Erasing my hard drives

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ceemike

ceemike

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Joined
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Pennsylvania
I've decided that it's finally time to get rid of all the old PCs and laptops that I have sitting around, but I need to clear the hard drives.  I have a program call PC Eraser that came with a file transfer device called The Tornado that I bought about 6 years ago. I've never used the program but I thought I'd give it a try. It uses a method called the Guttman 35 pass method, which I've read on the internet is the most secure way of erasing a hard drive. 

Is there something more I need to do after PC Eraser finishes, or can I then dispose of the hard drive feeling secure that my personal info has been completely erased and is not recoverable?

I also have a bunch of 5.25 and 3.5 floppies that need to be erased.  Can I use a very powerful electromagnet that is made for erasing VCR tapes?

Thanks.
 
I've use Duke's Boot and Nuke to erase hard drives, I'm sure PC Eraser is similar.  If you really want to be sure the drive is destroyed, take a drill to it.  As for floppies, shred them but an electromagnet should do it as well.
 
I just give the drive a solid rap with a hammer.  I rarely discard as PC until its really obsolete, having already been rehabilitated a few times, so they are pretty worthless when I trash them.  But using a software eraser saves removing the drive to give the coup d'grace.
 
The last time I answered this question I got flamed.. You see the anwer I gave is the offidcial US Military method of "Demilitarizing" a hard drive.

The answer depends on how sensitive the information on those drives... if you really, absolutly, beyond any shadow of a doubt want the information destroyed.. Ask and I'll type it out.. But frankly it's a bit much (involves hammers, explosives fire and such.)
 
inscop said:
12 gauge shotgun with 00 buck.  Works every time.
Click to expand...

Only if you disassemble the drive to get at the platters.  Buckshot won't penetrate the cast housing and would only destroy the controller, not the data on the drive itself.
 
The last time I "cleaned" a hard drive, it included a 8# sledge hammer and a cement slab.  A few good strokes and I am pretty sure that the data is unrecoverable.........
 
SargeW said:
The last time I "cleaned" a hard drive, it included a 8# sledge hammer and a cement slab.  A few good strokes and I am pretty sure that the data is unrecoverable.........
Click to expand...

And you felt really good afterwards, right? :D
 
legrandnormand said:
If it stll runs, just reformat them.
Click to expand...

That won't erase the data, it will still be recoverable.  A quick format doesn't even overwrite the data sectors, and a full format only overwrites once, leaving the underlying data recoverable quite easily with available forensic tools.
 
Ok.. the Army way (Phrased to rhyme sort of)

Drill holes in it
Smash it with sledge hammer
Flame Thrower it
Runn over it with tank
and blow it up with hand grenades

Note this is not a "Pick one" but DO ALL THE ABOVE.

If there is a piece bigger than the point of a pin.. Do it over again.

 
SargeW said:
The last time I "cleaned" a hard drive, it included a 8# sledge hammer and a cement slab.  A few good strokes and I am pretty sure that the data is unrecoverable.........
Click to expand...

My brother-in-law is a software developer with IT degrees/certifications... the above is exactly how he said is the only SURE way to render a drive unusable and data unrecoverable.  And it's how I disposed of my last HD from an old laptop.  :)
 
As a practical matter, I'm sure the sledge works. But I'm also pretty sure that any piece of the platters could be read for data content. Consolidating those bits into facts is another matter.

I expect that a magnetic solution is required; either a very strong magnetic field or rewriting repetitivly every bit of data. Grinding should also work (or melting/burning).

Ernie
 
You people must have some really top secret materials on your drives.  Send them to WikiLeaks and they'll take care of them for you :)
 
at work "they" bring them too me to cut them in half on the band saw. so yes best answer is to break them.
 
Ernie n Tara said:
As a practical matter, I'm sure the sledge works. But I'm also pretty sure that any piece of the platters could be read for data content. Consolidating those bits into facts is another matter.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't the plates have to spin smoothly to be able to be read & extract any useful information?  That seems to be where the hammer comes in.  It will prevent any future data writing or reading to the physical drive.
 
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