Let’s start by understanding exactly why you want to destroy the laptop. Do you want to prevent others from accessing sensitive data from the laptop or do you wish to make the laptop fully unusable?
For the first situation,fully eraseordestroy your laptop’s storage drive(HDD or SSD) since other components don’t store any external data.
For the second case, eitheroverload the laptop’s circuitwith excess electricity orphysically reduceit to little pieces.
Before going through these irreversible methods, ensure toback up any necessary dataon your laptop’s storage drive in a secure storage location.
Wipe or Scramble Data on the Storage Drive
Deleting the data or even anormal formatwill not completely wipe the data from a storage drive. It will simply mark the data location available for new data, giving the illusion that there’s no data there.
A quick format also performs a similar action for the whole drive. To properlyerase the data on a drive,perform a full format.
A storage media stores data as binary digits (bits) ‘0’ or ‘1’. A full format switches all the bits to 0, effectively wiping the drive. To perform a full format on the laptop’s storage drive,
It might still be possible to figure out previous data from a fully formatted hard disk. This is because the data locations that previously held ‘1’ will have slightly different magnetic levels than those that were originally ‘0.’
In such cases, it’s best to writerandom data into the drive in multiple passesusing third-partydata scrambling or data destruction application.
As foran SSD, use theSecure Erase feature from your BIOSor third-party apps to completely clean the drive.
Physically Destroy the Drive
The above process should effectively make the drive’s contents unrecoverable through most methods.
However, if your drive contains extremely sensitive data, there’s no reason to not add that extra layer of security by destroying the drive.
Destroying an SSD
AnSSD stores data inside its NAND chips, and simply smashing the drive or drilling a hole through it won’t securely destroy the data.
If you wish to destroy the SSD along with its stored data, the best way is touse a shredding machine, especially an industry shredder.
You can alsoincinerate the SSD on a furnacethat reaches temperatures beyond 2000°C.
Destroying a Hard Disk
Hard disks store data inside their plattersand are easier to destroy. However, if parts of the platter still remain untouched, very skilled specialists may still be able to recover the data. So, to destroy an HDD,
Physically Destroy the Laptop
In my opinion, physically destroying the laptop is overkill. Only the storage drive on the laptop will contain any sensitive data, so getting rid of the drive should be enough.
If you really want to destroy the laptop, first,remove all the components like the RAMthat you might be able to use later from your laptop.
Destroy the Laptop Without Overt Signs of Damage
To render it unusable without overt signs of damage, the best option is to use aUSB Killer. It sends high voltage into your laptop through a USB port and fries the internal circuit.
you may also use a cheaplow-quality charger with adjustable voltagefor this purpose. Here, charge the laptop at a much higher voltage than its power requirements.
Completely Destroy the Laptop to Small Pieces
If you want to destroy the laptop to bits,remove the batteryand cover it with a thick sheet to prevent bits from flying around. After protecting your eyes and other body parts,smash the laptop using a hammer.
After destroying the laptop, safely dispose of it using ane-waste collectoror an e-waste company.
As for the battery, throw it away on aseparate battery recycleror any “Hazardous material” disposal container. you may also send it to companies like Battery Plus, Staples, etc., for recycling.
