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If only social loot (See cash for tweets thread) were advertising these guys http://www.datalinksales.com/network_racks_furniture/wallmount/home.htm I could be making a fortune on slash dot :)

When the disk is non functional, degaussing works great on hard drives. Though you should not degauss a hard drive that works as it whipes the hard disk parameters from it and makes it completely unusable.

http://www.datalinksales.com/degaussers/home.htm

(quick Google, I have no tie to this company.)

So what can I suggest to them that is as "user friendly" as Windows Server?

You can suggest waving a bulk tape degausser around the drive bays of their computer. That will apparently achieve the same effect as using Windows Home Server.

One solution...

Something like this will hold 1000+ CD's per unit. There are quite a few companies all over that specialize in media storage and have similar solutions. I found the link above in about 30 seconds by googling "tape media storage". Most of the vendors who do datacenter media storage also carry units that hold CD's.

So you upgrade the locks

I'm in the government, and our specifications require that we use this on media that is rejected by our RAIDs. It's a strong enough magnet that you can't wear a watch and use it at the same time.

Don't make the mistake of keeping this tool in your server room next to the to-be-deleted media either: the first time you power it on next to one of your racks you're in for a Very Long Day.

The changing of magnetic data doesn't so much rely on the strength of the magnetic field, but rather it's rate of change (magnetic flux).
Wipping a neodymium-iron-boron (also known as rare-earth magents, the one that the voice-coil for the head assembly push against) magnet across the drive will practically nothing.

However, a Degaussing wand (the same circiut that causes CRT monitors to go fuzzy when they turn on) produce huge amounts of magnetic flux. Those are mostly intended to demagnatize a monior, but perhaps they would work on hard drives. Care to test it out? :-)

Links of intrest:
Rare earth magnets

Various professional degaussers

Ask/. about hard drive eraser system

Data tape reels can range from 6 inch diameter to 18 inch diameter with 10-12 being average.

http://www.datalinksales.com/cgi-bin/shop/datstore .cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=SM2400

They are shipped in a flat white box about 12 x 12 x 1. Usually no other markings other than address label.

Cartridge tapes are smaller.

This sounds like one server reel being lost amongst a full backup.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=degauss
http://www.datalinksales.com/degaussers/hard_drive _degaussers.htm

Dan East

You, sir, are an ass.

If your house burns down, it will burn for a short time until the fire department puts the fire out. And even if it takes time for the entire house to burn, the portion with the safe will likely be Real Hot for a relatively short time (per this informative FAQ).

And your safe might not even be near the fire.

And although a safety deposit box is a good idea for level 0 or level 1 backups, what is the point of it being insured wrt data storage?

Next time you call someone names, know what you are talking about. And a "fireproof" safe can be a good part of an entire data safety plan.

What bothers me about all the people stating "get a fireproof safe" is that NO ONE has said if the normal kind actually work (or not) for protecting media from a fire. One person said he heard horror stories, but that's it. Ref. the previous FAQ link.

And please, if you get a "fireproof" safe, consider bolting it to something strong (e.g. cement in basement) because having someone steal your computer and your backups sucks!