i'm gonna take apart an old computer - what's the best way to wipe the hard drives ie delete all the data off them?
Assuming your browsing history is that bad that you cannot have anyone else know what sort of donkey on donkey action your into then take the drive out of the computer and smash it with a hammer, put the remains in the garbage separately from the computer.
if i want to get my old hard drives shredded, is there someplace in calgary where they will do this? - can i watch the hard drives get shredded? - is there a cost?
There's places that'll come onsite and shred hard drives, but the cost would probably be unreasonable for just a few drives. Every time I've seen it done it's been dozens or more.
Just open the drives, take out the platters, and smash them with a hammer. I used to do break/fix hardware repair for some government agencies and that's what our official practice was.
EDIT: If the drives are currently working, using hardwipe or similar as suggested above before breaking if one is truly paranoid.
EDIT2: Moving to Tech Talk subforum.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Then physically dismantle the drive and scuff the platters. A set of screwdrivers to take it apart should be $15 or less. Keep the magnets from inside the hard drive for a bit of fun or practical purposes. I've always been fascinated with the components inside an HDD. It always seems like the pieces could be used for some sweet craft projects.
if i want to get my old hard drives shredded, is there someplace in calgary where they will do this? - can i watch the hard drives get shredded? - is there a cost?
I'm reasonably certain there's a cost and it's not cheap. Most average people will not need a HDD shredding service. Doing a few passes software wise is good enough for most people. Completely dismantling a HDD and mucking up the platters is more than enough for Joe Schmoes like us.
You have to have some hell of a corporate secret/obligation for confidentiality or something illegal to really merit using a company to shred a drive IMO.