I have about 30 old hard drives that no longer work, so I can't wipe them with software. What's a practical way to destroy them before getting rid of them?
What's the easiest way to destroy 30 dead hard drives?
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PlatypusProtocol
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For that many drives, a hard drive destruction service or electronics recycler that offers physical destruction sounds like the easiest option. Ask what method they use and whether they can provide documentation if the data is sensitive.
A drive not working doesn't necessarily mean its data is unrecoverable. Check the service's handling process before handing over anything confidential.
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Drilling through the platter area is a common DIY option, but one hole doesn't guarantee that all data is unrecoverable. A drive can have multiple platters, and undamaged areas may still contain data.
If you do this yourself, secure the drive properly and wear eye protection. Platters can shatter and produce sharp fragments and dust. Given the number of drives, a professional service may be safer and less tedious.
PlatypusProtocol:
Would one hole be enough if I just want to make casual recovery difficult?
bicycle_bard:
It will damage the drive, but it doesn't reliably destroy everything on the platters. How much protection that gives you depends on the data and who might try to recover it.
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You can also open a drive and damage the platters directly, but doing that 30 times is a lot of fiddly work. There can be several platters inside, and broken pieces can be sharp. I'd skip this route unless you have a specific reason to do it yourself.
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~maybe!use+crayons:
It's worth checking whether the recycler actually destroys the drives or just accepts them for recycling. Those aren't necessarily the same thing.