Can I use magnetic particle to wipe hard drives

Branson - do you want to wipe them clean for re-use, or wipe them so that any data is non-retrievable by subsequent owners? If you just want to DESTROY the data, the easiest way is to open the drive and drill a 1/4" hole through the platters with a good sharp drill bit in a few places.

I find good old propane torch works wonders in distroying the disc.

"If you just want to DESTROY the data, the easiest way is to open the drive and drill a 1/4" hole through the platters with a good sharp drill bit in a few places."

No need to open the drives. The case is diecast aluminum-magnesium alloy and much easier to penetrate than the very hard discs within with a 1/4" drill bit.

Indeed..I was thinking "remove the drive from the computer" and got sidetracked.. :)

Sorry, but some data is still recoverable that way.

If he was told to shred it , it is probably a government or DOD contract. There are strict guidelines. The standards for classified data that is confidential and higher are triple overwrite + shredding to pieces 1/4 " X 1/4", or degaussing.

Sledgehammer is the answer. Not even governmental standards can equal the result of what I have just mentioned! (Not to mention the feeling...)

1. Remove the hard drive.

2. Wrap 450 turns of 22 Guage copper magnet wire into a coil the same diameter as the disc drive.(approximately 800 feet).It should look like a doughnut with a 6 to 8 inch center hole, and about 3/4 inch thick turns of wire.

3.Wire the coil to a drop cord, and insulate connections.

4.Plug into 120 vac for approximtely 10 seconds.The coil will get warm,but will not burn out in this short interval.

This will usually erase all data.

If you are really paranoid:

5.Place the hard drive on firebricks, outside, on sand.

3.Put a disk of thermite on top of the drive.

4.Ignite the thermite.

5. Find a construction site and throw the molten blob into wet concrete, or take it to the metal recycler.

Sleep tight.

I was going to suggest cooking the disks at a nice high temperature (which destroys magnetic data), but it seems a bit half-hearted compared to the previous poster's suggestion.

This article is interesting http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/erase.htm

I personally would use a DO (department of defence) formatter and use it to wipe all the drives. No one can get data off a drive that has had random data written all over it many, many times.....

This is really really safe and secure.

Then you can sell/donate the drives as they are still reusable and you do not have to find a way to dispose of them.......