Wiping data from a hard drive.

[Basil Chupin]

On 25/08/2010 22:47, Billie Walsh wrote:

[pruned]


> You could try a degaussing coil.
>    

That "magnet thingie" I mentioned in my original post was a degaussing 
device - a much bigger version of the one I used on the reel-to-reel 
tape recorder to degauss the heads.

Regrettably, what worked on floppies and recorder heads does not work on 
HDs where the mechanics are themselves controlled by magnetics and so 
applying a strong magnetic field would cause damage - and, as one person 
said, would void the warranty.

Unless someone comes up with the ideal solution, the only course of 
action left for me is to apply the 10lb (4.5kg) sledgehammer to the HD - 
and write off the cost of the HD to one of life's rocks on the road to 
enlightenment.

Fortunately most of the data on it is backed up elsewhere but there is 
some which didn't make it in time for the backup - ah well....

I have HDs now in their 8th or so year of usage (Quantums, Maxtors) but 
these new drives now predominantly made in China are just ****.

I would like to also thank everyone who responded to my post - Thanks guys!

BC

-- 
Gumperson's Law: The probability of anything happening is in
inverse proportion to its desirability.