rather than deliberately, ie there are no known sensitive data from other sources, but presumbly there might be passwords etc).

So, what should I do with it? I've heard comments like "hit it with a hammer", but the case is so solid I think I'd need a jack-hammer!
Click to expand...

If you don't want it, then do what I did...

Just open it, those things have tiny screws, so I assume you must have some set of jeweller's screwdrivers? (What self respecting photographer would be without a set of jeweller's screwdrivers?)

Have fun looking inside, it's fun to see it with your own eyes than to read about how they work in a book. Take it apart. I already know how they work, however I did open one for a friend of mine, who found it awesome to see what it looks like inside a HDD.

If you managed to remove the old discs, why not use them as coffee cup coasters?
 
ShinySideUp said:
Pick axe, pointy end, one blow is all you need, straight through the whole thing. It's what I've always done.
Click to expand...
I think this is my favourite answer so far... I don't have pick-axe, but I do have a mattock (cross between pick-axe and actual axe/spade!). What would worry me is that if I did it on the path the mattock would likely make a mess of the path, and if I did it on the lawn (or elsewhere soil-based), it might just drive the drive (sorry) into the earth!

OTOH getting an enclosure and using the drive is probably the better way. I was worried about getting power to it, but I'm assuming enclosures have this sorted...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top