How to Destroy Old Hard Drives | Shredall SDS Group (2024)

Unsure on what to do with an old hard drive? Are you wondering what’s the safest way to protect your data? Here’s the correct way to destroy an old hard drive, including why it’s important and what not to do.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about destroying hard drives, including:

  • The best ways to destroy or dispose of an old hard drive
  • Ineffective ways of destroying a hard drive
  • Why you should destroy your old hard drives
  • Sensitive information is protected
  • WEEE environmental policy
  • Common mistakes made when disposing of old hard drives
  • How individuals and businesses should destroy old hard drives

The best ways to destroy or dispose of an old hard drive

Hard drives should always be treated separately from the rest of the computer because of the large volumes of data present on them. When disposing an old hard drive, there is only one method to securely erase the information, this is by destroying the magnetic disk (also known as a platter) inside.

Read on to discover the most effective ways you can destroy a hard drive and its platter:

1. Shredding

The most effective way to destroy a hard drive is to shred it. Similar to shredding documents and paper, shredding turns a hard drive into a million tiny pieces that can’t be put back together again, therefore destroying and erasing the data forever. Of course not everyone has an industrial shredder at home for destroying hard drives, and they can be dangerous to use.

That’s why there are professionals with industrial shredders out there to help you, such as Shredall’s secure hard drive destruction services.

2. Degaussing

A degausser is a machine that eliminates magnetic fields stored on a device such as a hard drive or tape. It sends a powerful magnetic pulse through the device that instantly sanitises any data kept on the device. Again, a degausser isn’t something you might simply have lying around at home, and the current best practice is to opt for shredding instead.

3. Wiping the data

Eradicating the data that exists on the hard drive through your computer is another way to get the process started. Simply deleting the files won’t prevent any security breaches, however data erasing programmes are useful to ‘shred’ the data on your computer. Data erasing programmes make it impossible for anyone to retrieve information from the hard drive, eliminating the need to physically destroy it.

Ineffective ways of destroying a hard drive

There are many articles and videos on the internet that may help you destroy a hard drive, but not all of them are safe or effective. It’s important to remember that if there are sections of the drive that are intact, your data can still be accessed. Here are some ways you might think to dispose of a hard drive, but we definitely wouldn’t recommend.

1. Using a hammer

Many people will attempt to bash an old hard drive with a hammer. This can be a dangerous method of destroying an old hard drive as it causes bits of glass or metal to fly everywhere, causing potential damage. Additionally, there are plenty of individuals capable of collecting sensitive information from a partially destroyed hard drive, and therefore this method isn’t reliable.

2. Using a drill

You’d think that if a hard drive is littered with holes that the data will be completely destroyed and inaccessible, but this isn’t the case. Although your computer may not be able to read it, all the intact portions of the drive will be retrievable by data thieves.

3. Using a magnet

Many years ago using a magnet on a hard drive would’ve likely destroyed all the data with ease, but as technology has progressed hard drives have become more and more resistant to magnets, making them ineffective at destroying the data.

4. Scratching the platter

Similar to using a drill, scratching the platter isn’t effective as it potentially leaves intact pieces that can be recovered. Although if you fully scratch every section of the platter, it will be incredibly difficult for sensitive information to be recovered, there are still data recovery services out there that can retrieve confidential information.

Why you should destroy your old hard drives

A hard drive is a high capacity storage device that sits inside your computer, smartphone and many other devices. They contain sensitive information that need to be disposed of effectively to prevent security breaches, but they also contain potentially harmful and toxic materials that can cause a lot of damage. Let’s take a closer look at why these two reasons are important.

Sensitive information is protected

A business desktop, home computer or laptop hard drive can contain a variety of sensitive information including:

  • Credit card numbers
  • Customer details
  • Bank account numbers
  • Passwords

This information can remain on the hard drive even if it’s erased or reformatted by wiping it clean. If it’s not correctly destroyed, sensitive information could still be recovered and used (potentially by data thieves) with detrimental consequences.

Before getting rid of your computer, you need to remove the data from the hard drive completely. This ensures anything sensitive will be erased forever and untraceable by data thieves. It is important to back anything personal up on a different hard drive before proceeding with the destruction service.

WEEE environmental policy

The WEEE environmental policy promotes the re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in order to reduce the number of electronic waste that ends up in landfill. Not only will decaying electronic products leak toxic chemicals into the earth when in landfill, they can also be contaminated with your data.

Shredall SDS Group is one of few WEEE recycling companies that has a target to recycle 100% of non-contaminated waste, protecting both the Earth and your data.

Common mistakes made when disposing hard drives

Destroying a hard drive isn’t an easy task; many companies and individuals aren’t disposing of hard drives correctly, leaking potential sensitive information. Here are some common mistakes you or your business could be making when disposing of old hard drives:

Placing in a recycling bin

Although this method has good intentions, simply placing a hard drive in a recycling bin doesn’t stop someone from removing it from the recycling bin. This can lead to information theft and a serious data breach.

Not backing up the data

This doesn’t apply in every situation, as sometimes you may wish to permanently remove information from existence. However with personal hard drives that you’re wanting to destroy, it’s important that you know that once the information is gone, it’s gone. Have a look through the hard drive first to see if there isn’t any data you wish to back up before destruction.

Simply deleting all the data

When you delete a file from your computer and hard drive, it does not simply disappear, not right away anyway. Even if you immediately empty your recycling bin, until another file or application comes along to make use of that room, the old data will remain. Using this approach will leave you open to severe security breaches, so most often it is best to leave the wiping of information and destruction of hard drives to professionals.

How businesses and individuals should destroy old hard drives

When it comes to destroying or disposing of old hard drives, it’s best to outsource the job to a reputable document destruction company that can destroy hard drives beyond repair, giving you the peace of mind that it has been handled correctly.

Shredall SDS Group specialise in secure data destruction, including destroying hard drives by shredding them into small, unidentifiable pieces. The process we use completely destroys the drive mechanisms, platters and electronic complements, rendering the data unrecoverable.

Businesses also get a peace of mind with chain of custody, end to end tracking technology to ensure the hard drives are tracked throughout their journey. Our end-to-end tracking system makes use of barcode scanning at every stage as well as tracked vehicles.

Once the process is complete, you will receive a certificate of destruction showing the weight and details of the collection as proof. All hard drives that are securely shredded are sent to a UK WEEE-approved partner for recycling.

To learn more, visit our hard drive shredding page, or simply get in touch with one of our team today to get a quote.

How to Destroy Old Hard Drives | Shredall SDS Group (2024)

FAQs

How to Destroy Old Hard Drives | Shredall SDS Group? ›

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.

What liquid destroys a hard drive? ›

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.

How to securely erase your old hard drives once and for all? ›

How to reset your PC in Windows 10
  1. Open the Settings from the Start menu.
  2. Click Update & Security.
  3. Click Recovery on the left-side menu, then click Get started under Reset this PC.
  4. Click Remove everything.
  5. Select an option for reinstalling Windows, then click Change settings on the next screen.
  6. Flip the Clean data?
Jan 27, 2022

Should I destroy my hard drive before recycling? ›

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.

Does destroying the hard drive erase everything? ›

Even throwing the drive in water or exposing it to fire may not completely destroy the data because it can still be recoverable with specialized tools. It's important to use secure and verified methods, such as data wiping software or physically shredding the drive, to ensure that the data is truly irrecoverable.

Will fire destroy a hard drive? ›

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.

Does water destroy a hard drive? ›

But water alone will not destroy a hard drive or delete its data. While water can damage a hard drive's electronics, the data itself is stored magnetically. It will remain there on the platters, which is why professionals can still recover information from a water damaged hard drive.

What is the best way to destroy an old hard drive? ›

The best ways to destroy or dispose of an old hard drive
  1. Shredding. The most effective way to destroy a hard drive is to shred it. ...
  2. Degaussing. ...
  3. Wiping the data. ...
  4. Using a hammer. ...
  5. Using a drill. ...
  6. Using a magnet. ...
  7. Scratching the platter. ...
  8. Sensitive information is protected.
May 22, 2024

Does hitting a hard drive with a hammer destroy it? ›

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.

How do I wipe my old hard drive before recycling? ›

Let's see what those steps are:
  1. Open the Settings of the system.
  2. Click on 'Update & Security'
  3. Go to 'Recovery' option in the menu on the left side.
  4. Choose the option 'Get Started' under the Reset This PC.
  5. Select 'Remove Everything' from the dialogue box that pops up like the one below.

Does Best Buy wipe hard drives before recycling? ›

After you drop off your old tech, our trusted recycling partners will wipe any remaining data from devices before determining if the product can be repaired, repurposed or recycled, but you can also wipe your hard drive before coming in. Here's how to do it.

Can you throw a hard drive away? ›

Disposing of the hard drive

Here, we'd really recommend taking it to a certified e-waste recycling facility where it can be broken down and recycled where possible. Simply throwing it into the trash means it's just going to end up in a landfill, where it will probably sit for the next 20 to 500 years.

How to permanently erase a hard drive? ›

How to wipe a hard drive – Windows 10
  1. Press the Windows key.
  2. Type “Settings” to find the Settings app.
  3. Open Settings.
  4. Click Update & Security.
  5. Click Recovery.
  6. Click Get Started.
  7. Use the Remove everything option.
  8. Chose Local reinstall.

How to crash a hard disk permanently? ›

Method 2. Physically Destroy Hard Drive
  1. Hammer Hard Drive (Personal Use) ...
  2. Destroy Drive's Platter (Personal Use) ...
  3. Burn It (Personal Use) ...
  4. Use Hard Drive Destroyer (Office Environment) ...
  5. Melt It with Acid.
Oct 19, 2023

Does Geek Squad wipe hard drives? ›

In the case of hard drives on laptops or desktop PCs, customers have the choice to remove their data themselves, or they can consult with a Geek Squad® Agent about services we offer to remove the hard drive before handing the PC over to be recycled.

Does microwaving hard drive destroy data? ›

Microwaving is just one of the DIY ways people have tried dealing with their obsolete hard drives. It's not a good way to erase data, obviously; destroying a hard drive never needs to end with a call to 911.

What not to do with a hard drive? ›

Burning. Burning a hard drive, whether with a blow torch or roasting it on a stick, is highly discouraged. Not only would this require protective gear and holding platters at a safe distance with a heat resistant tool, but burning hard drives will also lead to harmful fumes to be released into the air in the process.

Why would someone destroy a hard drive? ›

Some shredding companies offer a service to physically destroy hard drives by shredding them. Ultimately, although there are ways to remove data from a hard drive without destroying it, not destroying it means there will always be a risk that someone could recover the information left on it.

Is removing a hard drive enough before recycling? ›

Similar to a desktop, the hard drive of your laptop also needs to be properly wiped and destroyed prior to recycling. Carefully remove the hard drive or, if physically destroying it is not possible, use data shredding software. There are lots of options available readily online.

Does drilling through a hard drive destroy it? ›

Hard drive drills are a more affordable way to destroy hard drives. They work by drilling holes through the hard drive platters, making the recovery of data more difficult. Drilling is not as secure as shredding however, but it is still a very effective way to destroy hard drives.

What temperature will destroy a hard drive? ›

HDDs are rated to operate at a maximum temperature of 131°F (55°C), but operating them at these temperatures for an extended period of time can cause permanent damage. So, keep your HDD cool like a cucumber!

What would damage 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.

Does salt water destroy a hard drive? ›

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.

Will muriatic acid destroy a hard drive? ›

Microwaves are handy for destroying CDs and DVDs, but you'd have to cook a hard drive for a long, long time to blister the drive's platters. Several Web sites suggest soaking the drive in diluted hydrochloric or muriatic acid. This might work, but you run the risk of burning yourself or breathing toxic fumes.

What can wipe a hard drive? ›

Third-Party Software

Some third-party tools can also help you erase your drive securely. These tools are user-friendly and also powerful. HP recommends GParted and EaseUS as the best options. Other reputable alternatives include Disk Wipe, Active KillDisk Freeware, and AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard.

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