Want to utterly destroy the data on your HDD? Use UPS!

Olle P · 31st Jan 2006, 06:52 PM

With UPS I don't mean "Uninterrupted Power Supply", but "United Parcel Service" (or any other parcel transporter, for that sake).

Put the harddrive in an unpadded box or envelope and send it across the continent. When it arrives at the destination you can be pretty sure that any data previously stored on the drive (as well as the drive itself) is FUBAR.

Source: PCMag article: Hard Drive Healers.

Cheers
Olle

1031982 · 31st Jan 2006, 07:30 PM

I don't believe that for a second. The data can still be pulled off it! You have to either really piss off the government or have a lot of money, but it's possible! Now, if you really want to trash a hard drive, get an ultra-high powered magnet Take the drive apart and place the platters right buy the magnet with it turned on!

aKho · 31st Jan 2006, 07:45 PM

just run a sharp metal object (e.g. screwdriver) over the platter..

kayFX · 31st Jan 2006, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Then, if you want your data back, you have to pay an additional $400 to $2,000—depending on how difficult the recovery was and how much data was recovered. In the case of Jeremy's barbecued Western Digital, the company would charge around $1,350. But when engineers are unable to recover most of the data, the charge drops to around $900.

price of the data.. depend on what data is lost.. if it a bunch of mp3 file, i bet it worth to buy a new hdd..

1031982 · 31st Jan 2006, 07:58 PM

But it's possible. Also, scratching the platter won't help as much as you think. It's possible to have almost 35% recovery of data from burned platters alone. (I could be wrong on the percentage, but I know that it's VERY possible.)

Olle P · 31st Jan 2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayFX

... i bet it worth to buy a new hdd.

If you want your computer up and running you'll need to buy a new HDD anyway, since the recovery process usually destroy the old one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1031982

I don't believe that for a second. The data can still be pulled off it!

What data? Hefty shakes and shocks realign the magnetic particles on the surface, demagnetizing it, which effectively remove any data that used to be there.
To some extent it's even more efficient than running it through a strong magnet since a magnet that's only almost strong enough will align most particles in one direction and any deviations from that is stored data that can be retreived.

Cheers
Olle

Womb-Raider · 1st Feb 2006, 02:18 AM

well on my last machine i kept near the window in the living room, both the hard drives in there were completely an unterlly de-polerised when i finally gave in to a nagging wife about putting some curtain tie-back hooks into the wall , i drilled the hole placed the drill to rest on the pc case while i screwed the hook in - in a nutshell worst day of her life mine wasnt too bright either....lmao!

Adrian Wong · 1st Feb 2006, 02:39 AM

Yeah, data can still be pulled from the platters. Shock will kill the hard drive but not the data on the platters.

In fact, even if you overwrite the platters, you can STILL retrieve the overwritten data. Of course, it isn't easy.

kayFX · 1st Feb 2006, 02:41 AM

if we format the disk, is it possible to retrieve the data?..

Adrian Wong · 1st Feb 2006, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayFX

if we format the disk, is it possible to retrieve the data?..

Yes.

31st Jan 2006, 06:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Olle P Active Join Date: 12 Jan 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 815 Reputation: 315 Rep Power: 7	Want to utterly destroy the data on your HDD? Use UPS! With UPS I don't mean "Uninterrupted Power Supply", but "United Parcel Service" (or any other parcel transporter, for that sake). Put the harddrive in an unpadded box or envelope and send it across the continent. When it arrives at the destination you can be pretty sure that any data previously stored on the drive (as well as the drive itself) is FUBAR. Source: PCMag article: Hard Drive Healers. Cheers Olle __________________ If you're not living on the edge you take up too much space... Asus A8E-N, Athlon64 X2 4600+, 1024MB Kingston value, XFX GF7800GT, Seagate 160GB/8MB

31st Jan 2006, 07:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
1031982 Super Active Join Date: 25 Feb 2003 Location: USA Posts: 1,580 Reputation: 285 Rep Power: 9	I don't believe that for a second. The data can still be pulled off it! You have to either really piss off the government or have a lot of money, but it's possible! Now, if you really want to trash a hard drive, get an ultra-high powered magnet Take the drive apart and place the platters right buy the magnet with it turned on! __________________ Running : Gigabyte EP45-DS3R, Intel E7200 C2D, 2GB DDR2 Dual Channel, WD Raptor 74GB, WD 500 GB HDD, ASUS 16X DVD-ROM, LiteOn 16X DVD+/-RW, 1.44 MB Floppy, ATI Radeon HD 3450, Dell 2005FPW, and a SB Audigy2 ZS PRO with Logitech Z5300e speakers.

31st Jan 2006, 07:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
aKho beat around the bush Join Date: 3 Jun 2005 Location: Kuching, Sarawak Posts: 2,806 Reputation: 1169 Rep Power: 17	just run a sharp metal object (e.g. screwdriver) over the platter.. __________________

31st Jan 2006, 07:58 PM	#5 (permalink)
1031982 Super Active Join Date: 25 Feb 2003 Location: USA Posts: 1,580 Reputation: 285 Rep Power: 9	But it's possible. Also, scratching the platter won't help as much as you think. It's possible to have almost 35% recovery of data from burned platters alone. (I could be wrong on the percentage, but I know that it's VERY possible.) __________________ Running : Gigabyte EP45-DS3R, Intel E7200 C2D, 2GB DDR2 Dual Channel, WD Raptor 74GB, WD 500 GB HDD, ASUS 16X DVD-ROM, LiteOn 16X DVD+/-RW, 1.44 MB Floppy, ATI Radeon HD 3450, Dell 2005FPW, and a SB Audigy2 ZS PRO with Logitech Z5300e speakers.

1st Feb 2006, 02:39 AM	#8 (permalink)
Adrian Wong Da Boss Join Date: 10 Oct 2002 Location: In front of my BenQ Joybook 7000 notebook! Posts: 29,939 Reputation: 2958 Rep Power: 65	Yeah, data can still be pulled from the platters. Shock will kill the hard drive but not the data on the platters. In fact, even if you overwrite the platters, you can STILL retrieve the overwritten data. Of course, it isn't easy. __________________ Dr. Adrian Wong Tech ARP \| Blog @ Tech ARP \| The Free Trade Zone DYKT : The only offshore account I have is at the sand bank? Keep Tech ARP free! Visit our sponsors! We need PROGRAMMERS and TECHNICAL WRITERS! Contact us if you are a hot shot programmer or technical writer! My items for sale : 50x SD Card \| Memory Stick PRO \| Cyclone Energy Saver \| Seiko SS watch \| Tiger/Carlsberg beer jugs \| Travel Speakers \| Motorola V600 \| Nokia N90 SOLD! \| New Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Other items for sale @ the FTZ : Zalman CNPS9500 LED @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7700 Cu @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7000 Cu @ $20 \| Swarovski bracelet watches \| Dell 17" LCD \| Hi-Fi speakers \| English DIVX movies \| HP LaserJet toners! \| Office chairs

1st Feb 2006, 02:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
Womb-Raider Newbie Join Date: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 19 Reputation: 4 Rep Power: 0	well on my last machine i kept near the window in the living room, both the hard drives in there were completely an unterlly de-polerised when i finally gave in to a nagging wife about putting some curtain tie-back hooks into the wall , i drilled the hole placed the drill to rest on the pc case while i screwed the hook in - in a nutshell worst day of her life mine wasnt too bright either....lmao!

1st Feb 2006, 02:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
kayFX Active Join Date: 4 Sep 2004 Location: in my room Posts: 601 Reputation: 253 Rep Power: 7	if we format the disk, is it possible to retrieve the data?.. __________________ everyday learning a new thing.. hey, where is my trophy? http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc?id=92271