{"id":12190,"date":"2024-07-12T10:43:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T10:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restore.co.uk\/datashred\/?p=12190"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:43:29","slug":"best-way-to-destroy-a-hard-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.restore.co.uk\/datashred\/best-way-to-destroy-a-hard-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Why shredding is the best way to destroy hard drives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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When the delete key simply won\u2019t do\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Have you absorbed some of the internet myths about how to destroy a hard drive? Depending <\/span>on<\/span> where you click, and most specifically if you click on \u2018advice\u2019 websites, you will be encouraged to give fire, saws, magnets, hammers and screwdrivers a go. And it\u2019s true, these methods, with a bit of welly on your part, will break a hard drive so you can\u2019t use it again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t believe the hype!<\/strong><\/h5>\n

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This might suit the hard drive from that old PC you used as a gaming machine 25 years ago, but it won\u2019t cut the mustard with your company\u2019s redundant IT assets. While you might not be able to use a burnt, sawn, magnetised, hammered or scratched hard drive, data and identity thieves and blackmailers certainly do have the technology and with it they can access what should be protected personal and business information. Blackmail and reputational damage don\u2019t sound like much fun as the outcomes of failing to dispose of a hard drive correctly (through methods such as <\/span>secure hard drive shredding<\/span><\/a>), but they are a real and present danger.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s what we recommend to avoid that danger:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Do tackle your hard drive stockpile.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Think of the valuable space a stockpile occupies in both your office environment and in your consciousness, weighing on your peace of mind.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Do give priority to compliance.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Part of a complete management cycle, complying with data protection regulations means you are protecting your customers, your colleagues and your company. Simply pressing the delete button, after following some instructions you found online, is not enough to erase data fully from a hard drive. Take the weight off your mind by placing your business\u2019 data security at the top of your list.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n\n\n\n

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Do use secure data destruction professionals.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Restore Datashred’s certified professionals utilise industrial-grade shredders that reduce your hard drive to unrecognisable particles, rendering any data recovery efforts utterly futile. This ensures the highest level of security for your sensitive information, giving you peace of mind and exceeding even the most stringent data protection regulations.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Secure destruction professionals, like Restore Datashred, will destroy hard drives<\/a> using methods based on your needs, ranging from data sensitivity to statutory compliance and environmental factors and, for most of our customers, needs that encompass all three. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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If your organisation handles extra-sensitive information, we will use data wiping software that overwrites all information on the disc with zeros and ones to securely clean hard drives that are earmarked for potential refurbishment and re-sale, or shredding \u2013 as you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you are looking for a compliant end of life for your assets, we will use a method called degaussing to randomly change the magnetic fields on each disc. We then send that de-magnetised unit to the shredder. Jumbled data and 4mm shreds are not worth any bad actor\u2019s effort to try to reclaim sensitive information and, along with an unbroken chain of custody and certificate of destruction, offer you a double indemnity over simply destroying a unit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You want compliance and security with a guaranteed environmental benefit? Restore Datashred is committed to sending none of the materials we shred to landfill and thus we play a significant role in the recycling industry, sending thousands of tonnes of securely decommissioned and shredded plastics for recycling and re-use every year, with all the sustainable benefits that brings. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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So, the best way to destroy a hard drive? <\/h4>\n\n\n
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Is to use a professional secure, hard drive shredding service<\/a> from Restore Datashred, of course! We place our teams of vetted secure collection operatives, our GPS-tracked vehicles, CCTV-monitored and password-protocoled facilities, chain of custody audit software, certificates of destruction and years of experience at your service. We earn your trust with our customer service excellence and are backed and supported by all the accreditations and memberships that we have worked hard to achieve and maintain.<\/p>\n<\/section>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Restore Datashred\u2019s secure hard drive destruction process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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What is hard drive shredding?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It sounds impossible to shred a hard drive, doesn\u2019t it? Well, we simply mean destroying it beyond any form of use. Plus, it sounds cool. At Restore Datashred, we understand shredding hard drives and the importance of thoroughly destroying retired hard drives to prevent any possibility of data recovery. So, here are the key options we offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\r\n

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