I recently discarded two old computers but removed the hard drives and took the platters out first because I didn't want anyone recovering my personal files. The computers were about ten years old and hadn't been used for roughly a decade. Would a steel scrubber, such as one used for cleaning a barbecue grill, scratch the platters enough to prevent recovery, or would I need something more aggressive like an angle grinder?
4 Answers
If the drives had still been intact, securely overwriting them would normally be the simplest approach. Since the platters have already been removed, just dispose of the pieces safely; there’s no realistic need for an angle grinder in this situation.
The platter material varies. Glass platters may break when struck or bent, while aluminum platters usually dent or bend instead of shattering. Either way, drilling, bending, or making substantial scratches would make practical recovery very difficult. A certified data-destruction service is the formal option if the information is genuinely sensitive.
If you want extra physical damage, drilling a few holes through each platter or putting a deep groove across both surfaces is generally sufficient. A steel scrubber can scratch them, but it’s unnecessary overkill for most personal data. Wear eye protection and gloves, since some platters are glass or ceramic and can shatter.
Removing the platters from their original drives has already made recovery extremely difficult. Without the matching electronics, alignment, and a clean-room environment, recovering useful data from loose platters would require specialized forensic equipment. For ordinary discarded computers, this is already far beyond what someone at a scrapyard is likely to attempt.
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