Simple Methods to Safely Wipe, Reuse, or Destroy Old Storage Devices

I’m pretty sure this happens in every profession — someone finds out what you generally do for a living and immediately assigns you an indirectly related task. When you work in Information Technology, the moment people hear “IT”, they assume you know everything about every electronic device — past and present. Can I figure it out? Maybe. Probably. But the second I say, “I don’t know”, I get hit with classics like, “Wait, didn’t you go to school for computer science?” or “Aren’t you in IT?” Yes, I do have Computer Science degrees. Yes, I work in IT. But that doesn’t mean I automatically know why your device isn’t working as expected.

Here’s a typical scenario:

“Oh, you’re in IT? Perfect! Here’s a 20-year-old computer that’s been collecting dust.” And just like that, I’m now the proud owner of a growing stack of hard drives — because I can’t, in good conscience, recycle them without wiping them first. Why? I don’t want to be the reason someone’s private data ends up for sale on the dark web.

Workflow

Consider Reusing First

Before wiping or destroying any old storage device, it’s worth asking: Can I still use this for something? A lot of drives — especially those sitting in a drawer for years — might still work fine for basic tasks. You could repurpose them as external backups or local media storage.

Testing a drive only takes a few minutes and can save you from wiping or destroying a device unnecessarily. If the drive still works and isn’t too old or slow, reusing it is often the most eco-friendly — and budget-friendly — option. For drives that are still usable, I simply format them and put them back into service. But if the device is faulty, outdated, or no longer needed, that’s when I move on to securely wiping or destroying it.

Accessing the Storage Device

If you have an internal hard drive but no access to the original computer it came from, you can still access the data or wipe it using a USB-to-SATA adapter, hard drive enclosure, or hard drive docking station. These tools let you connect the drive to another computer through a USB port, so you can check its contents, format it, or securely erase the data. It’s a quick way to repurpose or sanitize a drive without needing to reinstall it in a desktop or laptop.

A Note About Formatting

When formatting, it’s important to know the difference between quick and full formats. A quick format just clears the file system and marks the space as available, making the data seem gone but still potentially recoverable. A full (or long) format goes a step further by scanning for bad sectors and overwriting the data, making recovery much more difficult.

Software-Based Wiping

Wiping — or sanitizing — a storage device means permanently deleting the data so it can’t be recovered. It’s something you should always do before selling, recycling, or throwing out an old device. It protects your personal information from getting into the wrong hands.

Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)

For traditional hard disk drives, I use ShredOS to perform a DoD 3-pass wipe, also known as a DoD short wipe. Here’s what it does:

• Pass 1: Overwrites all data with zeros
• Pass 2: Overwrites everything with ones
• Pass 3: Overwrites everything with random bits

A 3-pass wipe makes data recovery extremely unlikely. While you can configure more passes, most experts agree that even a single pass is enough for modern drives.

Solid-State Drives (SSDs)

Wiping a solid-state drive is different from wiping a traditional hard disk drive because of how the data is stored. Most SSDs have a built-in low-level command, part of the device’s firmware, that resets all memory cells to their factory state. This process securely erases user data and encryption keys, making recovery nearly impossible.

Many SSD manufacturers offer a free “secure erase” tool designed specifically for their drives. These tools access the low-level firmware command to perform a full wipe safely.

If the manufacturer’s utility isn’t available, your computer’s BIOS may offer a built-in secure erase option. Most modern motherboards include this feature, but the name and steps to access it vary by brand.

NOTE: As mentioned earlier, secure erase on SSDs also deletes the device’s cryptographic keys. This sanitization method is called cryptographic erase (or crypto erase). Many SSDs are encrypted by default, so this makes the data unrecoverable by erasing the encryption key used to protect it. The encrypted data stays on the drive, but without the key, it can’t be reasonably decrypted or accessed. However, if the key can be recovered by other means, there’s a risk the files could still be accessed.

Physical Destruction

If I want extra peace of mind, I destroy the drive after wiping it. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 Guidelines for Media Sanitization), proper destruction includes disintegrating, pulverizing, melting, or incinerating the device — but these methods aren’t safe for DIY and usually require a professional. Some people suggest smashing the drive with a hammer. I’ve tried that, but these things are surprisingly tough. You might dent the case, but the internal platters often remain intact. Others recommend drilling holes through the drive — I’ve tried that too, but my hand drill struggled. A drill press with clamps might work better. Another common method is using pliers to remove or damage the drive’s pins, making it unusable for most people.

The easiest method I’ve found? Open the hard drive, remove the platters, and cut them with scissors. No power tools, no flying debris — just simple, effective, and with the bonus of recovering some strong magnets.

For smaller storage devices like SD cards or USB drives, I usually format them and physically destroy them if they contained sensitive data.

NOTE: Always follow appropriate safety precautions and use common sense.

Summary

When you work in IT, you often inherit old electronics nobody wants. Before you recycle or discard old drives, always consider whether they can be reused first — it’s better for your budget and the environment. If not, securely wiping the data is essential to protect your personal information. When extra security is needed, simple physical destruction methods can give you peace of mind without much hassle.