Laptop Saved! (was RAM Mapping Script)

[k4ghp at comcast.net]

Hydrofluoric acid is about the mildest chemical that may remove that coating, from what I've seen.  If you don't want to open the case (and salvage those great magnets) then your best option is heat(wood stove, propane torch, oven - not microwave - on cleaning cycle.  Best done when your wife is not home. The plastic parts stink when they melt.  Or you could leave it in the driveway for a few weeks.  Between driving over it and road salt you MAY wind up with an unreadable disk.  Or buy a big hammer and beat on it.  If it's ugly enough maybe no one will think it's worth the effort to try to recover the data.  Or you could pump some epoxy or potting compound into the case through the holes that you were planning on drilling anyway.

I still find it easier to open the case, remove the platter (and magnets) and chuck the rest of the stuff in the recycling bin.

Mike Miller

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Jim Kuzdrall <gnhlug at intrel.com> 

> On Thursday 06 March 2008 11:54, k4ghp at comcast.net wrote: 
> > Sandblasting will probably be the quickest way to remove that 
> > coating. It's tough. Makes a good mirror though. 
> 
> It is a long shot, but I am looking for some mild chemical will do 
> enough damage in a week or so of soaking to preclude recovering any 
> data. The goal is no-work, no-cost, no-pollution, no-worry. (Just 
> drill a couple of .25" holes in the unit to let the solvent in.) This 
> would be a personal/small office solution, not a large scale commercial 
> solution. 
> 
> Jim Kuzdrall 
> _______________________________________________ 
> gnhlug-discuss mailing list 
> gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org 
> http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/ 
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