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Thread: Destroying a Laptop

  1. #1
    Senior Member Lifetime Supporter 64BonnieLass's Avatar
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    Destroying a Laptop

    Hi everyone,
    Haven't been on here in a while. I hope everyone is doing well.

    How do I destroy a laptop so that it's free from any form of treachery?
    I have unscrewed it all, pulled out various parts. Snipped wires. Can't find a disk of any kind so far. I have a Dell and an Apple to render inoperable in every way.

    Can anyone tell me what to look for or which parts to take a drill bit to?

    T
    "Keep that "what if" thought in the back of your mind; it's the angel on your shoulder balancing the devil in your right hand."

    "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those."

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  2. #2
    Gold Member madvlad's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Just run some big magnets through the motherboard and voila lol
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  3. #3
    Senior Member The Black Knight's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Wow!! Haven't seen you on here in ages!!

    As for destroying the laptop. I know throwing the hard drive in a microwave for about 8 seconds will destroy it completely. I'd say get that out and fry it, then you're good. Take the rest out and shoot it, a lot...
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    Gold Member asp_125's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    First you need some rap music, and a bat:


    Oh hai!
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    I'm pumped... Let's let the healing begin! Lifetime Supporter ~Barn~'s Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Hey Terri. Welcome back!

    So far, Jeff is the closest and most awesome.

    What professional data destruction companies tend to do, it drill holes in the hard drives. The other parts are inconsequential to any data you've had stored on the system.

    Oh yeah... when you're done, shoot holes in your microwave. Fill it with any unwanted refrigerator magnets before you shoot it, to be extra sure.
    ~Brandon~
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    Gold Member bulldog's Avatar
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    Senior Member TFOGGuys's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    In the future, it is not necessary to physically destroy the computer, you can use DBAN to wipe the hard drive to DoD standards, which is what the NSA uses for their hard drives. At that point, you can load a fresh install of the operating system and donate the computers to a worthy cause (I generally donate them to school programs).

    http://www.dban.org/
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    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Quote Originally Posted by TFOGGuys View Post
    In the future, it is not necessary to physically destroy the computer, you can use DBAN to wipe the hard drive to DoD standards, which is what the NSA uses for their hard drives. At that point, you can load a fresh install of the operating system and donate the computers to a worthy cause (I generally donate them to school programs).

    http://www.dban.org/
    Ahh sweet sanity!

  9. #9
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    BURN IT!!! Fire destroys all evidence.. I mean components. lol

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    Gold Member bulldog's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    OMG, she actually destroyed the entire laptop

    AshleyMadison.com members has got out of hand??????? Just kidding Teri
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  11. #11
    I'm pumped... Let's let the healing begin! Lifetime Supporter ~Barn~'s Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Quote Originally Posted by TFOGGuys View Post
    In the future, it is not necessary to physically destroy the computer <Snip...>
    Sometimes if feels good, just to F' something up.... real good like.
    ~Brandon~
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    Melissa Holbrook Pierson

  12. #12
    Senior Member longrider's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    I was going to the same thing Jim did, wiping the hard drive is all you need to do and DBAN is the best software for that. However I have to agree that sometimes it just feels good to destroy stuff...

  13. #13
    Senior Member The Black Knight's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Quote Originally Posted by ~Barn~ View Post
    Sometimes if feels good, just to F' something up.... real good like.


    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    "So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
    "

    "Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."




  14. #14
    Senior Member Lifetime Supporter 64BonnieLass's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    Hahahahaha, Jeff that was awesome. I completely forgot about that method. I DID take apart the entire thing Nate. Screw by screw by screw. I didn't get the benefit of beating the crap out of it. But it was still cathartic just pulling it apart and watching plastic fly around the kitchen. Ha. It was a 10 year old Dell - screen cracked, internal battery fried, and that little button you push to make the cupholder come out wouldn't work, so I dismantled the sucker and took the hard drive out.
    The Apple I haven't touched yet. Still want the hard drive out of it though. I can't imagine a 6 year old Apple is worth much to anyone. And someone, who ISN'T me...ok, yes me, knocked over a glass of water into it. The internal bits are corroded now. But I'm not in the mood to download software to clear it, or whatever DBAN is. And I'm moving so what do I care about a microwave anyway. That'll do the trick right?! Ha!
    What do I know, I don't look inside or play with computers for a living. But I will drill the guts out of the hard drives. Still cathartic, sort of, NOT compared to Jeff's idea...I'm sad now.
    Last edited by 64BonnieLass; Tue Apr 19th, 2016 at 08:02 PM.
    "Keep that "what if" thought in the back of your mind; it's the angel on your shoulder balancing the devil in your right hand."

    "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those."

    2005 SV650S Street

  15. #15
    Senior Member The Black Knight's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    I guess I should have added, that if you do the microwave trick. Yeah, pick a microwave that you don't want to use anymore. Frying a disc in a microwave tends to leave a funky smell that never leaves the microwave. It is a good show to watch for the one or two seconds that it makes lightning appear HAHA!!
    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    "So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
    "

    "Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."




  16. #16
    Gold Member bulldog's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    According to this, it can be dangerous to microwave it so do it outside it says; states it takes 10 minutes!

    Hold a trial by microwave. Microwaves in and of themselves are not strong enough to destroy data, so don’t think a one second zap will do the trick. Getting the platter hot enough to melt or shatter, however, will render your data unrecoverable.
    • Buy or salvage an old microwave, preferably one with a push-button method of opening the door. Hook it up outside with an extension cord and set it for 10 minutes. Get very far away (glass platters can shatter under these conditions and are very dangerous). Open the microwave from a distance, with a broom handle or pull string, and use a very long stick to shatter the disk if it didn’t melt or shatter of it’s own accord. Fun level: 6



    This seems to be the easiest method. I'd do this and then just smash the HD after. I have heard that some Apple computers have the HD soldered in and can't be removed easily; not sure if this is the case with yours though.

    Immerse the hard drive completely in the water. Turn the power on. You should see the water start to bubble and froth, releasing oxygen and hydrogen - it is essential to have an open window nearby!
    After a 24 hours, your hard drive platter will have lost its shiny mirrored surface (oxidised). It will be partially dissolved into metal powder and salt water.





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  17. #17
    Gold Member asp_125's Avatar
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    Re: Destroying a Laptop

    I dunno, I think guns and explosives would be more fun than a microwave.
    When life throws you curves, aim for the apex
    Current stable:09 Thruxton \ 09 FZ6S2
    Sold List:97 Ninja500R, 03 SV650K3, 01 Ducati 750Sport, 73 CB350/4, 03 F650GSA, 08 Gixxer600, 03 Gixxer600, 91 VFR750F, 09 KLX250, 06 Thruxton 900, 02 VFR800, 08 Spyder RS, 12 Street TripleR, 09 KLX250S, 16 KTMRC390, 10 F650GS
    my Facebook, SpeedShots
    Quote Originally Posted by salsashark View Post
    ... Motorcycles are kind of like Baskin Robbins... You're looking at 31 flavors of ice cream, don't you kind of want to know what they all taste like?...

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