How do I throw away or get rid of old hard drives?

[gogoblender 3,224]

Hey guys!

I got ooooooold hard drives..back from the days when I'd use a clunky old lap top for backup when main computer when down,  Is there way to get rid of these drives without feeling like soemoenes gonna go dumpster diving on me and have a look at my stuff> I cant spin those drives anymore so Ii'm looking for a quick way to *disintegrate* the entire drive

If i leave them in water overnight will that kill it?

gogo

[Flix 5,184]

Physically destroy them.  Take the platter out and scratch it up. We use a hammer at work (nice catharsis).  Soak in salt water or sugar water will also wreck it.

[gogoblender 3,224]

4 hours ago, Flix said:

Physically destroy them.  Take the platter out and scratch it up. We use a hammer at work (nice catharsis).  Soak in salt water or sugar water will also wreck it.

wow!  really? u physically destroy? Well, I guess Ill put them in a bucket tonight. Thanks Ben...these drives were sitting on my shelves for years...and I was paralyzed by fear lol... 

Ill look forward to that smash...hell ill tape it!

gogo

[Timotheus 430]

That's what I did too. Opened the thing up, took the platters out and scratched them up on the tiles in front of our house. Then chucked them into the "metals" container at the recycling station. 

Technically you would be fine with a program like Active@ Killdisk but I like the hands-on approach. 

[chattius 2,626]

The safe way for destroying data, not so safe for health if untrained ... ;)

 

[lujate 578]

I drill several holes thru the platter.

[gogoblender 3,224]

Thanks for the inspiration motivation everyone!

We've never done this before... quite a journey... Schot (course *cough* ) did most of it...but getting through all those layers and coming up on those discs...they are beautiful.  Machined so smoothly and three of them ... and the writer we pulled out that etches upon them... like a piece of machined jewelry... what a waste.. almost wanted to keep them

 

 

 

[gogoblender 3,224]

Rip beautiful

gogo

 

 

[Hooyaah 2,976]

Using them for target practice with a .30-06 in my back pasture at 100 yards seems to work well enough for me.

[Schot 414]

Yup, looks like this hard drive has been corrupted by the gogo and DarkMatters virus. 

 

[chattius 2,626]

I am a big nostaltic dinosaur. I still have a functional Apple II with a 8inch Floppy and a 5.25inch Winchester hard disc. It is used to control the stitching and knitting machines. When I have time and a bit training I plan to 3D print transparent cases.

 

 

[Timotheus 430]

(click for link to example)

 

Always really liked the idea of windows in HDD sadly there's not much you need to "fudge" up to destroy them. 
And that means the accidental nature of doing so, not engraving ones name into the platters

But alas, we are in the age of the SSD now, and there's nothing cool and moving anymore about them.

Edited December 1, 2020 by Timotheus

[gogoblender 3,224]

12 hours ago, Schot said:

Yup, looks like this hard drive has been corrupted by the gogo and DarkMatters virus. 

 

lOl... this virus..it just... gets...everywhere...!

gogo

[Flix 5,184]

5 hours ago, Timotheus said:

Always really liked the idea of windows in HDD sadly there's not much you need to "fudge" up to destroy them. 
And that means the accidental nature of doing so, not engraving ones name into the platters

But alas, we are in the age of the SSD now, and there's nothing cool and moving anymore about them.

The one virtue of HDD's in the permanence.   You could put that disk in a vault and the data would still be there centuries later.  Of course this is undermined with how quickly the mechanics of the drive break with regular use.  On the other hand, data on SSD's degrades over time if it doesn't receive power.

[chattius 2,626]

The oldest file on my Winchester is 30 years old ;)

Mainly because of big disc diametre and low capacity.

I have an old magnetic band data storage and wasn#t using it anymore because hdd's were so cheap. But seeing the new tape recorders and how big raw format photos are, maybe it is a good idea to get a modern tape recorder again for long time storage.

 

[Hooyaah 2,976]

53 minutes ago, Flix said:

The one virtue of HDD's in the permanence.   You could put that disk in a vault and the data would still be there centuries later.  Of course this is undermined with how quickly the mechanics of the drive break with regular use.  On the other hand, data on SSD's degrades over time if it doesn't receive power.

That's why I store my games library and other very important files on a 931 GiB SATA drive and run my active games from a 931 GiB SSD and run Windows on a separate SSD.

[Timotheus 430]

I still have my backups on a SATA drive. But I'm probably switching to full SSD for my system. 
Because NVMe 

[gogoblender 3,224]

 

 

 

 

 

23 hours ago, Flix said:

On the other hand, data on SSD's degrades over time if it doesn't receive power.

didnt know this

 

p.s. sometimes i wonder if plain ole paper aint still the best

gogo

[chattius 2,626]

4 hours ago, gogoblender said:

p.s. sometimes I wonder if plain ole paper aint still the best

gogo

Years back my oldest bought a John's Phone. She hated the time she wasted by checking for new app's, sms's, ...The telephon numbers are stored by opening the back of the phone and getting a pen and a small booklet stored behind the door...

To prevent theft hers is pink. A colour no male thief will touch

 

 

[gogoblender 3,224]

5 hours ago, chattius said:

Years back my oldest bought a John's Phone. She hated the time she wasted by checking for new app's, sms's, ...The telephon numbers are stored by opening the back of the phone and getting a pen and a small booklet stored behind the door...

To prevent theft hers is pink. A colour no male thief will touch

 

 

I remember years ago when you purchased that John's phone

simple and elegant.. good basics

 

gogo

[gogoblender 3,224]

And...did you guys know how powerful the magnet is inside a drive?  Maybe im being a little bit of kid...but HOLA is it ever powerful!!! the one inside ours was able to pick up a three pound weight, no sweat!

... and just pulling them apart when they *click* takes muscle 

 

lol... these things are a bit addictive... who remembers playing with magnets incessantly when they were a kid.. 

 

gogo

[gogoblender 3,224]

On 12/1/2020 at 10:42 AM, Hooyaah said:

That's why I store my games library and other very important files on a 931 GiB SATA drive and run my active games from a 931 GiB SSD and run Windows on a separate SSD.

 

On 12/1/2020 at 11:31 AM, Timotheus said:

I still have my backups on a SATA drive. But I'm probably switching to full SSD for my system. 
Because NVMe 

lol... i sorely feel like im need of a upgrade fellas

gogo

[chattius 2,626]

On my work machine I do SSD mainly for OS and programs. Sensible data is on a RAID5 with hdd's because SSD loose a lot of speed in a RAID system. All is put in a computer case formed like a cube. Lot of room for cooling, discs and number cruncher (graphic) cards. The top of it is hard enough to place a printer on it. So it saves even room.

 

Playing with magnets.. I have a magnetic experiments kit for kids (and adults) aged around 8. The twins grew out of it and the grandchildren are too young... It is the german Kosmos kit however.

With 5 kids we have nearly all the Kosmos kits for experiments. Add my own ones like a computer experiments kit based on a 4bit (in words four) Intel 4004 chip.