Rank: Forum user 
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Morning all,
quick question if possible.
We have a lot of old Hard Disks that we want to destroy, we know we could do the full format / delete type operation but we've got a lot to do and this would take a long time.
We're an engineering company and have got access to big saws etc, are there any hazards associated with chopping these in half? I was thinking more chemical / COSHH type issues than mechanical as the guys will be togged up with visors etc...
any thoughts appreciated.
Steve
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Rank: Forum user
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Not sure Steve but if you have a big press you could just squash them up and have the same result without any problems with airborne particles.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Wrap them in a cloth and hit them with a large hammer!
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user 
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HDDs are essentially mechanical devices with data on magnetic discs. They are physically robust devices. I once tried to destroy one with a very large hammer and bolster as Chris describes.......... and gave up.
Your approach should be determined by your Data Security Policy. Even putting these things in a multi-tonne press would leave the magnetic data essentially intact. If anyone really wanted to go to the trouble they could most likely still read from the disc.
Proper disc clean is the only sure-fire way, and even then I'd ask your IT gurus about protected file areas.
I'm reminded of the time when the US fled their Embassy in Teheran and left behind tonnes of shredded documents. The Iranian Government put their entire student population to work to recompile the shreds - with significant success.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks for all the comments, saw or drill it is I think.
Ron, appreciate the comment that it isn't totally sure fire way of destruction, but the information we hold isn't super sensitive, I think if someone went to the trouble of recovering the data they would come away disappointed - it was something really that we wanted to do to deter 'casual' recovery.
thanks.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Ours waste HDs are shredded and incinerated by a specialist company in the Midlands
Even those patient Iranians would struggle putting them back together again!!! :)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Inside you have electronic circuit boards and electronic components. You may also have glass platters (the disc(s) itself).
Chris42
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Rank: Super forum user
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HSE_Steve wrote:Thanks for all the comments, saw or drill it is I think.
Ron, appreciate the comment that it isn't totally sure fire way of destruction, but the information we hold isn't super sensitive, I think if someone went to the trouble of recovering the data they would come away disappointed - it was something really that we wanted to do to deter 'casual' recovery.
thanks. If you break-off, mangle or destroy the interface connector, you'll deter 'casual' discovery?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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My method has been to drill a hole through them. However, Ron's approach would have worked for me - must remember that next time!
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Rank: Super forum user
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The only way that works 100% is to subject the platters to heat above the curie point of the magnetic material used. About 800C should be enough!
Leaving the platters intact is a bad idea.
Whether the data stored is retrievable depends upon how much trouble someone wants to go to to retrieve it.
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