Destroying a hard drive

[Drew Van Zandt]

Thought: assuming the holes covered with aluminum stickers actually give you
a passage to inside the drive if removed, take one off and spray some
powdered graphite inside, replace sticker, and spin the drive up.  I'd not
feel very confident in it without testing, but it should give the drive fits
for both mechanical reasons (grind, grind, grind) and electrical reasons -
carbon's enough of a conductor to cause all sorts of bizarre effects in
electrical circuits with high amplification, and the conductivity changes
with pressure.

--DTVZ

On 7/11/07, Jim Kuzdrall <gnhlug at intrel.com> wrote:
>
>
>     What is the most efficient way to destroy the data on a hard drive
> before junking it?  Normal file erasure leaves the data intact.  Secure
> erasure or reformatting takes too much time, and the drive may not be
> working well enough to complete the operation.
>
>    Another quick method suggested is a sledge hammer, but that seems
> "hit-or-miss" (sorry).  Without opening the case one cannot confirm
> whether all of the platters have been sufficiently damaged.
>
>    Opening the drive and sanding, scratching, or bending the platters
> seems tedious.  Automated assembly uses non-reversible techniques such
> as press-fits, epoxy, rivets, etc. which may make it difficult to get
> at the surfaces.
>
>     Has anybody suggested a chemical solvent wash?  (Wash fluid disposal
> might possibly be a problem.)
>
>     Do the rather exotic magnetic coatings have a low enough Curie
> temperature to destroy the magnetization in an oven?  Our kitchen oven
> goes to 270C (520F) or so, but magnetite requires 560C.  Cobalt
> compounds are higher.  Using a Bernz-O-Matic torch would simplify
> disassembly - just remove the cover.
>
>     Not that I have anything to hide, you understand.  Just curious.
>
> Jim Kuzdrall
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