# Stupid Computer Questions - help Please?



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

So, I think I'm going to bite the bullet & get rid of my old desktop (Win XP) & go for a new one. What's the best way to dispose of this machine - and- the information that might be on it? I guess I have to figure out how to "save" (is that the right word?) the info. that I want, & "transfer" (is that the right word?) to the new machine. Any help with that? 
Also, I figure if I remove the hard drive from old computer & smash it to smithereens, that'll prevent anyone from getting any info. that might be on there. Is that correct? Is ALL info on the hard drive, or is there also some info. lurking elsewhere? Are there other things I should do when disposing of old computer? Thanks all.


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## mrPPincer (Nov 21, 2011)

There are drop-off points for old electronics recycling.
I drop mine off at the re store.

Smashing the HD might not do it if the actual disk isn't damaged.
To destroy the info on your hard drive you could take a drill & drill a hole or two through it, or better, if you have a powerful magnet, just set the magnet on it for a while, that should do it too, & it could maybe be better for recycling too that way. I'd probably format the HD before the magnet treatment too.



> Is ALL info on the hard drive


Yes, there won't be anything on the ram or elsewhere afaik.


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## Pluto (Sep 12, 2013)

Wow. going from xp to win 10 shows you are quite frugal and certainly have not over spent on pc equipment. 

1. You need an external hard drive that you can connect to you pc's usb port. Then copy and paste everything you want to keep onto the external drive. When you get your new pc set up you can copy and paste off the external drive onto your new pc.

2. Delete personal information from you old PC then "wipe it" like Hillary did. One way to "wipe it" is download the free CCleaner and follow the instructions.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Simplest solution is to remove your old hard drive and put it into an external case, making it a standalone hard disk. This way you have access to all your old information and you don't have to worry about someone "restoring" it. 

It may sound scary, but it usually only involves about $80 in parts for the enclosure and about a dozen screws and 4 plugs for cables (remove two from the hard drive in the computer and plug two back in in the enclosure). About 5 minutes of work if you don't know what you are doing.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

...hmmm.... some good info here.... as usual.... thanks people!
oh, and Pluto i do appreciate the "frugal" comment! :adoration: So Win 10 is the way to go? not Win 7? just askin' ...?


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

You can try bringing your hard drive with you to a computer store, and asking them to get you a compatible enclosure. If your computer really is 10 years old, there is a decent chance the HDD is not SATA, and you might have a hard time finding a compatible enclosure. You can get one for about $25. $80 is a rip-off.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?cPath=14_203

Given your level of computer proficiency, you may just want to get a technician to copy your files for you. Or, ask one of the grandkids if they are somewhat technically inclined.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

:biggrin-new: @ andrewf


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

jargey3000 said:


> ...hmmm.... some good info here.... as usual.... thanks people!
> oh, and Pluto i do appreciate the "frugal" comment! :adoration: So Win 10 is the way to go? *not Win 7*? just askin' ...?


Because *NONE* of the new PC Windows computers come with WIN7 these days. While you can still buy the CDRom for Win7 from some online stores such as TigerDirect, you have to scrub all the XP off the hard disk, (it must be a clean install), and install the Win 7 OS (operating system) YOURSELF or take it to a computer tech to do it. They will charge you big bucks to install Win 7 and the applications and drivers necessary and ask you first..why? 

This means after the new OS is installed, any of your files on the hard disk are GONE! IF you haven't saved them before hand, you
will have to start all over..including downloading the applications. Most applications require a restart to activate on the new OS,
so it's very time consuming.

It also depends on which system you have...32 bit or 64 bit as the OS is not compatible. Newer PCs all use 64 bit data and run a lot faster than the old 32 bit data. So if you have an old 32 bit "boat anchor" PCdesktop..'forgetabout it!"

The Win 7 disk is just the basic operation system. pretty much everything in Windows is optional and requires some knowledge and searching on line from the Microsoft website. If you don't know what you are doing and don't install things in the CORRECT SEQUENCE, you just end up]
with an expensive 'boat anchor'...and wish you had spent the money on a new one with a warranty.

Applications such as Adobe reader, Flashplayer version, Windows driver package etc etc etc etc... get it? 
Upgrading MS can be quite time consuming and can be turn out to be a nightmare if your system becomes unstable.

i've upgraded from XP on of my old HP desktops to Win 7, but it wasn't easy and *very time consuming.*.several hours in fact before all the MS
Win 7 support applications/MS framework software was downloaded and applied and this required some KNOWLEDGEABLE troubleshooting as well.
You have to be familiar with the Windows programs and applications and how they may interact with each other.

Then, depending on which devices you have attached to your PC, you will need up to *update drivers, *otherwise things like printers and other peripherals using USB ports won't work.

Lastly, just like MS no longer supporting XP with periodic updates, it's only a matter of time until they stop supporting Win 7.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> You can try bringing your hard drive with you to a computer store, and asking them to get you a compatible enclosure. If your computer really is 10 years old, there is a decent chance the HDD is not SATA, and you might have a hard time finding a compatible enclosure. You can get one for about $25. $80 is a rip-off.


Not sure that is really worth it ..even at $25. 


> Given your level of computer proficiency, you may just want to get a technician to copy your files for you. Or, ask one of the grandkids if they are somewhat technically inclined.


 :biggrin-new:
Yup,just copy the files over to a USB stick to save any you want to keep and scrap the old desktop. 
You can use the DOS command FORMAT to scrub the old HDD clean.



> Use the DOS command prompt to format or erase the hard drive. Do this by opening the command link prompt. You can do this by clicking the 'Start' button and choosing the 'Run' option. Type the 'cmd' command in the open field and press 'Enter' or click 'OK'.
> 
> The window for Command Line will open. Type *'format c: /u' *or 'format c: /q'. The 'c:' here is the drive you want to erase. Meanwhile, the '/u' means unconditional format and the '/q' means quick format. The unconditional format is considered more secured than the quick format.


Trying to make old IDE HDD drives work on a newer SATA drive arrangement doesn't always work . *First of all you need a special
IDE to SATA interface board with it's own clocking,* then you need to identify whether the older IDE drive is a MASTER or SLAVE
drive to avoid confusion inside the disk management part of the operating system. I tried that..didn't work for me. Spent a lot
of time and money trying to make the old low capacity HDD work with the newer motherboard..gave it up. 

Older PC desktops are parallel connected (IDE) and are NOT compatible with the newer SATA (serial data format) drives.
If you don't recover the files on your PC and put them on a USB stick or an external HDD, you will not be able to use that
old HDD drive on the newer computers that accommodate one or more SATA drives. 



> HDDs are accessed over one of a number of bus types, including as of 2011 parallel ATA (PATA, also called IDE or EIDE; described
> IDE: Integrated Drive Electronics. The older standard that SATA replaced before the introduction of SATA as ATA).
> 
> SATA: Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. The current standard technology for connecting a hard drive or SSD to the rest of the computer.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Formatting the drive doesn't actually erase the data unless you actually tell it to overwrite the data. Anyone with a little knowledge and $50 of software could easily recover most, if not all of the information from a formatted hard disk. Of course, for 99.9999999% of the population, there probably isn't much on your hard drive that is valuable to someone else, you're life just isn't that exciting sorry.

For those of you still paranoid, If you take your computer in, do you really trust the technician not to make a second copy or actually delete your information properly? Most technicians won't wipe a drive, they may format it, but that doesn't really do anything. It takes a long time to wipe a drive, and these guys don't usually get paid enough to even initiate the process.

As for the issues of transferring your disk, if you get the correct enclosure, and make it an external drive (unlike carverman's suggestion about making it internal) you'll avoid most of the problems.

Also, you can do a clean install of an operating system without formatting the old drive. You just select archive and install which basically moves the old OS to a new directory, disabling it, and does a fresh install of the OS on the existing drive, leaving all your apps and files installed. Of course, some of your programs may not work properly under the new OS, but that's a different story.


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

I would advise against keeping the old hard drive in an enclosure. Apart from the drawbacks already mentioned, a hard drive that old is just waiting to crash. If your files are important to you, transfer them over to a nice new hard drive in your new PC. If you don't know how, ask a trusted kid, grandkid or friend to help. Even if you have to go to Geek Squad, I think it's money well spent. You should also be backing up your important files regularly, but that is another topic...

Regarding your new computer, consider going with a laptop instead of a desktop. They take up way less space, and give you the flexibility to work where you want to, instead of in one spot all the time. My dad is 82, and never really used a computer until 3 or 4 years ago, but now he loves using his laptop to read the news online and he plugs it into the TV with an HDMI cable to watch stuff on YouTube and play solitaire on the big screen from his comfy chair.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Just a Guy said:


> Formatting the drive doesn't actually erase the data unless you actually tell it to overwrite the data. *Anyone with a little knowledge and $50 of software could easily recover most, if not all of the information from a formatted hard disk*. Of course, for 99.9999999% of the population, there probably isn't much on your hard drive that is valuable to someone else, you're life just isn't that exciting sorry.


you're right there. Probably need to use a free utility tool such as SafeErase.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Mookie said:


> I would advise against keeping the old hard drive in an enclosure. Apart from the drawbacks already mentioned, a hard drive that old is just waiting to crash. If your files are important to you, transfer them over to a nice new hard drive in your new PC. If you don't know how, ask a trusted kid, grandkid or friend to help. Even if you have to go to Geek Squad, I think it's money well spent. You should also be backing up your important files regularly, but that is another topic...
> 
> Regarding your new computer, consider going with a laptop instead of a desktop. They take up way less space, and give you the flexibility to work where you want to, instead of in one spot all the time. My dad is 82, and never really used a computer until 3 or 4 years ago, but now he loves using his laptop to read the news online and he plugs it into the TV with an HDMI cable to watch stuff on YouTube and play solitaire on the big screen from his comfy chair.


I agree. Once my old desktop ceases operation, i'm getting a laptop. Right now, it just a case of being frugal.


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## Pluto (Sep 12, 2013)

jargey3000 said:


> ...hmmm.... some good info here.... as usual.... thanks people!
> oh, and Pluto i do appreciate the "frugal" comment! :adoration: So Win 10 is the way to go? not Win 7? just askin' ...?


I believe win 10 is the way to go as MS support will end and make 7 outdated and more vulnerable. By the way, if you do any financial stuff on the Internet such as logging onto banks accounts or stock accounts, you should not use xp as it is not updated by MS and is more vulnerable to malware attacks which could scoop your passwords. 

As someone else suggested you should consider a laptop. You can still attach a full sized keyboard and monitor at at desk, plus easily use the laptop itself at a different location with ease.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Pluto said:


> I believe win 10 is the way to go as MS support will end and make 7 outdated and more vulnerable. By the way, if you do any financial stuff on the Internet such as logging onto banks accounts or stock accounts,* you should not use xp as it is not updated by MS and is more vulnerable to malware attacks which could scoop your passwords*.
> 
> As someone else suggested you should consider a laptop. You can still attach a full sized keyboard and monitor at at desk, plus easily use the laptop itself at a different location with ease.


There is so much phishing and invasions on the internet, it's hard to keep track of these days.
Pesonally, I wouldn't depend on MS updates to reduce your vulnerability to hackers, if your computer is connected to the internet all the time (like mine is), but certainly MS security is better than no security.

Because I bank online, I use MalwareBytes/MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit s/w as well as Norton internet security. Yes it costs money for a yearly subscription but a lot better than some internet hacker-crook stealing vital information to get into your accounts.
I don't store my pw in my computer either.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Disk is inexpensive. Your old disk is mechanical. 

Don't re-use it. It could malfunction any time. PITA to fix it then. Back it up, drill it. 

Get lots of memory in your new computer-whatever you decide on. Don't scrimp on this and check to ensure that there is room for additional memory should you require in the future.

Don't purchase any of the extended warranties. If you get the opportunity to buy a discounted system that has been returned to the manufacturer, inspected, and then resold you might want to consider this. There is an advantage to these systems....they have been inspected by a tech. Downside is that there is so little margin that retailers insist the manufacturer only provide a three month warranty in order that they can sell some extended. I worked for a large vendor for many years. My desktop was a new, recon unit. It has been six years and so far so good. One of our hardware techs recommended this route if the price was right.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Pluto said:


> I believe win 10 is the way to go as MS support will end and make 7 outdated and more vulnerable. By the way, if you do any financial stuff on the Internet such as logging onto banks accounts or stock accounts, you should not use xp as it is not updated by MS and is more vulnerable to malware attacks which could scoop your passwords.
> 
> As someone else suggested you should consider a laptop. You can still attach a full sized keyboard and monitor at at desk, plus easily use the laptop itself at a different location with ease.


This is how I set my parents up. It works like a desktop when they are home, and they can take it with them when they travel.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

carverman said:


> Because *NONE* of the new PC Windows computers come with WIN7 these days.


I'm still seeing a few clearance models with Win 7 / Win 8. I haven't investigated what "a downgrade to Win 8 is available" means but have see some newer computers tagged with this.




carverman said:


> ... While you can still buy the CDRom for Win7 from some online stores such as TigerDirect, you have to scrub all the XP off the hard disk, (it must be a clean install), and install the Win 7 OS (operating system) YOURSELF or take it to a computer tech to do it. They will charge you big bucks to install Win 7 and the applications and drivers necessary and ask you first..why?
> 
> This means after the new OS is installed, any of your files on the hard disk are GONE!


Agree with the sentiment of "why bother".

It has been a while as I've only done upgrades recently. From what I recall, a "clean install" would only touch the Windows system as well as system variable driven directories such as "temp".

Backups before one starts is always critical ... even for upgrades or updates, IMO.




carverman said:


> ... IF you haven't saved them before hand, you will have to start all over..including downloading the applications. Most applications require a restart to activate on the new OS, so it's very time consuming.


??? ... I see the point about downloading but I can recall having to re-install apps anyway despite it being an upgrade instead of a clean install. 

In fact I had to do this for Win 10.




carverman said:


> ... It also depends on which system you have...32 bit or 64 bit as the OS is not compatible. Newer PCs all use 64 bit data and run a lot faster than the old 32 bit data. So if you have an old 32 bit "boat anchor" PCdesktop..'forgetabout it!"


True ... though my old 32 bit "boat anchor" netbook flies with Puppy Linux installed. 
http://puppylinux.com/

Adding a $80 SSD disk a couple of months later also helped.




carverman said:


> ... Then, depending on which devices you have attached to your PC, you will need up to *update drivers, *otherwise things like printers and other peripherals using USB ports won't work.


Win 10, unless the manufacturer has done this as part of preparing the PC won't solve it either as I've lost access to my HDMI port and 2 gig graphics card. Simply allowing the Win 10 major update to be installed destroyed my HP printer driver so that I have to reload it.




carverman said:


> ... Lastly, just like MS no longer supporting XP with periodic updates, it's only a matter of time until they stop supporting Win 7.


The statement on from a web article is that Microsoft will stop mainstream support on January 12, 2015. But the company will keep providing extended support until January 14, 2020. 


Cheers


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## Brain007 (Nov 15, 2016)

wow... you're going to change your computer as well as want to get ride of old machine. so the best i can suggest you to put your computer at recycling point. and you don't need to destroy your information or data stored on old machine. all you need to get a good usb flash drive and put you important info in it. then remaining body or hard drive can be sell at recycling store.
Have a good day!
Cheers
#Brain


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

First copy the files to your new computer. Use a USB stick or network.

Erase that hard disk with a utility before turning it over to a recycle depot. Scammers occasionally buy old computers from recyclers and contact the original owner claiming to have discovered private data. They offer to clean it for a fee. It can be stressful and people have been known to pay for peace of mind.

Better yet, pull the old hard drive before turning the computer over to the recycling depot. Drill the drive if you can.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

olivaw said:


> First copy the files to your new computer. Use a USB stick or network.
> 
> Erase that hard disk with a utility before turning it over to a recycle depot. Scammers occasionally buy old computers from recyclers and contact the original owner claiming to have discovered private data. *They offer to clean it for a fee*. It can be stressful and *people have been known to pay for peace of mind.*
> 
> Better yet, pull the old hard drive before turning the computer over to the recycling depot. *Drill the drive if you can*.



Scammers buy old computers from recycle centre in an attempt to make money by contacting you? How? Do you leave
the phone number on the outside of the case just in case? If this is true, they have dropped down to the lowest rung of scamming there is. That's equivalent to ransomware where they encrypt all your computer personal files, and only they have the key to unlock these files....for a price.

More than likely they would be looking for personal data to use for identity theft.

*Fly on the old computer user's wall..(that has dumped off his old Windows XP at the local electronics recycle)...

Email?
Scammer: Hello this is "Hard drive erasure integrity check depot". We have just rebooted your computer and found all sorts of personal files that you didn't erase before dropping off your old computer. Did you know that?"

User: How did you get my <email> <telephone> number?

Scammer: Easy, you put them all on your hard drive, email inbox and outbox.

User: Uh-Oh I forgot about that..what can be done now?

Scammer: Well you certainly don't want all this sensitive personal data get into the wrong hands do you now!..
we found that you even have your credit card numbers/statements saved on it.

User (really worried now)

Scammer: Don't worry, we are trained "Microsoft" professionals. we can for a small fee, erase your hard drive and then take it back for recycling and you will be assured that nobody (else) can get at your personal files.

The fee for safe erasure of your old hard drive will be ...$500USD...
you can wire us the money through Western Union...

USER: Groan! I guess, I don't have any choice then...that was pretty dumb of me not to disable the hard drive with the old computer still working...

*
Things like family pictures or your personal files with important information about you could be more use to them than offering to clean it for a fee..which is highly unlikely if you already dumped the old boat anchor at the electronic recycling centre. 
If you wanted to get rid of it, it should have been erased already before throwing it into the recycle heap.

Drilling a hole through the hard drive..that's a lot faster than spending time erasing the files...but then, one needs to take the desktop apart, remove the drive, then find a drill with a good drill bit to drill at least 2 holes through the top of the hard drive to be sure.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

carverman said:


> Scammers buy old computers from recycle centre in an attempt to make money by contacting you? How? Do you leave
> the phone number on the outside of the case just in case? If this is true, they have dropped down to the lowest rung of scamming there is. That's equivalent to ransomware where they encrypt all your computer personal files, and only they have the key to unlock these files....for a price.
> 
> More than likely they would be looking for personal data to use for identity theft.
> ...


 .... LOL to the fly on the wall. 

On a serious note, how about using a hammer to smash the hard drive to bits before to recycle heaven (or hell if the scammers get at it). Will this lazy person method work as never tried it before?


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Beaver101 said:


> On a serious note, how about using a hammer to smash the hard drive to bits before to recycle heaven (or hell if the scammers get at it). Will this lazy person method work as never tried it before?


Takes some effort to destroy a hard drive enough to make it useless. I've used the back of a full sized axe to bust up HDDs in the past. But a good way to 'rest at ease'. Consider dipping it in muriatic acid overnight too?

Some folks use utilities such as Eraser to really scrub the drive. The problem is that it is not only information in My Documents, etc, that needs to be deleted. One has to remember all their email folders, cache, cookies, bookmarks, etc and all software programs (and residual folders) such as MS Office that also hold information. Few know what all has to be deleted first before using something like Eraser.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

carverman said:


> Scammers buy old computers from recycle centre in an attempt to make money by contacting you? How? Do you leave
> the phone number on the outside of the case just in case? If this is true, they have dropped down to the lowest rung of scamming there is. That's equivalent to ransomware where they encrypt all your computer personal files, and only they have the key to unlock these files....for a price.
> 
> More than likely they would be looking for personal data to use for identity theft.


I have worked in this field (when I worked). Use of information retrieved from a hard drive to scam people is not uncommon. (I can't quite figure out if Carver believes me or not but that's fine).

Everyone else, most scams (and indeed most hacks) occur through social engineering. The scenario that I described can and does happen. Victims are usually contacted by email. Eventually they are asked for money. People and companies will pay to avoid the embarrassment. Bottom of the barrel - sure, most criminals are not bright. 

Regardless of whether you believe me or not, it is never a good idea to give away a hard drive that has not been completely erased. 

Personally, I erase all of my drives before recycling. I use Gutmann, but some consider it overkill. There are a few drives that I have been unable to erase. I managed to physically destroy a few. Others sit in a safe until I get around to dealing with them. 

If you ever used your computer for work - checked email, worked on a document at home etc. - then it may contain business data.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

BTW: To erase a hard drive correctly, it needs to be connected as a secondary (non boot) drive. Remove it from the old computer; place the drive in an external enclosure connected via USB to the new computer; copy data to the new; use dedicated software to erase the drive. It will wipe the entire drive, not just specific files. It is a PITA, it takes forever, and most people won't do it. 

Newer drives are tiny. They are usually easy to drill. Old drives were built like tanks. Wear eye protection.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

olivaw said:


> Newer drives are tiny. They are usually easy to drill. Old drives were built like tanks. Wear eye protection.


I've always just drilled my HDD's (spinning hard disk drives). A couple of holes should do the trick.

The newest of drive types (that I installed in the new computer I just built) are NVMe M.2 SSD's. They're about 25 times faster than an HDD drive.

I attach a picture of my hand, holding a pen, with my new 512GB drive to give a reference of scale.

This is the future, so we won't have to worry much about what to do with drives any more. Just break it in half I guess.

View attachment 13050


ltr


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> .... LOL to the fly on the wall.
> 
> On a serious note, how about using a hammer to smash the hard drive to bits before to recycle heaven (or hell if the scammers get at it). Will this lazy person method work as never tried it before?


Just drill holes through the platters to render it unusable. No one will go to the effort of trying to partially recover the data from it.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

AltaRed said:


> Takes some effort to destroy a hard drive enough to make it useless. I've used the back of a full sized axe to bust up HDDs in the past. *But a good way to 'rest at ease'. Consider dipping it in muriatic acid overnight too?*
> 
> Some folks use utilities such as Eraser to really scrub the drive. The problem is that it is not only information in My Documents, etc, that needs to be deleted. One has to remember all their email folders, cache, cookies, bookmarks, etc and all software programs (and residual folders) such as MS Office that also hold information. Few know what all has to be deleted first before using something like Eraser.


 ... muriatic acid? Don't think so ... I think a cheaper, safer and less labourious method is to whisk the drive over with a powerful magnet.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Beaver101 said:


> ... muriatic acid? Don't think so ... I think a cheaper, safer and less labourious method is to whisk the drive over with a powerful magnet.


OF course providing one can find a poweful magnet AND not have any electronics on their person at the same time. It all depends on what tools one has at hand.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

AltaRed said:


> Takes some effort to destroy a hard drive enough to make it useless. I've used the back of a full sized axe to bust up HDDs in the past. But a good way to 'rest at ease'. Consider dipping it in muriatic acid overnight too?


Not that much effort, if you know how to disable it from spining or read/write with any reliabilty. 

If the platter (spinning disk is drilled through the top in a couple places to ensure that the read/write head can't access
the data on the disk reliably, the HDD isn't going to be of any use to Scammers/information theives etc.

The hard drive has spinup dc motor that spins the disk at high speeds.Typical laptop drives today spin at either 5400 RPM (Revolutions per Minute) or 7200RPM. It doesn't take much jarring or deformity of the case to cause a head crash making the HDD practically useless. 

Fast way to disable it is to drilll through the top of the HD, or rip out the data and power connections on the end of the HDD will also make it totally useless. 

The only way then that the data on the HD can be retrieved is for the scammers to open up
the HD, remove the media platter carefully, then re-install and align it on another working HD. 

I seriously doubt that most scammers will find it worthwhile to go through this kind of trouble on a recycled computer HD.



> As of December 2013, the platters in most consumer-grade HDDs spin at either 5,400 rpm or 7,200 rpm.[30]
> Information is written to and read from a platter as it rotates past devices called *read-and-write heads that are positioned to operate very close to the magnetic surface, with their flying height often in the range of tens of nanometers*. The read-and-write head is used to detect and modify the magnetization of the material passing immediately under it.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> ... muriatic acid? Don't think so ... I think a cheaper, safer and less labourious method is to whisk the drive over with a powerful magnet.


That would work, but you need a powerful magnet such as what is on a 8-12 inch audio speaker (those are called ferrite material magnets) *or* an electromagnet similar to what they used to use in a bulk tape eraser/degauser..*or* those neodymium (rare earth) Hard drive magnets as sold on E-Bay,
*or* even those quarter size ones sold by Lee Valley..

Buy some of these and have fun with 3/4" Diameterx 1/8"thick ($11.90 each)

here's what Lee Valley say about these POWERFUL magnets...



> *The 3/4" magnet will lift a 22 lb block of steel and the 1" size, a 30 lb block. *The odd one may have a minor chip in it since collisions can happen easily at these power levels.


'Nuff said, if one doesn't want to do the sledgehammer approach on your HDD, then passing one of these babies (sold in lots of 5) because they don't like to be separated from each other will definitely do the trick of erasing
any sensitive personal data on your HDD.
However, you would probably have to pick these up in person at their stores, not sure if Canada Post would deliver these to your community mailbox as the
their tremendous magnetic strength would make the shipping package stick to any metal.


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## PSG (Nov 30, 2016)

Just burn the hard drive most hacker to that. lol


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