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cduma

Mon Oct 26 2009, 08:37PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300

I work for a volunteer computer recycling facility and the reason why we get most of our donations is that we destroy hard drives. On occasion we get some old HDDs that are 5.25" accross instead of the 3.5" that our destruction machine is designed for. The 5.25" drives range from .4" thick to about 5" thick.
Is there a way to scramble the drive beyond hope of recovery without using dangerously high voltages? If I place the drive inside the primary of a tesla coil with out the secondary would that work(I know its HV)? I suggested to my coworkers that we just smash them but, they had some lame reason.

Hon1nbo

Mon Oct 26 2009, 10:12PM

Registered Member #902 Joined: Sun Jul 15 2007, 08:17PM
Location: Pacific Northwest USA
Posts: 1042

reason smashing them isn't wuite as effective as they used to be is that nowadays even with a physically damaged platter, data can be read off of it if they are determined enough - so physical really only works is the entirety of the platters are destroyed... I personally use Thermite when I occasionally destroy used drives from my dad's office due to private data (he does legal stuff)

as for the Tesla Coil idea, maybe but drives are designed to be shielded from RF - if the drive is not grounded, then it might work but I would not trust it without a little something else.

another idea I had (though never tried) was to use some hardware store Muriatic Acid on the platters, then a balance pH with some Baking Soda - it should eat away at the platters because the coating on them is, from what I understand, pretty frail

I never tried the acid because Thermite is very easy to get a hold of and easy to use

also, maybe one of those little plumber-sized torches that use disposable bottles will do the trick

-Jimmy

Proud Mary

Mon Oct 26 2009, 10:26PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

put it on the gas flame first, smash it to pieces for good measure, and then throw the pieces in separate rubbish bins

GluD

Mon Oct 26 2009, 11:30PM

Registered Member #1221 Joined: Wed Jan 09 2008, 06:17PM
Location: Odense, Denmark
Posts: 196

Put it in nitric acid until it completely disolves to some metal nitrate, (try and get data from that lol).

If you actually try this (which is obivously not a good idea) watch out for nox gas.

Myke

Tue Oct 27 2009, 12:26AM

Registered Member #540 Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969

Take out the platters and sand them. Then use the Al disks for disk launching.

Steve Conner

Tue Oct 27 2009, 06:24PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

I heard (from some random internet source) that pouring paint stripper on the platters can strip the magnetic coating off, and obviously all those confidential 1s and 0s would go with it.

aonomus

Tue Oct 27 2009, 06:44PM

Registered Member #1497 Joined: Thu May 22 2008, 05:24AM
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 801

Some magnetite coatings are put on with an organic linker, or protected by an organic coating that can be dissolved off. Others are bonded on in other methods. Probably the easiest thing to do is to corrode using HCl, or heat it up with a bunsen burner to oxidize the coating and get it to spall off.

Dr. Slack

Tue Oct 27 2009, 06:45PM

Registered Member #72 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659

Making data unrecoverable from a HD is only a problem if you have to design a process to do a lot of them automatically. If you have sufficiently few to do that you have the time to dismantle them down to the platters, then there are many methods that will remove the magnetic coating to make the data unrecoverable. I can't see the magnetic stuff + 0s and 1s staying put for long when attacked by a shop wire brush. Much more certain and less messy than random chemicals which might attack part of the system.

klugesmith

Tue Oct 27 2009, 07:53PM

Registered Member #2099 Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716

The OP asked about degaussing HDD's in a Tesla coil primary. One issue is shielding by the aluminum HDD case at tesla coil resonant frequencies (look up the skin depth); another is whether Tesla field strengths are high enough (Maybe at high-Q resonance, but I bet not with HDD case as shorted turn / induction heater load). Much more efficient to use iron-core, mains-frequency electromagnet. Sounds like OP already has one, just not big enough for 5.25 inch drives.

You can google "HDD Degausser" and find plenty of certified products.

Even ones cranked by hand, in case the raiders cut off your electrical power before attacking your door:

[edit] it weighs 190 lbs and uses rare-earth permanent magnets.

How about a DIY degausser?

gives specific requirements for destruction of HDD data by overwriting, degaussing, or mechanical destruction. Lists a coercivity requirement of 1700 oersteds. But the NSA list has many machines rated at 5000 Oe. An airgap electromagnet able to accomodate a 19-mm-thick HDD would need 2600 or 7600 ampere-turns. That's within range for something made from MOT or bigger transformers.

cduma, can we see a picture of the 5 inch thick HDD?

Nik

Wed Oct 28 2009, 02:12AM

Registered Member #53 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:31AM
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 638

Why not just heat them to the point where the magnetic film becomes damaged. Get an old toaster oven and let them cook for an hour (keen an extinguisher handy just in case).

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