Do you do this?

[ratewhore]

linky

Do you destroy old hard drives? I've been smashing mine to pieces with a lump hammer for some time now. Not only does it make it relatively uninteresting to a crim, it's quite enjoyable too!!!

Never has a smiley been more apt...

[zara_backdog]

When I worked at the revenue - yes sorry, we destroyed the hard drives by driving a hammer through them - yey!

[TheFaQQer]

When I worked at the revenue - yes sorry, we destroyed the hard drives by driving a hammer through them - yey!

I thought you just left them on the train?

[Liability]

Not sure how true this is - but a certain government body places hard drives in a special Microwave for like 50-60 seconds? Apparently its the most reliable way of ensuring the data is never recovered [aside from hammer, chisel and fire]

[thunderlizard]

I thought you just left them on the train?

That would at least stop the data from getting any further north than Watford Junction.

[dinker]

Strangely enough my neighbour recently asked my advice about disposing an old PC, I took the HD out and we spent an enjoyable five minutes hitting it with sledgehammers.

[TheFaQQer]

That would at least stop the data from getting any further north than Watford Junction.

That's the best place for them - we don't have computers, or even elektrikity in't north, ya knaa.

[DiscoStu]

I just give them a wipe with DBAN.

I'm willing to concede that there's a chance you may be able to recover somthing under an electron microscope once a drive's been overwritten several times, but I can't see your average identity thief going to the trouble and huge expense involved.

[chris79]

I've used DBAN in the past, I'm sure it has some crazy "35-pass" method used by the military (or so it claimed/claims)..? I thought anything after 7 passes rendered it unrecoverable?

[expat]

Not sure how true this is - but a certain government body places hard drives in a special Microwave for like 50-60 seconds? Apparently its the most reliable way of ensuring the data is never recovered [aside from hammer, chisel and fire]

One of which is liable to happen if you do that.

I have decommissioned CDRoms in the MW: just a few seconds does it, they suddenly do an electrical storm all over, and the foil is totally crazed.