Step-by-Step Computer Destruction

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."

CD-Rs

[T-Kir]

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!!

At school...

[RainbowSix]

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.

Where have I seen this before?

[Seth Finklestein]

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

Nice work, "editors."

Monitor

[tsa]

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...

This mentions little meaningful about hard drives

[StandardCell]

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 [oscarcontrols.com]. 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.

Slashdotted?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe it isn't, but I can't load the page :(

Here's the Google cache:
1 [216.239.39.104]
2 [216.239.39.104]
3 [216.239.39.104]
4 [216.239.39.104]
5 [216.239.39.104]
6 [216.239.39.104]
7 [216.239.39.104]
8 [216.239.39.104]

(Too few characters per line. Too few characters per line. Too few characters per line. )
(Too few characters per line. Too few characters per line. Too few characters per line. )

Confessional : how I killed MY computer.

[tinrobot]

One of the many part time jobs I have is reviewing graphics hardware and software for magazines. So, one day nVidia sent me a shiny new graphics card.

I shut down the computer, popped the top and pulled out the old AGP card.

I plugged in the nVidia card. Didn't seem to fit. I decided to try and wiggle the card into the slot.

** sparks **

** poof **

I guess I should have UNPLUGGED the power supply. Seems as though there's always current running through the motherboard even though the computer is off...

Killed the motherboard and the nVidia card. Had to explain to nVidia why I killed their newest card. Thank goodness the CPUs and memory survived.

I now buy power supplies with little switches on the back and turn the computer off there before opening the box. Still don't unplug them, I like to live on the edge.

Re:At school...

[iotaborg]

It's the stair case in Wean Hall, which is the huge concrete fortress on campus (largest concrete structure in the world iirc), home of the CS, physics, and math department

Re:Start by defraggling your hard disk

[Anonymous Coward]

This guy forgot to take advantage of the impressively strong magnets found inside his hard drive, magnets that probably produce more magnetic force per area than his speaker magnet

http://www.datadocktorn.nu/images/defrag/6.jpg

under the head assembly he just took out -- two trapezoidal rare earth magnets. Strong enough to hurt you if you hold them close together.

The best way to remove them (as they are glued on to the carrier) is to get two pliers and bend the carrier (not the magnets - they will shatter) a small amount - the magnets should then slide off.

These things will hold a 50-page sheaf to the fridge.

Re:Monitor

[mczak]

Must have been a very old monitor. This "too high frequencies can destroy monitors" is more urban myth than anything else nowadays. You can destroy your 20 year old 12" vga monitor, perhaps even very early multisync monitors, but I'm confident it won't work on any monitor built in the last 10 years or so - they'll just switch off, giving you that "hsync out of range" (or similar) message.

Re:I can do it easier

[RealityMogul]

My son wasn't very ambitious, he only killed a floppy drive - by putting quarters into it of course.

Oh wait, and there was the CD-ROM incident. Did you know a CD-ROM can hold 3 discs?

Oh, almost forgot about the attempts at drawing pictures on the monitor - with a metal spoon.

Hmmm, and that time I left Explorer open to the C: drive when I went to the bathroom.

And I can't forget the time he filled the case with CDs by sliding them into a little gap between the actual drive and the plastic bay cover above it.