Hard Drive Fun!

BaconTheory · February 2005

OK, so heres the deal. My dad, who is pretty paranoid when it comes to computers got a new one, after his old Dell bit the dust. Well, I've salvaged some parts from the old computer for my own personal use, but the hard drive was un-salvagable, because that was the cause for the computer failure. Anyhow, my dad wants me to destroy the HD for him. He said that he didn't care <i>how</i> I did it, just to "make sure that no one could get anything off of it". That sounds to me like a recipe for fun. Anyhow, I've already tried to smash it with a regualr hammer, but that failed horribly. Those HDs are really tough. Getting to the point, I need some creative ideas on what to do with it. A list of ideas that I have so far are below.
<ul><li>Shoot it with frozen paintballs</li><li>Use a pickaxe</li><li>Use a sledgehammer</li><li>Attatch fireworks to HD</li><li>Use Lysol and some matches and torch it</li></ul>
Any other suggestions? I may decide to do all of the above. When I do, there will be a video and pics. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

Rellix · February 2005

What country you in, legality may change per country.

Mains supply to the outer casing, with an ambulence ready.

Then maby drop it off a building into a tank of fish, then dry it with a blow tortch.

Comprox · February 2005

Microwave.

BaconTheory · February 2005

As far as legality goes, I do all sorts of stuff in my backyard and no one has called the cops on me...yet.

RPG_Jssmfulhud · February 2005

Submerge it in acid.

raz0r · February 2005

i'd go with dropping it off a tall building, then trying to weld it back together.

Then submerging it in some Hydrochloric acid

Thaldarin · February 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Comprox @ Feb 11 2005, 08:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Microwave.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Just make sure you have spare fuses, and a long extension cable in to your back garden. It would be extremely funny, violent and well .. 4th July for you Americans all over again <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Charge · February 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Comprox @ Feb 11 2005, 02:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Microwave.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
remember to take nakked pixx when u do that

MrRadicalEd · February 2005

submit it for a demonstration on the effects of liquid nitrogen has different objects.

schools.. science museums.. just as long as you get a front row seat or a hand in the matter <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Marik_Steele · February 2005

If it still worked, I'd say use all 4 hard drive wiping utilities from the <a href='http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/' target='_blank'>Ultimate boot CD</a>. But I see you're past that stage, so on to the rest...

Put it in a freezer. Let it freeze just for the heck of it. Then quickly switch it to a preheated oven in hopes that the sudden extreme heat will mess with the magnetics of the hard drive to the point of making it unreadable. Repeat if desired.

Put it in the washing machine with the rest of your dishes. Just because.

Open it up/put it under enough stress to crack open, preferably by throwing it at a wall, down from a tall building, or just putting it under something heavy like an Xbox. Put the discs of the hard drive through a shredding machine.
Submerse the disc confetti in something mildly flammable. Light on fire.
Let it burn for awhile, and finally put out fire with liquid waste from the nearest household pet.

MrRadicalEd · February 2005

oh I had a idea... dismantle it and make some art out of it.. like take the platters and put them under glass for an interesting paper weight or some kind of wall art.

BaconTheory · February 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MrRadicalEd @ Feb 11 2005, 03:34 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> oh I had a idea... dismantle it and make some art out of it.. like take the platters and put them under glass for an interesting paper weight or some kind of wall art.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
That's not exciting... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

DragonMech · February 2005

TriNitroTolurene (sp?) FTW. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' />

Haze · February 2005

Mount a steel plate onto your car, and hang the HD from that treebranch that is over your driveway. Put the pedal to the metal and hit that sucker going 85 out of your garage.

<i>Note: Make sure garage is open first.</i>

Oh, or for more excitment, put it next to an ant hill. See how long it takes for them to dismantle it and begin taking over the world.

DragonMech · February 2005

<img src='http://www.allenslaw.com/advtech/shotgun.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<span style='color:orange'>Other two pics removed -- I doubt he has access to such armaments <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /> </span>

Oh come on Marik, a howitzer <i>would</i> do the job...

Talesin · February 2005

A decent framing hammer will be enough to deliver the +20G required to disrupt the magnetics. One good, hard strike over the platters will take care of it.

Alternately, beat the casing until it's dented down, pinning the platters in place.

A RotoZip is particularly useful when destroying a HDD... zip a hole in the top, then a hole through the platters.

If you have a metal bit, you can also take a power drill to it, put a length of chain through it, and have one of many things:<ul><li>A stylish and geeky necklace</li><li>A flail</li><li>Something to tie to the back of your car and drag to make noise and sparks</li><li>A ceiling fan pull-cord extension</li><li>A door trap-tester</li><li>Makeshift projectile (swing and throw!)</li></ul>

reasa · February 2005

Wait...why is your dad so concerned about making sure it gets destroyed?

You should save it and wait until he wants you to do something, and then threaten to give it to the FBI, see what his reaction is.

Nah I'm kidding, blow that **** up! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Marik_Steele · February 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Talesin @ Feb 11 2005, 04:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> [...]
A RotoZip is particularly useful when destroying a HDD... zip a hole in the top, then a hole through the platters.
[...]  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
One hole isn't enough! More, more! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' />

Nikon · February 2005

wait wait.... you havent taken a screwdriver to it yet and play'ed frisbee with the ceramic/glass/metal(all depends on year and manufacturer) disks? We did this with an old glass laptop drive, FUN FOR THE WHOLE TECH DEPARTMENT!!.

For serious wiping perposes, magnets.

you could always get some stage3 model rockets, and parachute and a launcher too <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/lerk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='lerk.gif' />

T_Ali · February 2005

Get a torx (star-shaped) driver and open it up. The arc-shaped metal objects framing the base of the arm that holds the heads have rare-earth magnets in them... they are small, so their field does not extend very far, but they have a HUGE surface field strength, roughly ten times that of those cute ferrite magnets you find in speakers. They are fun to play with. Just watch your fingers.

Once it's open of course, you can do whatever needs doing directly to the platters. A little sandpaper for instance. I'd say a little conc nitric acid to watch all the fun brown gas form but I'm trying to be practical, you probably don't have acid any more than you have explosives or a howitzer.

As someone else pointed out, the standard way to wipe a drive is through repeated random 1 and 0 writes, but where's the fun in that. Gdisk can do it if you care (a small command line utility that comes with Ghost).

Faust · February 2005

I dont have any creative ideas to offer at this time.

The most practical solution is to take a power drill into the PCB, through the casing, and into the platters. (I saw this on the news a few years ago)

Instantly-unusable!

CForrester · February 2005

Open the case up, stuff as many firecrackers as you can in there, cover them in lighter fluid, spray the lighter fluid with Lysol, add a box of matches for good measure, get a really long fuse, stick it inside, close the case. (Drill a hole for the fuse and properly close the case.) Light.

Swiftspear · February 2005

antifreeze · February 2005

Last time i had to scramble a HD i just stuck a big damn magnet on it and rubbed it around a bit, but this seems like more fun. Shame your not in germany, my cousin drives tanks, i'm sure he could destroy it one way or another.

Tonee · February 2005

Not to burst anyones paint ball or anything but... freezing paintballs will make them bigger? Paint will expand, will it not?

therefore going into the loader barrel thingy doo dar *runs*

I like your idea of fireworks ;D

- Make a pneumatic "projectile launcher" out of copper

- Make a robot, like from robot wars... that would be fun

ironpancake · February 2005

actually frozen things shrink

water is the exception

Gree · February 2005

rust + aluminium powder = therminte = destroyed about anything

Talesin · February 2005

Iron oxide + Powdered Aluminum = Homebrew Thermite. Not the real stuff, but still pretty effective at melting a hold through some jack***'s engine.

Careful with the ratios, and you'll have to find something that burns a LOT hotter than a blowtorch to light it. Like magnesium.

Mr_Headcrab · February 2005

put her on traintracks, Choo Choo will punt in a few meters and be owned

TheMunch8 · February 2005

Over the summer, I worked at a University that needed to get rid of a bunch of hard drives. They gave me and my co worker (students) a hammer, and said go out back and take out some agression. It took me about 2 or 3 hard drives to get into it, but after I got into it, it was so fun. I never knew how much aggression i had against computer parts. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /> One side you get the circuitry, the other if you bang it enough, you can break the disks. After that, mess up the connectors just for fun, and your done. Anybody going to enough means to get THAT working means you have bigger problems. like them having a huge budget to watch you and find out what was on there anyway <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' />

Poofle · February 2005

Throw it in the trash. Ultimately destroying the drive will be a lot of work and unless you persue more illegal ways of destruction, probably not as much fun as you anticipated. Plus, your dad will never find out, no one will get ahold of the data, and there's probably nothing on it worth looking for anyway.

Besides, there's companies that can recover 95% of the data on hard drives that were melted in a FIRE. Now that takes skillz.

Hard Drive Fun!

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