How to Securely Destroy a Hard Drive?

Every day, people dispose of or sell computers with the hard drive left intact. With identity theft and fraud continuing to increase, this can be a serious mistake. Many people believe that once they drag their files into the recycling bin and press delete, that they're gone for good. On the contrary, these files still exist on the computer. When you tell the computer to delete a file, all you are doing is telling the operating system not to recognize it!

In order to protect yourself from a potential nightmare later on, you must make sure your hard drive is securely destroyed before it leaves your possession.

Scratch the Platters

Locate and remove all of the screws on your hard drive's casing. If it doesn't pry open easily, there may be some more screws hidden beneath stickers. Some brands of hard drive may require a torx bit to remove the screws. Inside the drive, you will find a stack of platters, usually 2 or more. Each one has two sides and data is written to both, so you must remove the plate assembly by unscrewing it. Take a piece of medium-grit sand paper and scrub away at both sides of the platters in circular motions.

Degaussing

Degaussing is a process which destroys data on tapes, hard drives and floppy disks by exposing them to a magnetic field. This distorts and damages the data to make it unreadable. There are machines available to do this, but they cost thousands of dollars and are very complex. Instead, you can send your hard drive in to one of the many professional degaussing services for a nominal fee.

Eraser Software

There is a lot of software on the market that promises it will permanently delete your unwanted data, but how do you know if it's doing its job? When looking for software to delete your sensitive data, pick one that uses methods and standards employed by the Department of Defense.

Brute Force

The best way to reliably destroy sensitive data is to obliterate the medium it's on. Open up your hard drive, take out the platters and cut them up with a hacksaw. Crushing them in a vice or smashing them with a hammer are also popular methods. If you're a gun enthusiast, consider using the drive for shooting practice. They make an especially fun target for the larger calibers.

Caustic Chemicals

This isn't recommended unless you have experience using such substances. Place the platters into a secure glass container, add paint thinner, paint stripper or hydrochloric acid (industrial degreaser) and let them sit for a few hours. Sunlight hastens the reaction and makes it more thorough. When working with any chemicals, always remember to wear gloves and protective eye wear and only work in well-ventilated areas!