Old hard drives

[glockman19]

I found a box filled with 10-12 old hard drives while cleaning out the garage.

What is the best way to destroy them?

Smallest is a Caviar 2250 250MB largest is a Western digital WD300 30GB.

Lots of old RAM, and video and other motherboard cards.

Does anyone even use old D-RAM any more?

[SmokieBear]

Shootem and clean up after yourself
Or just droppem off at 1 of those electronic waste bins in Best buy.

[Tripper]

take them apart and make targets out of the disk platters
you can play with the magnets too, pretty strong for their size
throw the remaining parts into aluminum recycle

[Singularity]

You can either open them up and then drill through the platters in various spots, or you can slide a magnet over the platters. We used to have a very heavy magnet in our AV shop, and we would just plop the drive on that, and it would wipe the drive. I don't know where you could find one that powerful, but it's an option. When I found my old drives in my garage, I attached them to my computer and did a low level format of each one then dropped it off at bestbuy. So you can physically destroy it, or attach it to your computer (external drive bay) and software wipe it..Maybe a local computer shop can tell you if they have a large magnet that you can use.

[DaveInOroValley]

The platters once removed make a pretty cool wind chime if you're in the mood to be creative otherwise I just take a sledge to them so there is no worry of data retrieval after that.

[Rivers]

Far easier than the previous suggestions (although probably not as fun as some): slap the hard drive onto a very hard surface so all the disc platters crash into each other. Micro fractures and total failures of platters will make the drive an absolute nightmare for any data recovery. Just hold the drive in the palm of your hand, raise it up from a concrete floor or formica countertop, and bring it down with force so it impacts flat, like a belly-flop! Repeat this a few times. If you want to feel more comfortable that you've killed it, use a USB cradle connector to see if it will mount.

On a side note, if you've ever been to Fry's or other stores that sell OEM packaged drives, pay attention to how the store personnel handle them. If they don't have the packaging to cushion impacts, are they gentle with the drive or do they just drop it onto the counter? More than once I've called over a manager to explain what the sales clerk did and why that isn't acceptable. And why I refused that product.

[RamonSJC]

Huge magnet or Degauser, then shoot em.

[FresnoRob]

The platters once removed make a pretty cool wind chime if you're in the mood to be creative otherwise I just take a sledge to them so there is no worry of data retrieval after that.

I take a sledge hammer to them. I'd shoot them if I lived out in the country where I could shoot on my property.

[Midtown]

I know for a fact that 5.56 will go straight through hard drive platters

[Untamed1972]

How about old 3.5" floppy disks?

I had a bunch with pictures on them that I copied off an old computer that was about to die. Just now got around to copying them over to my new laptop and saving them on a CD.

But I would like to destroy the old disks. Same way? Magnet and then just throw away?

[SmokieBear]

How about old 3.5" floppy disks?

I had a bunch with pictures on them that I copied off an old computer that was about to die. Just now got around to copying them over to my new laptop and saving them on a CD.

But I would like to destroy the old disks. Same way? Magnet and then just throw away?

Magnets work but not as efficient if you got alot of them. I say put in blender. Turn blender on. Let blend to make a floppy smoothy. Shoot blender at end of smoothy. Clean mess up and call it a day.

[Redneck Geek]

How about old 3.5" floppy disks?

I had a bunch with pictures on them that I copied off an old computer that was about to die. Just now got around to copying them over to my new laptop and saving them on a CD.

But I would like to destroy the old disks. Same way? Magnet and then just throw away?

You can also demag and run the floppy part (NOT the spindle) through the shredder.

[Yugo]

I made a signaling mirror out of the disc. Its cool cause you can look through the center where you want the light to go.

Magnets on the bottom of all the cars for traffic signal light sensors to trip faster.

Small motors for projects.

aluminum=raw material.

[Exile Machine]

.308 or 30-06 at 100 paces would be my choice.
-Mark

[Garv]

Get the magnets, then sledge hammer.