How can we destroy the hard-drive???

[newbie]

We have no less than 5 computers we want to get rid of but want to make sure that the info on the hard drive cannot be accessed and is deleted. Can anyone tell me how to destroy hard-drive and also if there is some charity that would like our old computers. Thanks

[ChuckFickens]

you can download a utility for wiping the drive here.

http://www.dban.org/download

you have to make either a bootable floppy disk or CD from the download and boot the computer from that and it will wipe the drives.

And freecycle will probably take them

http://uk.freecycle.org/

[sarah_louise]

Without a hard drive I doubt if a charity would want them

There are plenty of software solutions if you want to know that

[dot.hawkes]

take it out and go at it with a sledge hammar and then buy a new one
Try International Aid Trust, they test and format them too I think.

[rov1200]

The XP software is probably worth more than a second hand computer and is useless to the majority of users without an operating system. Sometimes this operating system is held on a partition of the hard drive or you should have recovery disks. Do not delete the recovery partition if it exists.

[Mr-Marvel]

There is only one way to be sure, remove it and put a nail through it ,then take your computer to the tip.

[buildersmate]

Which is more or less how those that run security organisations do it. Clearly they are in the know.

[sarah_louise]

How about a response ?

[eastern]

One thing that nobody has pointed out is, do you have the original windows licenses on the towers? These are worth the money as you cant install an operating sysytem "legally" without them. your hard drives are probably quite small 40-60gb to buy these new they are about �30 so used not worth a lot. Easiest thing to do is mash them with a big hammer. If you are going to remove the hard drives and buy new ones, as this would be a cheap pc, you must have the recovery cd or driver disk for m/board without those they are junk. Hope this helps.

[Brooksy]

Yep, 6" nail through it is the easiest & most sure way.

[newbie]

Thanks for all the replies. I think the 6in nail and the dump are the winners!!

Happy new year everyone