have a large number of floppy discs which contain historic data. I now want to ditch the lot as now I use dvd / cd / memory stick for back up/portability.

What is the best way to scrap the lot. At work a whole load were dumped in the kitchen sink filled with water but I don't know if this was effective at destroying the data or not - the discs themselves are quite robust so breaking them up does not seem an option like it might be for a cd.

Alternatively I suppose would it be a question of overwrite or buying some sort of software programme - if so any recommendations? The problem with the floppies is I have alarge number 100+ and that could be time consuming.

I also have an old pc with a hard drive on it which will in time also need to be scrapped what would be the best way to get rid of the disc which contains personal data.

Thanks

The water won't have done much to them.

Heat damatges data but I don't know how well your wife would react to you cooking a couple of hundred disks in the oven ... and burning them can't be very good for the environment.

Find yourself a small child and pay / bribe them to feed them into a PC and run a disk wiper program on each one. Or maybe open the disks and then feed the magnetic media itself through a standard shredder.

Get the BBQ going

Tesco sell "media shredders" that should be able to destroy CDs and discs...

as for the hard drive... full low level format then get a hammer

thanks for the comments

Are the media shredders available online? a quick search at their extra site came up with nothing or is it an instore item at their large home type stores?

Maybe I will fry the disks in my incinerator with my excess of shredded paper material that I have not yet been able to add to my compost!

Get a B.F.O. magnet!

a blender would probably work

Get the BBQ going

:iagree:

Metal dustbin and lighter fluid

(although prob not very environmentally friendly )

Get a B.F.O. magnet!

:iagree:

but the bbq idea involves fire, and is therefore more fun...

Get a B.F.O. magnet!

Not sure if it will work, but your fridge should have a magnet in the door seal which might help with this. However, it's another idea where getting a child to do it might be an idea.

Pair of scissors. Cut them all up. No one's gonna be bothered to somehow stick them together and try to reform the data. Floppys are very easily corrupted.

Though the Fire idea seems most fun. Perhaps Microwave them?

Put your most important data on them - that will guarantee that they become unreadable and next to useless

On a serious note, either burning or cross-cut shredding should render them useless

Chris

I find just snapping floppys and then pulling them well apart does the job.

I found that passing them over the magnet of a nice big speaker a few times does the trick.

Big Fire.

As for a hard disk, open it up, and then take the platters out and put them in the fire with a bit of wood and paper and burn them too.

A low level format won't actually do that any more so your data will be easy to get back.

if you're really paranoid about erasing the data from your hard disks, use somthing like Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN")

I find for floppies that a hole punch works well. Hard drives respond well to a 10 mm drill through the platters!

Phil

Using an electro magnet is your best option to quickly destroy the data on the discs. Place them next to or on top of some big speakers whlie you pump out some music for a couple of hours.

If you have a CRT television then place the floppy disks on top of that and the electron gun will soon ruin the information stored on them.

You can easily break open a floppy disk. Once done, simply cut the media with a pair of scissors.

Or burn them

down the second hand shop, buy a cheap microwave and destroy them brainiac style

i suggest the far end of the garden via an extension lead with a fire extinguisher handy

or a BFO fire

woodburner. Although I'd recommend closing the vents to the inside while they burn. May as well do something useful like heat the house instead of just being buried somewhere.

Burn Burn Burn .... Mmmmm Fire :D:D

Ok sorry pyromaniac (eg male) moment over with

Burn Burn Burn .... Mmmmm Fire :D:D

Ok sorry pyromaniac (eg male) moment over with

I'm still thinking of when 45's were made into plant pot holders by gently melting them, but still melted all over the oven (or so I'm told) Ooops!

Seriously though, if you are passing the computer on, then a disk wiper? (there are several), otherwise, just take the hard disk out and put in garage where it will become a time capsule for many years

Regards

Mo

What's a "floppy disk" ??