Don’t begin this process until you have backed up all of the documents on the hard drive (including pictures and videos) that you want to keep. Move this data to a new computer or external hard drive, or upload it to a cloud storage service before destroying the old hard drive. If you don’t, the information will be lost and irretrievable.
STEP 1: Remove the hard drive from your computer.
Use a precision screwdriver to remove the casing from the computer and locate the hard drive—it looks like a slim, rectangular metal box. Once located, remove the hard drive from the computer.
Depending on the manufacturer, type of computer, and age of the computer, the type and number of screws that you’ll need to remove will vary. Cover your bases by purchasing a precision screwdriver set, which comes with screwdrivers in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Related: The Best Precision Screwdriver Sets for Your Projects
STEP 2: Access the hard drive’s platters and circuit board.
Once the hard drive has been removed from the computer, you will then need to open up the metal casing to access the platters and the circuit board. This next step is important because removing the hard drive from the computer isn’t enough to delete the data stored on the platters, and if you don’t destroy the circuit board the hard drive may still be accessed.
The screws used to secure the hard drive casing are typically either flathead or Torx screws. Using the appropriate screwdriver from the precision screwdriver set, remove these screws and then remove the metal casing to reveal the drive’s internal components.
STEP 3: Remove the read/write arm, and scratch the platters with a screwdriver to destroy data.
A hard drive’s metal casing protects the internal components, preserving data stored on the platters, and when the casing is removed the platters are exposed. Platters are circular disks that look like CDs or DVDs, and spin rapidly on a center spindle. The hard drive’s data is recorded and read by a read/write arm that sits above the platters.
To access the platters, use a precision Torx screwdriver to remove the screws and take out the read/write arm. Lift the platters off of the spindle and use a screwdriver to remove the top layer of material from the platters. If scratching the platters with a screwdriver is too pedestrian for you, these disks can be destroyed in a number of other creative ways. You can use sandpaper, a rotary tool—fire, even—as long as the surface of the disk is scratched or burned off.
STEP 4: Break the circuit board.
Destroying the platters eliminates the stored data on the hard drive, but if you want to be extra certain your private information can’t be accessed, the next step is to remove the circuit board. A circuit board is responsible for operating the hard drive and typically has ROM, NV-RAM, or a chip that controls access to the drive. If this board is damaged or removed the hard drive can’t be accessed, regardless of the state of the platters.
To remove the circuit board, use a precision screwdriver to loosen any screws holding the board to the drive. Lift the circuit board off the drive and break it in half. When you do this, be sure you’re wearing protective eye gear. This will prevent small pieces of the board from getting in your eyes. You might also want to consider wearing thin work gloves to protect your hands.
STEP 5: Recycle the computer’s components.
After dismantling and destroying the hard drive, its components need to be recycled. The EPA lists several companies and programs that recycle old, used, and broken electronics. Local governments may offer electronic recycling programs to help reduce waste in the region.
Electronic waste, including your computer’s hard drive components, can take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose in a landfill. Though it might be a bother to load old computer parts into a vehicle and drive them to a recycling center, this is a more eco-friendly way to dispose of electronic waste than throwing it into the garbage.
Destroying a hard drive and eliminating stored personal data can keep you safe from potential identity theft and financial fraud. Removing and destroying the platters is the most important step in the process, but you may as well go the extra mile and break the circuit board to prevent any and all access to the hard drive. For safety’s sake, remember to use proper eye protection when breaking the circuit board (and consider wearing a pair of thin work gloves to protect your hands).
Related: 10 Home Electronics You Never Clean—But Really Should
The surest method of destroying a hard drive, for ultimate peace of mind, is the combination of degaussing
degaussing
A degausser is a device that can generate a magnetic field for degaussing magnetic storage media. The magnetic field needed for degaussing magnetic data storage media is a powerful one that normal magnets cannot easily achieve and maintain.
and shredding. This ensures that data is completely wiped and the devices are impossible to reassemble. If you need a shredding service, a degaussing service, or both, this is something we can facilitate.
Perhaps one of the fastest and most direct methods of destroying the platter in a hard drive is to bash it with a hammer. Platters are generally made out of glass or ceramic and will easily shatter. Others are made from metal and a good hammering will make them unusable.
Melting hard drives involves dipping them in acid to destroy their platters and housing. Although this is one of the most effective hard drive destruction methods, it is also one of the most dangerous. This is because the process involves using hydrochloric and nitric acids.
Physical contact or damage, heat, humidity, dust, power surges, or even time can cause hard drive failure. Dust, water, or dropping are some reasons HDDs fail, shortening their lifespan. Avoid taking your device with you when it's not needed and cleaning it helps you conserve the hard drive and the data on it.
In theory, yes, magnets can corrupt a hard drive. However, to erase a hard drive with a magnet, you will need a very strong one. In other words, you can't just grab your favorite magnet off the refrigerator, give it a quick pass over your hard drive, and expect that to do the trick.
You should always destroy hard drives or other electronic devices before recycling because there is no way to ensure that equipment sent for recycling will not be accessed by information thieves.
Because, a flush of water on the platters may induce a charge on the plates. But, this is just a WAG. Salt water can be extremely corrosive to electronics and can cause damage to the internal components of a hard drive.
Causes. There are a number of causes for hard drives to fail including: human error, hardware failure, firmware corruption, media damage, heat, water damage, power issues and mishaps.
If you mean a hard drive that has suffered physical damage, then we have bad news for you: you most likely won't be able to recover any data from it at home. But if you mean a corrupted or formatted hard drive, then you can use data recovery software to get back your data.
Physical damage is one of the leading causes of hard drive failure and can include everything from dropping your computer to exposing it to extreme temperatures or humidity. To avoid errant physical damage, handle your computer with care, avoiding knocks and drops.
Viruses and malware can lead to hard drive corruption. Connect the hard drive to a Windows PC and use a reliable antivirus/malware tool to scan the drive or the system. To get rid of this problem, you can turn to Windows Defender or some reputable third-party antivirus software.
While it's probably possible to destroy a hard drive by burning it, the fire would have to be incredibly hot to destroy metal elements. We do not recommend starting a fire to destroy your hard drives. The fire risk alone is very dangerous and there is also the secondary risk of breathing in toxic fumes.
A degaussing wand is a hand held device for erasing hard disc platters. The platter (disk) must be removed from the hard drive and the wand is then passed over it for approximately a minute to achieve a good erasure.
Most magnets are simply not strong enough to have any effect on the hard drive. You need at least 450 pounds of force which eliminates almost all magnets except for some of the strongest neodymium magnets.
Get a hammer (either one lying around your house or at a hardware store) and smash your drive with it until the drive's broken into thousands of tiny pieces. Once done, divide the remnants up into multiple bags and dispose of each separately so they cannot be pieced back together.
Causes. There are a number of causes for hard drives to fail including: human error, hardware failure, firmware corruption, media damage, heat, water damage, power issues and mishaps.
At this point, the very act of exposing the platters to air and handling them with unprotected fingers has almost certainly destroyed the data on the drive. To be thorough, use a flathead screwdriver to scratch the surface of each platter. Now anyone would be hard-pressed to recover anything of value from this drive.
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Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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