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Step-by-Step Computer Destruction

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i've-been-doing-it-wrong-all-these-years dept.

Unixrevolution writes "Dan's Data has an excellent article on how an enterprising user (or repair tech) can easily destroy their computer. Most of us don't destroy nearly enough hardware, so this should be helpful."

5 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. CD-Rs by T-Kir · · Score: 4, Informative

    Although I haven't RTFA yet, I find the best way to get rid of data on CD-R's isn't to erase it (which can take as long as a full writing session) but stick it in the microwave for about 5 seconds (just before the lighting effect happens).

    If you do this though, best ventilate the area afterwards!!

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    Are you local? There's nothing for you here!
  2. At school... by RainbowSix · · Score: 4, Informative

    At Carnegie Mellon University there is a stairwell called Architect's Leap, and a common pasttime is to Leap old monitors by dropping them from the top story. It is usually fairly effective and equally satisfying.

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    It's OK to be social, just don't tell anyone about it.
  3. Where have I seen this before? by Seth+Finklestein · · Score: 5, Informative

    This article looks familiar. Perhaps it's because Slashdot linked to it 4 1/2 years ago.

    Nice work, "editors."

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    I'm not Seth Finkelstein. I still speak the truth.
  4. Monitor by tsa · · Score: 3, Informative

    I destroyed a monitor once by giving it an X screen at a far too high frequency. You should try it once, it makes beautiful sounds while it dies...

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    -- Cheers!

  5. This mentions little meaningful about hard drives by StandardCell · · Score: 3, Informative

    Out of all the computer hardware you probably have to destroy, old hard drives top the list for security and privacy reasons. Although taking apart the hard drive is good, it's time consuming and difficult if you have a lot of computers to dispose of. A better solution would be to subject it to the magnetic field of a degaussing coil. The magnetic field of course is strongest along an axis that passes through the center of the coil, so making small circles and passing the HD through it should be enough to kill it. This is also handy for the paranoid who are afraid to have their data found to have a smaller version wrapped around a hard drive attached to an alarm mechanism.