Myself, when confronted with in-operable systems I have pulled the H/D and then disposed of the remains. I then destroy the H/D.

Winging a hand sledge for a few minutes can sure get a lot of aggression out of one's system.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Fri, Oct 3, 14 at 18:40

I bought a deal on a TakeOut hard drive once that was suprise ... complete with windows and a handful of somebodys private files.

It would be good to remove the hard drive. Its really pretty easy to remove usually. Philips screwdriver.

If you take apart the hard drive it has a really strong little magnet in it. Hold big things to your refrigerator. Or you can stick in yours or another desktop as and use it for storage or backups.

It doesn't have to be in THAT computer to be accessible. Since you know the data is there, remove the HD, then do what you want with it. Donate the rest. Nobody wants them.

Thanks, I will remove the HD. I wasn't sure whether that was necessary, but it is certainly easy enough to do. I'll dispose of that separately or maybe see if I can get data from it, but I think I will need to buy an external HD accessory, as I do not think I have a space for it in my current computer. At least the HD itself won't take up as much space in my garage as the old computer. I think I have two or three computers that I want to get rid of that are quite old. I've kept them this long because of the personal financial data that they contain that I have been unable to access and delete.

Mikie, did you find anything interesting in the other person's files? I have AutoCAD on mine as well as an astrology program with lots of people's names and time and place of birth - not something that should get into the wrong hands, I think.

Thanks for the advice!

Lars

Been a while - I didn't really care much to be nosy with other peoples stuff - usually pretty boring - I do remember I did look at a few snapshots but nothing of interest to anyone other than their friends and family. It did have full office and other registered $ programs.

If I remember right you delete almost all of device manager and reboot with a drivers folder somewhere handy. And then you have another free copy of windows :) Its more challenging/interesting than a fresh install.

I used to get gifted windows free anyhow one way or another .. they gift it away to most anybody at meetings.

There are plenty of software programs on the market that will wipe a drive so that data can not be recovered. Darik's Boot 'n Nuke is one example. If the computer is not operating, then you'd need to place the drive in a computer that does work and run the software.

Beyond that, physical destruction of the drive is the only sure fire solution.

It's likely that the HD is still good. Pull the hard drive from the computer. It's not difficult at all. Generally takes 5-10 minutes once you get the case open.

Here's some steps to do that:
http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Hard-Drive

Rather than trying to install the HD into your new computer, you may instead want to try something like an EZ-Dock - this link may or may not be what you need for your situation, but it's a start:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1083190&gclid=CjwKEAjw2MOhBRCq-Nr87_j-lDASJAAl4FNhN-zZJWcVkHWVPA2mhK1fEBgTKqdd6LTR4gyBZNJDpxoCRdHw_wcB&Q=&is=REG&A=details

With an EZ-Dock, you just plug it into power, use the USB connector to connect it to your computer, and place the HD in the slot.

Be aware that your removed HD is "naked", so it's vulnerable to shocks, dust, etc...it's not best to keep it out all the time. But, if you are looking to retrieve the data (the tax returns, etc. would probably be good to have if you didn't have them backed-up somewhere else, right?), this should do it for you.

And then one last piece of advice for now for you and others - for any information that is important to you, it is best to always have it backed up elsewhere...and preferably in an off-site location. Many people say about using a fire-proof safe to keep an external HD, however, they fail to realize that while the safes are "fire-proof", they are generally not HEAT proof, which means that the plastics can melt.

I donated mine to our Cultural Center, where a few good men.. lol wipe the HD make any repairs needed and donate to local schools.

Quick series of questions from a lurker to this thread:

What, IYO, is the best way of "destroying" the HD so that any personal data is unrecoverable? DA mentioned a hand sledge. Would that really do it? Or would there be something inside the HD that's still conceivably accessible to someone with the know-how, even after the beating?

Extreme temps? Magnetic field? Some kind of acid bath? Something else?

Just curious. :-)

Paint a bulls eye on it - take it to a shooting range, Somebody will destroy it for you - while you watch;)

The platters inside a hard drive are exactly that ... hard metal discs polished to a mirror sheen.ÃÂ Up to the point I disassembled one for examination I had envisioned them as coated with a dull brown or black magnetic polymer material like a cassette or VHS tape ... but that's not the case.

I destroy one by disassembling it (requires very small screwdrivers -- Torx or hex or whatever), deeply scratching and beating the discs on both sides. Most drives have two or more discs which store data on both sides.

not2bright, Today, having just destroyed 4 of my family's old/faulty hard drives before disposing of them, I would be very surprised if brute force on the outside would ensure that 100% of the data would be forensically unrecoverable.

I stripped them down to their component parts simply by removing about 20 screws from each one. The data platters, which are like rigid, very heavy duty dvds, are located within substantial machined aluminium housings.

The platters were simply slid off their spindles and destroyed.

It is only a five minute job once you have found all the screws hidden under the labels.

Thanks for the description and comments. As a matter of coincidence I'm having my hard drive replaced in the next few days by my computer guy (who made the beast), so the advice above will come in handy! :-)

Thanks for the description and comments. As a matter of coincidence I'm having my hard drive replaced in the next few days by my computer guy (who made the beast), so the advice above will come in handy! :-)

Be sure to remember to ask for the hard drive when picking up your computer.

Not suggesting your dealer is crooked but it is a small item in the excitement of getting the whiz bang new machine and can be easily overlooked.

Thanks, owbist. A helpful reminder, indeed! :-)

But as it happens in my case he'll be coming to my house and doing the repair here. And he is a very well-liked IT guy in this area with a reputation for honesty. I've dealt with him for over 5 years. No worries. :-)

This post was edited by not2bright on Mon, Oct 6, 14 at 10:26

I just stand mine on end in my heavy duty vise and whack at it. You quickly learn the best places to bop as it can be resilient. It's a little entertaining, and for a few minutes when your done everything seems right in the world.

I have given some thought to the next time using my pneumatic high-speed cutting wheel. Just some alternative fun.

DA

"Or would there be something inside the HD that's still conceivably accessible to someone with the know-how, even after the beating? "

Possible ... but unless the hard drive belonged to someone whose information was really, really, really important it would not be worth the effort.

I dropped off an old laptop and just ran "Boot and Nuke" on it.

I sleep soundly every night knowing that no one can read my H/D after I am finished with it.

DA

Hmmm ........ sledge hammer, small screwdrivers, side grinder ....... too noisy and too much like work. Some friends, a cooler with ice and beer, a well stoked fire pit .......... and an unwanted harddrive ready for a viking funeral. Just a thought.

For a PC that doesn't work, I might think about taking out the drive and letting it sit overnight in a bucket of water.

Otherwise, I use a similar approach to what lazy gardens describes. I first delete my files (it takes less than 15 minutes) and then use any of several available programs to wipe the drive. I've probably used a different one each time, my latest favorite is Eraser. It essentially prevents any access of "deleted" files by iterative overwrites of meaningless data to the areas where files had previously been located. It can take hours and hours to work, but I trigger it to happen overnight and that's usually long enough.

Even before doing that there's nothing I consider sensitive on my PCs.

I consider outsider access to any of my personal information a low risk. I've passed on my old PCs to a local organization that cleans up their donations and then gives PCs to low income people and charities.

(edit for typos and clarity)

This post was edited by snidely on Mon, Oct 6, 14 at 19:01

If you want to keep some of the data; get a flash drive maybe a 64GB 2.0 USB for about $20 on sale. It should hold all your data files unless you are into movies or have a lot of photo with high resolutions. But for the average person 64GB of data is triple what is usually stored on an average computer!

I do not want to destroy the drive. I'd like to donate 3 computers. I would like them to be able to use them. Are any of these erase programs reliable?
Jane

Jane if it were me and there was no highly sensitive material on it I would simply insert the Windows CD/DVD, do a full format of the whole drive then install Windows.

You realise this is a time consuming task and will take the best part of a tidy while, there are well over 100 updates/patches for any flavour of Windows to download and install.

If one wishes to get carried away they could install Linux first, formatting the drive beforehand. Then do the above with Windows but methinks for most that is just overkill.

Getting harder and harder to find places that will accept donated systems. Too much junk being turned in, and then it has to be gotten rid of.

DA

Thanks Owbist. That is probably the way to go. Da, I don't consider these machines junk as they run like the first day I got them. They didn't get heavy use, were office computers which were used mainly for patient information and some medical software. They ran 4 days a week for only a few hours. No real heavy use.

They also have the largest drives I could get 7 years ago and were top of the line Dell business machines. Two desktops and one laptop. All XP.

In Florida, there are so many requests for old, working computers which are used in various places for Seniors, homeless, shelters.

Florida is not great about building homeless shelters. Places like Goodwill and Salvation Army provide space for people to use their address to receive and apply for help through computers offered. Sad part that many live in their cars or sleep in parks and can't apply for benefits or help without an address. You can't send out resumes without an address.

I know people who volunteer at these day shelters and there is such a need for computers. They also use them for training and will take non-working computers. But the large need is for working computers which can get online and provide people with connections.

I think its a good cause. The Salvation Army silently provides so many services for the destitute and I think anyone considering donating should consider the Salvation Army.

Jane

The default format program in windows may not actually erase the data.
You really ought to use a data wiping program.

That being said I've read that research has shown the 5 or 7 multipass settings to be overkill. In almost all cases, 2 passes means the data is essentially unrecoverable. It's not like you have national security secrets on there. No one is going to spend hundreds of thousands to get your SSN.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sat, Oct 11, 14 at 13:21

Jane, Eraser is very reliable and easy to use. First use Windows Explorer to "delete" your personal data files. Then empty the Recycle Bin.

Download Eraser and run it. It uses a Dept of Defense endorsed approach to obliterating the traces of the files to make them unrecoverable.

Much easier and safer, in my opinion, than reloading and updating Windows. Plus, if you have WIndows XP, it may not update and what the donee would be stuck with would be pretty useless.

Jane,

I didn't mean yours. Sorry if it sounded like it.

My point is many institutions/agencies no longer accept used systems as the "donations" are found to be obsolete, in-operable or just down right junk. After taking them in good faith they incur the inconvenience and possible cost of getting rid of them.

DA

I just want to reiterate that reformatting a drive will definitely not erase and make irretrievable your data. There are various programs available to retrieve files that remain after formatting or the like - I've used them and they work well.

The standard procedure as others have mentioned is to use a drive wiper program, and most of them offer several levels of overwrite.

Darik's Boot 'n Nuke (known as DBAN) is the old standby, but the challenge there is you have to boot off a floppy, cd, dvd whatever, so that it has complete control of the drive.
The download is an iso file which you burn to a cd using Imgburn (program) or the like.

"Eraser" is another option although I haven't personally tried that one.

A third choice is one of the tools included in the common CCleaner program that many people use to clean out superfluous files such as "temp" etc.
It works well.

Fourth - if you just want to delete a few files or folders, FileMenuTools is a super handy program that has many right click options, one of which is "Shred files", wherein you get several choices of advanced overwrite.
I use it mostly for "advanced renaming", but the shredding option is useful as well.

Good luck !

This post was edited by kbarb on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 21:29