For a full accounting of materials and step-by-step instructions, check out the project page on Instructables. They typically come in either 2.5 or 3.5 inches. Use the flat-head screwdriver to remove the top magnet and the actuator. Seal the drive in a zip-lock bag, and remove as much air as possible. With the seemingly infinite cascade of content available online, that's a more likely outcome than ever before. Drill a couple of holes into both ends of the metal and use them to screw it into the paintbrush handle where you carved out the seat. Once you upgrade your laptop's drive or run out of space on your PC, you have a functional HDD in your hands. In this post, well show you how to do a secure hard drive disposal and how to reuse old hard drive. After wiping your old hard drive, you can sell it online. We recommend our users to update the browser. Step 3. All you need to do is connect the platters with a firm string, and attach them to a disk mounting ring which you can also salvage from an old hard drive. A hard drive enclosure (also known as hard drive caddy) is a plastic, metal, or aluminum box. Reutilize Old Hard Drives (Especially Turn Them into External Hard Drives) How to reutilize old hard drives? A removed hard drive is like a turtle without a shell. You're going to need them later. As we know, SSDs use semiconductor chips rather than magnetic media to store data, which means putting SSDs in a strong magnetic field is nothing helpful. The steps below are for Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs but should also apply to older versions of Windows. To completely wipe your hard drive, it's best to use a free data destruction program like PCDiskEraser. Hard drives are e-waste and they are environmentally detrimental products. Figure out the size of your hard drive so you know what type of casing youll need to get. According to an old hard drive buyer WeBuyUsedITequipment, the price for old hard drives it offers is based on the following factors: How much is my laptop worth? As the clock ticks down toward an unprecedented US debt default, the world's second- and third-biggest economies are watching in fear. Before you discard your hard drive, it is important for you to remove any personal information. This turns the front of the hard drive into a swiveling door to open and close the container. To get started you're going to need a couple of additional components, including a router and a NAS adapter. In case you already have an external drive or don't have use for one, it might be time to build your own network attached storage (NAS). Different from deleting or formatting, wiping is to overwrite data on the entire disk and this is the reason why data cannot be recovered (you might be interested in What Is Data Sanitization: Wipe vs Erase vs Format vs Delete). 1. The next steps involve modifying the motor assembly using a vice grip, a hammer, and a drill. Via The Recycle Bin & Control Panel On Windows. What's even more clever? They typically come in 2.5 or 3.5 inches. Use your old hard drive to store everything else on it or backups. Mechanical hard drives in particular have moving parts that can (and eventually will) stop working. Create a New One From Scratch, Difference between Windows 7 Home, Professional and Ultimate, How To Change The Windows 7 Login Screen Background Image, Remove Dotted Border Around Icons on Windows Desktop, Fix "Your PC's CPU isn't compatible with Windows 8/10" Error, Change Default Media Player and Photo Viewer in Windows 8, 4 Ways to Delete or Remove a Service in Windows, How to Fix Input Signal Out of Range Error in Windows, 5G Not Showing Up on Android or iPhone? To begin, locate where your hard drive is within your computer. You'll want one large enough that your hamster can comfortably run along its interior surface. 1. This will largely amount to again, loosening a bunch of screws in different configurations depending on the make and model of your hard drive. The controller of most hard drive enclosure limits the maximum capacity of the connected hard drive and the limitation is about 4TB to 8TB. Wiping a hard disk means clearing data and overwriting useless data on the disk to prevent data recovery. You probably got a new solid-state drive these days, but if your old hard drive is still in good condition, theres no need to get rid of it. Itll act as a hinge to open and close your new safe. To wipe an old hard drive, you can still try MiniTool Partition Wizard. You can find hard drive casings online for relatively cheap orif you want to have a little fun, you couldput your hard drive in an old Game Boy. SATA: Internal hard drives switched to SATA around the year 2000, and it remains the most common connector for internal hard drives today. If you feel more capable, you can create your own clock mechanism and make a cool-looking HDD LED clock. You need to open your PC case or laptop bottom to remove your hard drive. Instead of throwing them out or letting them collect dust in a drawer somewhere, why not put them to good use? It is a little waste to set those old hard drives aside if they are still well. Create a NAS 3. Copyright MiniTool Software Limited, All Rights Reserved. You can keep it as simple as you want, or get creative and incorporate LED lights. Every drive has a limited lifespan before it kicks the bucket. Wipe it! 8 Ways to Fix, Top 3 Ways to Fix No Space Left on Device Error in Linux, How to Fix the Emergency Calls Only Error on Android, How to Fix Could Not Create the Java Virtual Machine Error, FIX: Your Device Isnt Compatible with This Version on Android, How to Download and Install Zoom on Linux, How to Fix Something Went Wrong Error in Microsoft Outlook. By the way, MiniTool Partition Wizard, a professional partition manager for Windows OSs, is worth trying. Hard Drives It's common knowledge that solid state hard drives are better than mechanical drives, simply due to how they are constructed and operate. Turn them into external hard drives perfect for storing your extra files. If your old hard drive is broken, dont worry, you can still use it. Insert the NAS adapter and attach the hard disk to its USB port and connect the adapter to the router via an Ethernet. And if you no longer have any use for them, well teach you how to dispose of them properly. How to reutilize old hard drives? Via The Control Panel On Windows. Even solid-state drives, which have no moving parts, can fail. There are many great ways in which you can repurpose your old hard drives, but what you do with them will greatly depend on whether theyre working or not. Modern PCs will need a FireWire to USB adapter. Depending on the drive and the enclosure, you'll be able to use it with or without a power adapter. Wiping a hard disk means clearing data and overwriting useless data on the disk to prevent data recovery. How to destroy an SSD? Is It Safe to Access an Old Hard Drive on a New PC? Harvest the Old Hard Drive Parts. Download and run this tool. Part numbers (PN). For a project that you would never expect, turn that spinning disk into a micro sander. transferring files from the old drive to your current PC. Remove the hard drive from your computer. 4. With a little disassembly, a few additions, and a handful of moderately common tools, you can transform your old hard driveinto a clock the Rocketeer would be proud to display on his desk. 5 Cool Things To With an External Hard Drive Play Your Favourite Games Anywhere You Like Easily Share Media with Your Friends Make It Your Resume Export All Your Songs and Have a Hard Drive Mixed Tape Save Copies of All Your Important Documents While Travelling 5 Reasons Why You Should Get a Spare External Hard Drive There are several answers to what you can do with an old external hard drive. How much is your old hard drive worth? If your old hard drive is an SSD, the above destruction is not useful. Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, May | 72K views, 2.3K likes, 243 loves, 418 comments, 494 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Vairal show104: The Ingraham Angle 5/25/23 FULL END SHOW | FOX BREAKING NEWS. This article lists several DIY ideas, and they might inspire you to come up with your own projects and create something new. Our articles have been read over 150 million times since we launched in 2008. As to old hard drive disposal, there are, generally, three methods reutilizing, selling, or destroying. Just make sure that you securely wipe all your data off the old drive before selling it. Believe it or not, hard drives and audio speakers are close cousins, utilizing many of the same components for wildly differing functions. How Much Is My Laptop Worth? Next, gut your hard drive and take out the spindle and platter. Purchase instructions for hard drive enclosures: 1. Take that off and set it aside, then you should be able to get the actuator loose by removing one more screw. Then, more and more users use SSD to replace old hard drives on their computers. DIY Magnetic Knife Block 2. You can use them to connect your old hard drive and use it as an archive or a backup drive. The drive can simply read the data from whatever sectors it resides in. In case you're selling a functional disk, make sure you know how to completely wipe a hard drive on Windowsjust formatting it isn't enough. Via The Trash Can On A Mac. Depending on what kind of drive you have, you'll need to make sure the purchase you make will accommodate the size. It has served its purpose and now it is fated for a drawer or the landfill, but it doesn't have to be that way. Youll have to take it out, and use your creativity to make a pocket mirror, cubicle rear-view mirror, or a signal mirror. 7 Fixes to Try, Change IP Address and DNS Servers using the Command Prompt, Can't See Other Computers on a Network? When you get the hard drive enclosure, you can put your old hard drive in it and connect it to your computer. And as for dead drives, there are plenty of tricks for turning them into magnetic knife blocks, mirrors, wind charms, and clocks. Whether it's functional or not, if you don't have any use for the drive, sell it. A router and NAS adapter are required to get started. Make a Mirror 3. So, make sure the physical size of your old hard drive and then pick up a suitable hard drive enclosure to accommodate that hard drive. Ding, dent and scratch this platter. Prepare a hard drive enclosure; 2). All you have to do to make portable drives is to pull out your old hard drives from your PC or laptop, and place them inside a case. By Cassidy Ward / July 25, 2022 2:39 pm EST If there is one rule of personal computers, it's that today's impressive hardware is destined to become laughably outdated in short order. This is where external docks and enclosures come into play: While many docking stations and enclosures can fit both sizes, there are specific options available for 2.5-inch laptop hard drives. For 3.5-inch hard drives, you're going to need external power of some sorts. The best part about both options is you won't have to fork out an absolute fortune. The other end will be used to attach to the hard drive spindle and platter. [Step-by-Step Guide] How to Delete Windows from SSD. It is possible to retrieve the files from an old hard drive with the help of one data recovery utility. However, no matter how thorough a data-wiping program is, the only way to be certain that a hard-drives data is unrecoverable is by rendering the drives disk unspinnable. Now you can keep your money or other valuables safely tucked away where no one will suspect them. Step 1. With that in mind, there are a few steps we need to take in order to format our recently plugged in external HDD. It is a converter for the internal hard drive that allows you to use your old hard drive externally for saving and backing up data. Do this several times. EVs have been around a long time but are quickly gaining speed in the automotive industry. To get started, you'll first need to open up the hard drive and expose its inner components. What Is 192.168.0.1, and Why Is It The Default IP Address for Most Routers? Once your magnets are liberated, they can be glued to the wood or screwed in using the original housing from the hard drive. If you format your hard drive or delete a partition, the data can still be recovered with file recovery software. Select 3-Pass from the Security pull-down. Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard to access its main interface. If you have a standard USB port, you can do it with any 2.5" SSD or HDD for just $10. You can just attach it to a wall, or secure it inside a plastic casing. Numerous fun do-it-yourself projects involve using the whole hard drives, or their parts. After upgrading to a new hard drive, you may have no idea of what to do with the old hard drive. The method is well refined and the end product looks fantastic. Full disclosure, the audio quality isn't great, and it sounds like music being played by a sentient bucket of nails. Additionally, a hard drive enclosure also plays as a protector and holder for the internal hard drive. Turn them into external hard drives perfect for storing your extra files. Portable Drive 2. How to Find Open and Blocked TCP/UDP Ports, How to Connect to Only 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi Band (Prevent Switching), Why Does My Android Hotspot Keep Turning Off? The . If there is one rule of personal computers, it's that today's impressive hardware is destined to become laughably outdated in short order. The Methods Are Here, What to Do with Old Computers? The materials you'll need are relatively common and affordable. Step 4: Click the Apply button to execute the operation. Some Experts Say No, How WhatsApp Usernames Make You Much Safer In Real Life, Meta Tests 2-In-1 Verified Social Media Subscription in Canada, Garmins New Fnix 7 Pro Smartwatch Offers Better Displays and Battery for Weeks, How to Access Data From an Old Hard Drive. If you are on a budget, and cant afford a high-capacity solid-state drive (SSD), consider combining a high-quality low-capacity solid-state drive with a high-capacity hard drive. Your old hard drive will contain driver and configuration data specific to the other PC. Click Apply and Proceed to confirm the operation. Firstly, use a program to wipe the old hard drive. James Litke/Shutterstock Why You Should Destroy Your Hard Drive How to Destroy a Computer: Data-Wiping Program Physically Destroying Your Hard Drive Popular Videos Try These 5 Fixes, How to Change the Time and Date in Windows, 13 Ways to Fix Windows 11 Drag and Drop Not Working, How to Reinstall Microsoft Store in Windows. If these problems occur after a fresh installation or in Windows Safe Mode, the root of the evil is almost certainly bad hardware, possibly a failing hard drive. You will find buyers for everything online and here are some of the best places for selling used computer parts. We suggest you use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, a free disk and partition management tool for Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP operating systems. There's nothing too high-tech going on here, all you're really doing is mounting the magnets from inside your hard drive behind a block of wood and using the magic of physics to suspend knives precariously over your kitchen counter. Step 2. You'll want to remove the magnet, the headlock, and the head of the HDD. 3.5-inch ones typically come with a power adaptor, while the 2.5-inch ones usually dont need them. If the old hard drive is OK, then you can turn it into an external hard drive. This information can remain on the hard drive even if erased or reformatted with a data-wiping program. Once it's open, you'll wire up the speed controller and attach sandpaper to the platter. Use data recovery utility. Some of her articles also touch on YouTube usage and issues. Do this if you want to keep the drive usable but data erased. Drop the hard drive into the slot and turn the dock on. You've also saved a working drive from being recycled or destroyed. Or if a simple mirror is all you want, then this Instructable will show you how platters can double up as pocket mirrors. All youll need is a bit of imagination, basic household tools, and your nimble fingers. In fact, they have two large neodymium magnets which you can remove and continue using for various other projects. Create a Sculpture or a Wind Chime 4. They found most of these hard drives had residual data 67% of the used hard drives contained personal data; 11% of the hard drives had sensitive corporate data Click here to learn more about their findings. Matthew S. Smith has been writing about consumer tech since 2007. If you work as a content creator, photographer, videographer, or digital artist, you probably know that whatever storage space you have, is not enough. 2. However, none of these methods are sufficient for corporate equipment, and none of these methods are guaranteed to make data irrecoverable. Destroying your old hard drive is a matter of security. When home PC users think of hard drive disposal methods, they tend to look at hard drive formatting, hard drive erasers, and physical destruction using hand-held tools.