How to properly destroy a hard drive - Tip Tuesday: Episode

Here's how to completely destroy a hard drive, with 0 chance that anyone will be able to pull your data off of it. Perfect for when recycling your old computer!
Darik's Boot and Nuke: DBAN.org
Best Buy's recycling program: www.bestbuy.com/site/Global-Pr...
If you've got an EXTERNAL hard drive, here's how to destroy that kind (a similar yet different process, since the platter is aluminum): • How To DESTROY an exte...
Twitter:
www.Twitter.com/The_ChrisBryant
@The_ChrisBryant
My companies:
www.EmpireStudiosNYC.com & www.Studio12Academy.com

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

Best way to destroy an external hard drive, is to buy a Seagate: it will self-destruct after about 2 years, or as soon as you try to use it to restore a backup that was on it: which ever comes first 😡

[@fbueller]

LOL!

[@1978tenpack]

My Seagate lasted for 15 years

[@jimaragon2110]

Seagate Sucks

[@AT-vj2mz]

Gone through 4 of those, can confirm none lasted over 3 years

[@vviii670]

My Seagate hard drive still working after 12 years

[@sleavesleather]

We do have Best Buy up here, EH! Another great Tip Tuesday Chris - I used to work at Future Shop and we had a tech center where we did upgrades. This was the same method we used - I was the poor soul that had to drill through over 100 hard drives in a day!!!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

I should have Googled about Best Buys in Canada before I filmed this! =D 100 hard drives a day -- yikes!! How often did you go through drill bits??

[@Minecraft101ToonLink]

If you decide to destroy your hard drive into multiple pieces of metal, don’t dispose all of it at once. Dispose separate pieces of the hard drive one at a time. This way, at least you’ll know that all the pieces of the hard drive are scattered in different physical locations, as apposed to having all the pieces in one convenient place in the pile of other garbage, ready for trash explorers to pick up and potentially recover something off the drive. It is possible to physically reconstruct a destroyed hard drive, maybe not every single time, but it can be done with some success, so doing this will decrease the chances of someone coming across your broken hard drive and recovering it.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Also a good idea!

[@memesupreme2400]

damn bruh what are you tryna hide? FBI check on this man

[@marks497]

@@memesupreme2400😂

[@jonathanoxlade4252]

Lol that'd stupid it's beyound repair when completely destroyed like that anyway I mean the circuit board on the back is easy to destroy but can be replaced best choice of action is to melt the thing entirely

[@AT-vj2mz]

Alternatively, you can remove the disc from the enclosure and sand it down to nothing

[@vegangoth6761]

Very helpful. Thank you so much. You’re a natural in front of the camera, kid.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Ha! I appreciate that! Glad to helped you. =)

[@leyroy1980]

Here's a tip for you. Never operate a drill at face level. One catch will knock you or your teeth out.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That... is solid advice!

[@leyroy1980]

@@ChrisBryantVideo I learned the hard way!!!

[@theharshphone]

lmao soyboy, you're just weak if you can't handle a knockback of a drill

[@theharshphone]

Seriously it's 18V, It can catch all it wants, it's has never moved my arm more than 1cm. Even if it was powered by mains, if you hold it like a man, either the drillbit will break, it will get unstuck or the engine will run out of torque before moving my arm much.

[@hammerchisel2477]

Pull the drive apart, remove the platter(s) from the spindle and use the likes of an angle grinder to grind the entire magnetic coating of both the platter's side then cut the platter into quarters or shatter it if made of glass.

[@armandasm3810]

Do you get bad luck like if you destroy a mirror? I mean its made of glass and it reflects stuff

[@hammerchisel2477]

@@armandasm3810 I believe I'd have worse luck if someone retrieved bank details from a hard drive!

[@justwillc]

Best video explanation I could find and reassuring too. Thanks buddy 👍🏼

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Thanks so much for the feedback, Will! Glad it helped you. =)

[@esquireeventrade4838]

Would you recommend a specific drill or drill bit to get through a 3.5mm HDD internal/external really quickly or will any metal drill bit and drill do the job? Thanks

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Drilling through metal requires more force and power than drilling through wood, but as long as you have a drill bit made for metal and a moderately powerful drill, you're all set. Corded drills and those powered by lithium-ion tend to have more oomph than the cheaper NiMH models.

[@justwillc]

esquire eventrade i used a drill bit for drilling steel. They are specifically designed for to be used at low speed so don't make the mistake of drilling it like you would timber. Nice and slow and you'll be through it in no time and hearing that reassuring rattle 👍🏻 Hope that helps buddy

[@esquireeventrade4838]

Thanks a lot guys this helps!

[@mariannreid3120]

I have an old laptop and Mac mini that has been out of commission for years so there is no way to do anything other than destroy the hard drive. Am I safe to recycle laptop and Mac mini with just the drilling of hard drive? Thanks

[@dudenamecharlie]

If no important data yes. If you think there's some data you might want to remove the hard drives and open them or have someone open them and destroy the platters. Being that they are old computers, if found someone might want to see whats in them. Best remove the hard drives completely. Cheers

[@dthompson9355]

I have a WD external My Book that does not work. So, dban is not an option. I am assuming just drilling holes in that hard drive will not be enough since the data is still on it. Any suggestions? Shred it wants to charge me $250 for the one drive to destroy it.

[@mylifeisajokeofficial]

What do you with the destroyed hard drive after it has been destroyed? Through it in the dumpster?

[@jasonl4237]

Is one drill hole enough? It seems a bit messy to use drill. Can I force a screw into the hard drive using a electric screw driver, to destroy it? Thanks.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Hey, Jason! The more holes the better you can sleep at night. A drill is a little bit messy, but it'll be easier and more effective than a screw. Plus, starting the screw on the metal of the housing could be difficult. If you have a screw driver that will unscrew what's holding together the hard drive enclosure, you can also do that. It's a little more work, but then you would get to the platter itself, where you could even use scissors to slice it up if it's an aluminum one. =)

[@artmissy]

Now after drilling the unit, can that go to the hazardous waste place along with the unit?

[@khalilt6508]

Hard drives are not hazardous waste. They are just metal and glass

[@Greg4Grace]

My laptop was so old I lost the charger and can no longer power on the machine. I was able to remove the hard drive but could not wipe the data because I can’t turn the power on the laptop. Is using a hammer AND drilling through the plates enough to make sure no one can recover data from the hard drive? Is there any memory on the computer that people could recover?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Great question, and yes - technically data (although a lot less) is stored on your computer's RAM. Not a bad idea to smash those chips, now that you mention it.

[@johncaze757]

Does strong acid also work?

[@michaeltroster9059]

It may be a bit late to ask given the age of your video, but do strong magnets have any effect in destroying the data on the drive?

[@wildcharm911]

It does. But it has to be industrial type of magnet. Some companies offer hard disk clearance service using magnetic machine.

[@adithyanv9329]

I destroyed by old hard drive by smashing it with a hammer and then divided the debris to 3 parts, I then disposed it in 3 different waste centers

[@pampadeb3188]

Well it *can* be recovered 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@adithyanv9329]

@@pampadeb3188 technically maybe, but I dont think anyone who has a life would care to recover a bunch of steged files off something that was formerly known as a Seagate barracuda 250

[@pampadeb3188]

@@adithyanv9329 just joked😉

[@level420]

@@adithyanv9329 feds would lel

[@danaterrell1]

Thanks, Chris! You have saved me $ and time. Great service!!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Glad to hear it, Dana. =)

[@user-hh8cq2ob6w]

This is really helpful! Thank u so much for sharing!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rutha1464]

Thank you! Very practical and pragmatic tutorial.

[@fatidph]

This is a great video. Thank you

[@esisolina1]

I wonder if it is possible (big companies with special laboratories) to recover some data from the remaining parts or we need to make the disk small small parts by throwing the disk into a machine that cut it in small pieces to be sure the data are gone for sure?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

I assume it's technically possible that after wiping the drive and drilling, that something MIGHT be able to be removed, although the number of places in the world are likely in the single digits. If you want to be extra careful with your stuff, really go to town physically destroying the platter inside the drive.

[@esisolina1]

As usual my only concern is the safety and security for commercial secrets.

[@lucianistoc1264]

Remove the platters and sand them down to nothing

[@alainabrandt1907]

What do you do with the drive you drilled through?

[@pnksounds]

6ft hole with a lead cage lol

[@arrellegroupinc9675]

@Chris Bryant, does this technique work for PC hard drives?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Absolutely.

[@mlgoverrated745]

Btw there is a strong magnet inside. So if you can take it out, it’s pretty worth it

[@TiffyShow]

People put cds in the microwave?! Naked hard drives! I didn't know Best Buy had a recycling center for old computers. Thank you!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

I've totally done it, only because I heard it made for a cool little light show (just put down a paper towel under it so it doesn't leave burn marks on your microwave plate -- ha ha! Oh, and only do it for about 10 seconds). =) I should have blurred the naked hard drive... I guess that makes this video NSFW. ;)

[@Athlete1990]

Great video

[@rsmickeymooproductions4877]

Do not drive your Hard drives. There is a chance you miss the platter. Best to dismantle the drive and take the platter out and dispose accordingly.

[@jasonl4237]

How to know if I am drilling into the correct position? Maybe measure the position of the hold should be how many cm from the side?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Check out this image of a drive without the cover, and it will give you a great idea where to drill: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive#/media/File:Laptop-hard-drive-exposed.jpg

[@sendit1158]

Drill it all over, come on u really had to ask

[@NerdicWarrior8920]

Will this work on game consoles?

[@17thwonder]

How do I completely wipe everything off of my laptop if the laptop is not functioning properly due to either a virus or hardware issues?

[@fc90airrescue90]

Contact Apple/Microsoft/whatever company made your laptop's support team.

[@jhowlett1264]

for the 2.5 inch drives. much easier to just get two wrenches and bend the hdd until the platters shatter. very quick and easy

[@emiliolang91]

but u can still recover data from it

[@ArcanePath360]

I have hard drives which stopped working, so I couldn't wipe with software since they died. Will drilling the platter still be okay on it's own?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Hey, man. The hard drive wipe is a "nice to have" but if you drill the platter, you'll be good to go. The more holes you drill, the less chance of data recovery, so go to town. =D

[@ArcanePath360]

Thanks. I'm going to drill holes until all that remains are holes, and nothing else ;)

[@johnnypk1963]

What’s the best approach for a laptop that won’t boot up, can’t wipe it, in terms of destroying the HD? Just remove and smash it?

[@ReviewBlogVlog]

Did you even watch the video?

[@lifestraight]

@@ReviewBlogVlog lol

[@mwj5368]

Hi Chris Bryant or any experienced tech here. What if your old computer has malfunctioned and repair tech said it wasn't worth fixing it is so old, is a "boot and nuke" necessary, or even possible at that point? I'm going to try to save a couple of files if it will function long enough, then recycle it. What does the boot and nuke do to destroy what is not on the hard drive, or elsewhere? If you can't do the boot and nuke what info can hackers still get if HD is destroyed? I forgot and didn't drill all the way through the HD but I heard a kind of glass breaking sound and all these little just like pieces of a mirror came out the 3 holes I drilled... does that mean I got to the actual hard drive disk that has the info on it? I think it's a 256GB HD. Should I drill a hole through the CPU, etc? Thanks for such a nice video, a magnanimous deed!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Sounds like it was a laptop, right? If the drive sounded like it shattered, you had a glass drive and you did in fact shatter it (like the one in the video). I wouldn't lose sleep if you couldn't do the "soft" data wipe with the Boot & Nuke - that drive platter is toast. No need to drill ALL the way through it, you only need to assassinate that data platter. Thanks for watching! =D

[@mwj5368]

@@ChrisBryantVideo Hi Chris! Very nice of you to take the time. Still wondering what a Boot & Nuke is. It was my mini desktop that the repair tech said was not worth fixing, so I bought another desktop. Is the Boot & Nuke part of it because an internal chip that stores all your data and activity etc. My computer was a "business grade" one that was from when a company changed to new computers, so does that have even more uncontrolled storage than a normal consumer grade computer? Thanks!! I liked and subscribed too!

[@thetechexpert4887]

Don't forget to take out the 2 neodymium magnets at the reader arm assembly.

[@ThatBritalian]

With my experience, Hitachi makes the best and most reliable hdds. I had an 11 Yr old laptop with a 750gb hdd in it. I swapped the hdd for a an ssd and used the hdd as external drive using my data cable. There are still no issues with it and I can store all my steam games and virtual machines on it with no issues. It can write data at about 60-100mb/s

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Nice!!

[@biancaklinger]

Great video :)! Thanks

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

So glad you liked it -- thanks for watching! =)

[@lisbethjensen8291]

Great video indeed and will follow your instructions , thank you ( from Liverpool UK )

[@bumsalami]

My friend once had a hard drive that needed destroying so we hit the thing with a hammer till it was dented to hell and the connectors snapped off. We also threw it into a puddle. Its a pretty fun way to disable it.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Ya gotta have fun. =D

[@kirozbrz]

Legendary!

[@cosmicaudio4589]

Take the platters out and use them in art projects or repurpose them for something useful, unless they contain really sensitive data, in which case I would remove the platters and etch the surfaces with many deep scratches or chemical! Just one or two holes does not seem to be enough for a government not to be able to garner some information as the remaining data can be recovered even it a disk has been formatted. If you are so worried about the content, remove the disks and melt them down!, aluminium disks melt easily!

[@DannyBeans]

I've made wind chimes out of them in the past. They ring beautifully.

[@GueorguiGigov]

Good advice, wrong drill bit :-)

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

100% correct. =D

[@skylarmccauley7237]

What about the 51st state HackerVille?

[@evanwilliam9582]

isn't there some data which stays persistent in the motherboard and ram.

[@mantasm.2104]

use of a metal drill instead of the one for the concrete would be more efficient

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That is good additional information. =D Not sure why I grabbed that one instead of my drill bit for metal.

[@NilsAlbertsson]

Forensic data recovery agents could *STILL* recover information from that drive, by taking out the remaining bits of undrilled platters, (which are still about 80% to 90% physically intact) and, using microscopic magnetic resonance under-scanning techniques to get around the earlier data wipes, recover information fragments... And some of those fragments could be *EXACTLY* the bits of information you didn't want to expose. OK, for most people, under-scanning is not going to happen because the technology is expensive, and only top government agents who REALLY want your data, will have access to it... But who knows, maybe you're James Bond, and you're trying to hide your German scat porn collection from "M"

[@teamlan3248]

ok then what you can do is take the platter out and crush it with a hammer or a rock and then throw random pieces in random holes or a lake thats how to destroy a hard drive

[@Secret-Serenity]

Forensic data recovery agents? wow, how about don't murder people and you won't have to worry about it lol.

[@ASHERUISE]

@@Secret-Serenity Seriously, all that's on there is the personal info of a broke loser and maybe some anime smut, not the details of an underground hitman organization.

[@voluntarism335]

@@teamlan3248 the proper way to destroy it is to launch a tactical nuke at it

[@mattm4389]

woodcutter, is that you? blue spruce is 118 ft and still growing. owls are roosting in the lower branches. we need you to pick up a pine cone.

[@irestrepo2788]

The only thing destroyed was where you put the holes in it. All the rest of the disk can be restored, which was around 95% of your hard drive, from the looks of it.

[@Dimetropteryx]

99.9% of the people who are interested in your old drives don't have the tools or skills to recover anything from that one. If you're worried about what a government or law enforcement might do with it, you're better off making sure it's never found.

[@itrasheditgood]

We have staples in our area, you can take your electronics there too for recycling.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Oh great! Thanks! My local Staples is MUCH closer than the nearest Best Buy, so that works out well! =D

[@connorfortune8483]

Ok FBI

[@sendit1158]

But whos to say there isnt a crook that works at Staples that could grab it before it was destroyed, crooks work everywhere, even cops

[@rogerhudson2814]

When the UK GCHQ(NSAs partner) went to the Guardian newspaper to obliterate the Snowden files they used an angle grinder, drilling holes isn't enough.

[@arielelijah1282]

After an SSD upgrade use this method its worth it.

[@Nomad_Wanderer]

I don't have a Precision screwdriver kit🙄🙄🙄 can I use normal one

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Take a look at the drive to see what kind of screws are holding it together, then find the absolute smallest screwdriver that fits (Philips or flat head). Chances are pretty good you will have a tough time, but if it's an older drive it could be doable. Just make sure to apply good pressure on the back on the screwdriver as you get the screw started, to lower the chance you'll strip it. If you start to strip it even a little, stop. If it's stripped, it will be next to impossible to open up.

[@Dan-pf4se]

The first 20 seconds lmao 😂

[@randomknight2585]

You could always use thermite it is cheep and it can destroys the entire hard drive

[@aridian6988]

Nah it doesn’t. People tried this at DEFCON and all it did was just melt the outer case and leave platters intact.

[@tedasaurusrex4402]

I take a nail and put it to a wall, then use it as leverage to shatter the disk.

[@billf7585]

About Best Buy: That is no longer the case. I went there a few months ago with two monitors to recycle and they wanted to charge me $20. So they are just sitting in my garage still, lol.

[@ladoradavis9136]

Staples will recycle your electronics for free

[@user-xs7iu1tg9f]

Never understood that, if you want people to recycle stuff instead of throwing it into the woods or a lake then shouldn't you do that for free?

[@DCBIGOSO]

How do you destroy a NAS hard drive?

[@fitybux4664]

At the end, you mentioned recycling the chips of a laptop. LOL. If you think that is happening, I have a bridge to sell you.

[@luckyduckydrivingschool3615]

Seems like taking a cheap pack of sand paper to the platter surfaces would be the most effective and energy efficient way to do this...

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

If you can easily get to the platter, that'd work as well. The only thing is that many hard drives have SUPER small screws, and getting it open can be a royal pain. If you've got the tools to crack it open, go for it! =)

[@neckarsulme]

so the hard drive I took out of a computer that was not functioning...Can the drive still be made useless by drilling alone?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That would work - the digital wiping is just a redundancy to help stand by that 0% chance of recovery claim. =) Some sandpaper on the platter wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

[@TheGatheringWithin]

awesome info thanks, eh 😀😀

[@2nd_Channel]

you have only destroyed the data where you have made the holes :)

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That's true. However, it won't spin with those holes (assuming it's an aluminum platter -- if it's ceramic it has shattered), and which is why I also recommend to use the software to remove the data as well. =)

[@2nd_Channel]

yeah, they don't spin the platter when they extract the data

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Hardware exists to do that, but it's very uncommon -- you'd also need to be in a Class 1 Clean Room to have the platter out of the case, as even a little bit of dust can cause serious read errors. The drill bit will also fray the edges around the holes, and I'm not aware of a head that can read platters from a distance like that. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but just saying that between the wipe of the data and putting in a few holes, you really are good to go. If anyone has reliable info that an aluminum platter can be read after a few holes have been punched through it with a drill bit, I'll eat my hat. =D

[@TheRadiastral]

Dennis had a valid point - you really only destroyed the data in those drilled places. Anyone, who's serious about recovering that data, will not "spin this drive" - they will send it to the most affordable data recovery lab they can find, which for around $1000-$8000, depending on damage done, will recover all or most of the remaining data, by reading the plates micrometer by micrometer with a specialized reader. And if you drilled it like in this video, that would be something like 99% of the data recoverable... There are better ways - open the hard drive, take the plates out (glass or aluminum, it won't matter) and: 1) My favorite - subject the plates to the hottest fire you can create. Any gas burner will do, like propane/butane (500+ C), but so will an intense wood/coal fire. The goal is to make the plates glow red-hot. That will erase all the data, as the intense heat will demagnetize the ENTIRE surface. 2) My second favorite - dip the plates into a strong acid (sulfuric/battery acid will do just fine) for a couple of days, in open air. There will be nothing left from the magnetic coating, as its ingredients are mostly metal alloy deposits and will happily react with a strong acid. Wanna be extra-sure? After that "treatment", wash it with water and soak it into a strong base for another few days. Good luck recovering a single byte of information reliably from a surface like that. Note, that both methods attack the entire surface of the plates: #1 attacks it at a physical level, #2 at a chemical level. Best would be #1, due to it's efficiency - if you have a gas burner (or a propane torch or something similar and they are fairly cheap), the entire "cooking" procedure takes less than 10 minutes, whereas destroying the coating chemically will take many hours. No-one will recover a single file reliably from a plate treated like that. Again, this is to protect REALLY sensitive data, which if breached, could cause WAY more financial damage, than the cost of the recovery.

[@errolmcinnes7938]

it'll spin just fine. The platters shattered when the drill bit hit them. That's the rice sound when he moves the hard drive around. The bit doesn't put a hole in the platter; it shatters the glass platter. As to data recovery, yes, the platter has to be spinning, and a read head has to be able to scan across the entire surface. Failing that, the drive is unreadable. It's not like they just take the platters out and read them under a microscope like a news paper.

[@DYLANJJK94]

I need a drill for other things, I might as well get one to test out on my old hard drive lol

[@judginglionn7056]

Hello, can you just not remove the hard drive and sell the pc without hard drive?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

This is absolutely an option - just expect to get a lot less for the computer without a drive (and thus no operating system/way for it to turn on). You could also recycle the computer without the hard drive as well - you just now have the HDD to either hang on to indefinitely, or to destroy at a later date.

[@newstar01]

conclusion: all data erasers are recoverable

[@kevinharlowe436]

Can I bring the destroyed hard drive to the recycling centre?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That... is a good question. I would assume yes, but I'd call ahead and confirm.

[@t-gayparody846]

melt it at home

[@crisc9280]

Yes. We have BB in Canada as well as Walmart, HD, etc. WE DO NOT LIVE IN IGLOOS EITHER

[@Niel_Dias]

I need a step by step in text because im not good at listening english. Can you help me?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Sure, man! 1) Once you have everything off the drive that you'll need, download Darik's Boot & Nuke software (DBAN.org). Run that on the drive to do a deep, solid wipe of the data. 2) Remove the physical drive from your computer (you'll see what it looks like at 2:31) 3) Destroy the platter inside that holds the data. You can do this with a drill and run it through in a few places, or open the drive up and destroy it that way. Hope that helps you, Daniel!

[@barbiet.6605]

Thank you! I'd better charge my Mikita after I figure out how to remove the hard drive from my ancient, giant, "sits on the floor" Dell computer.😸

[@Aya..19]

Why is a software deletion necessary though? Isn't phisically distroying the hard drive enough?

[@joeklinck]

None of your data does, just stuff from the operating system. That operating system data is the same for anyone who has the same OS as you.

[@menno1953]

Who else is here because a family member randomly started downloading stuff and they’re whole pc is fucked up but don’t wanna throw the hdd away because people can see what you downloaded, yeah same

[@omnatio]

If you do this, wear a dust mask and googles as you will breath in fine metal particles otherwise.

[@RecklessVac]

I'm always keeping my harddisks encrypted. That way u can't get into them at all

[@ishankelkar4347]

does a bad idea in assassination mean it lives?

[@blankdiamond]

All you have to do is throw it (it's usually ceramic and glass)since it's so sensitive

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Laptop hard drives tend to be made of glass, but even then if you want a 0% chance of recovery, it's always a good idea to take the steps shown here.

[@anthonypalmieri]

drilling a great idea

[@RecklessVac]

I threw some company computers in front of a store they need to hire my friend who have a street sweeper

[@RageGamer15]

I've seen in movies that they electrocute it or something? They fry it using electricity

[@toasty925]

If i shoot my hard drives with a gun, would that be overkill?

[@enzopedreira4640]

Precision tools needed: C4 x1 Ak-47 M16 M4 One round of each gun and you should be good.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Don't forget the high speed camera to capture those tools in action, destroying the drive! =D

[@enzopedreira4640]

@@joeylawn36111 RPG? Nuke?

[@brightaust5692]

Stop this 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@voluntarism335]

@@enzopedreira4640 no the proper way to destroy hard drives is to launch them into the sun

[@theplayer12312]

how do you get a round of C4

[@soccermaniac88]

What's the point of cleaning it prior to this (with DBAN etc) if you're just going to physically destroy it? Don't want to waste my time installing DBAN and burning/booting etc.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Good question! If it's an aluminum platter (which won't shatter like a glass one), it's better safe than sorry. If you punch a few holes in it but don't hardcore wipe the data, it's technically still possible to pull off some of the info. If you know for sure it's a ceramic platter before you start drilling, you could theoretically skip the DBAN wipe. In any case, I wanted to make sure the advice in the video stood up to my claim of "0% chance of recovery." =D

[@soccermaniac88]

Thank you for answering my question.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Of course!

[@damonallen3322]

I think I’ll use mine for pistol practice.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Just watch out for a ricochet. ;)

[@cr4kh3ddgaming96]

@@ChrisBryantVideo meh, hard drives arent thick enough to stop a bullet, he'll be fine

[@jagergaming2281]

Basically, turn the hard drive into swiss cheese.

[@theplayer12312]

Take the platter out and melt it Mission complete Bonus EXP: 0

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Why yes, that works, too. =D

[@1000DollarsAdayIncome]

What about using draino.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

That won't be very effective, because Drano was specifically designed to remove and break up clogs, while not being corrosive to metal or plastic (their thinking was to not damage the pipes it'd be poured into).

[@aanon5716]

thx. &😃 i feel better now.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

LOL! Glad I could help. =D

[@astrozombies]

Smart

[@SanitysVoid]

If you wipe the hard drive e clean when why do you need to destroy it?

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Just want to totally be able to stand by the claim of "0% chance of recovery." =)

[@zerohecks4864]

Home slices, haven’t heard that one in a long ass time

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

LOL! Kickin' it old school over here.

[@mathewshoyt1763]

dump the hard drive in a salt water bath for a week or two if your that paranoid

[@VikingMan44]

Clamp the drive to the board. One slip of the drill and that bit will go right through your fingers. Ask me how I know that....

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Oh no! Ouch. Yeah, clamps are worth their weight in gold.

[@n.c.appler6108]

I want to clean to zero a Vaio desk PC and don't know how.

[@jonathanoxlade4252]

And there's peaple who say to do it the right way of clearing the disk that takes time when a hammer could be more fun and a way to de stress knowing your data is completely destroyed even if it means destroying the actual hardware

[@YurikoKataoka]

Thanks for this, no FBI I don’t have anything to hide.

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

LOL!!

[@jaredcross5131]

There are best buys in Canada😂

[@addydiesel6627]

How about during a tourism of Ukraine, I give Shurap a collection of my platters, he melts them into a beautiful knife???

[@helenarichard]

Could it ever ignite? I once dropped my laptop and it ignited but I guess it was the battery.

[@taokraft]

No, hard drives won't ignite when destroying them like this :). It's just made out of moving/magnetized parts, connectors, some chips and circuitboards. Tip: Wear some safety glasses when drilling would be best practice, just to prevent any debris shooting away from the disk and landing in your eyes. The drill may also get blocked when drilling through the sections of the disk which can make it violently shift out of position and possibly hurt you if you hold it with your hands, or damage surrounding surfaces/items, so make sure it's secured in a vice or something similar (I put them on the floor with a protective layer under them, so the floor doesn't get damaged when the drill goes all the way through and stand on them with my shoe when drilling. Not as safe but I'm comfortable using a drill). Like you experienced: Batteries from laptops may catch on fire when their outer mantle/layer is damaged.

[@bobbyquinting3918]

Just drop a hard drive into a plastic container that can handle bleach. After dropping it into a bout 3 gallons of water and add swimming pool chlorine (about 20 lbs.) in a plastic container -or a bag. Place it outside away from anything that might catch on fire. My process will take a week, but involves no safety glasses or power tools!

[@adrianelias2365]

I disagree on what is the most fun destruction method. For me it's the hammer!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

I hope you mean sledgehammer =D

[@adrianelias2365]

@@ChrisBryantVideo Yes! I'm actually going to use a sledgehammer today and destroy my ancient colossal Inspiron N7110. trying to ge the hard drive out.

[@mazinabuklash9771]

I am assassinating my laptop`s hard drive today. It's fan had officially died and Best Buy declined to fix it. Thank you very much for the tips. RIP my beautiful laptop ):

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

RIP to your laptop - bummer it couldn't be fixed. =(