How to wipe a defunkt hard drive

SirPlus · Joined: Aug 23, 2004 Posts: 4

My hdd failed under warranty.
I was well backed up so no issue -except

Remembering it doesnt spin up -how do i scrub the disk i have to send back so i can get my replacement.

Huapakechi · Joined: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 487

A "degaussing" coil, the kind that used to be commonly used to demagnetize color televisions would be the thing to use. They produce an intense alternating magnetic field. If you can't find a TV shop that still has one, they can be made. You'll have to dig up the information on that yourself.

EDIT to add: Be FAR AWAY from any computer equipment that you ever want to use when you plug this bad boy into an outlet!!!!

Werebo

Allo SirPlus and welcome to the Lockergnome forum

Also, keep any credit/debit cards that has the magnetic strip on the back etc. as far as possible from a de-gaussing coil, too Wink

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1548 Location: Central FL, USA

Forgetaboutit!

If it's not going back, physically destroy it. Like with a big hammer.

It it IS going back, don't worry about it.
If its refurbishable, they will wipe it clean.
If it's NOT refurbishable, they will destroy it.

Either way no one is going to waste time picking through your data.

For future reference, don't keep sensitive data on your PC's Hard Drive.
That's the worlds worse place to keep such data. Much better to have it on a CD, DVD or even a flash drive.

Cheers Mate!
The Doctor

goretsky

Hello,

Have you asked the computer or hard disk drive manufacturer what guaranty they provide that no data will be examined or removed from the hard disk drive?

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

Huapakechi · Joined: Jan 19, 2005 Posts: 487

Do you trust what you are told by politicians and used car salesmen too?

louis-the-cat · Joined: May 13, 2006 Posts: 307

A techie friend of mine tells me that when he wants to wipe hard drives ( that he won't/can't reuse) he puts them in a good going bonfire and roasts them at high temperature

Werebo

All the above (hammers - fire etc.) will destroy the data on a drive, but they will also destroy any warranty claims too. Sad

My personal method to destroy a drive is to just remove the cover and explore the insides with my grubby mitts Wink

Seeing as the clearance between the platter and the read/write heads is a micron or two, a nice fat fingerprint will render the drive unreadable and still be educational as to what actually is inside, a marvel of precision micro-engineering Laughing

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1548 Location: Central FL, USA

Removing the cover plate on the drive also VOIDS the warranty.

There is NOTHING physical that you can do to the drive without voiding the warranty.

If you want to get the warranty, and a new drive then stop fooling around and just send them the drive.

Cheers!
the Doctor

SirPlus · Joined: Aug 23, 2004 Posts: 4

I Admit nothing
I Deny everything
I Demand Proof
I Counter Accuse
I Bump old threads

I made the coil (easy) and tried it on a good hdd which it wiped

So i did the same but about 100 x longer to the under warranty one before I sent it back -it was either that or suck up the cost of WD poor product.

Will probably get cancer from radiation exposure lol

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1548 Location: Central FL, USA

"it was either that or suck up the cost of WD poor product. "

In all 'seriosity', many people with WD drives have had to do just that.

My very first SATA hard drive was a WD, only because it was dirt cheap at the time.
That first WD drive lasted about two months. It's RMA replacement also lasted about two (or three) months. The second RMA drive, was so scratched up that I suspected that someone had dropped it on a concrete floor and then kicked it across the floor before picking it up and sending it to me.
I wouldn't even install it.
I had already gone out and bought me a Maxtor replacement, which by the way is still running nicely after a couple of years of heavy service.

I gave away that last RMA drive from WD and it ran about six months and shot craps.
It went right to the trash can. NO more RMA's from WD, thank you!

But, on the topic of this old thread, there are several FREE HD wiping programs available that will remove all data and make it unrecoverable to all but the CIA.
That should be sufficient for anyone wanting to just get rid of an old computer.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor Cool

FishyMike · Joined: Dec 14, 2005 Posts: 290

carefully open the hd case and remove magnets and platter. hang the magnets all around your workbench and shed, wonderful tool hangers.
collect around 20 platters and hang them in a tree, great on a breezy/sunny day.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1548 Location: Central FL, USA

Mike, sounds like fun, but doesn't that void the warranty?

Just curious!

Doc Cool

SirPlus · Joined: Aug 23, 2004 Posts: 4

this is off topic but i think it used to be my thread so please be gentle

collect hundreds of magnets adn make a wind powered generator

PS I have a raid with 4 x WD hdd been copping an absolute hammering for 3 years -no failures yet -expecting any day soon -lol

but seriously -the programs are good for functional drives only
If its not functional and worthless then opening it should be enough and can reveal treasures
If it has to go back the degaussing coil worked a treat
I didnt want to be near it so here is what i did
my coil was just bigger than the case
I screwed coil flat to a board with a hole in it to take the case
added a 15 minute timer and ran it 8 times moving the case a bit each time

PhotoCarp · Joined: Sep 06, 2007 Posts: 109

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1548 Location: Central FL, USA

Just out of curiosity,,,,,,since it wouldn't run, how did you test it to see if it was Wiped.????

Just curious!

Cool

STLTOM · Joined: Oct 23, 2008 Posts: 1

When we were kids we would magnetize all of my Dads screwdrivers (before the time of computers) for him. We would take a piece of copper wire (any kind) coil it around the screwdriver and then touch both ends to a car battery. It only made little sparks but the screwdrivers were then magnetized. I wonder if you did the same to a hard drive if the magnetization would erase the whole thing, without any evidence of tampering????

Any thoughts?
T

Also, I have an AGP slot that is empty, but when I run SIW it says that its in use. I've been having a hell of a time getting an ATI x800 All in Wonder to work consistantly.. thing keeps crashing...any idea on how to reset the AGP slot to show "Available"? (sorry to hijack the thread)