Destroying the media
One the drives have been wiped, the next step is to destroy the platters. I found the easiest (and, strangely, the most satisfying way) was to disassemble the drives. To do this, you'll need some very simple tools: a needle-nose plier, a large blade flat screwdriver, and a variety of TORX bits. If you're unfamiliar with TORX bits, they're used to remove those star-shaped screws and bolts you see in some electronics. Nearly all the drives were workable using T-9, T-7, and T-6 bits. If you don't have a TORX bit set, you can get one for under $20 at your local Radio Shack.

Each drive is a little different, but they all generally follow the same procedure. I started by removing all the screws on the top casing, as shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

Remove the screws around the outside of the drive. Click picture for a larger image.

Once you do this, most likely, you'll find the casing still won't come off. The reason is there are usually two additional screws under labels or stickers. You can see one such sticker in Figure C.

FIGURE C

This sticker is blocking one of the removal screws. Click picture for a larger image.

The easiest thing to do is simply plunge your TORX bit into the label and start unscrewing, as shown in Figure D (remember: righty-tighty, lefty-loosey).

FIGURE D

Plunge the bit into the label and remove the screw. Click picture for a larger image.

At this point, I typically flipped the drive over and removed the electronics, as shown in Figure E.

FIGURE E

Pull out all the screws holding in the electronics. Click picture for a larger image.

There's often another screw hidden underneath the electronics package, as you can see in Figure F.

FIGURE F

Remove the last hidden case screws. Click picture for a larger image.

Finally, it's time to look inside the drive. You should now be able to pop the cover off. If you can't, look around the edge for some tape. Some of the drives were sealed with a tape strip. Either cut or peel the tape off and you can get inside the drive, as shown in Figure G.

FIGURE G

Notice the magnet array in the lower, left corner. Click picture for a larger image.

Notice the magnet array in the lower, left corner. These are very cool, rare-earth neodymium magnets. They're amazingly strong. I pulled one out and placed it on my workbench. The surface of my bench is 3/4 inch particle board and I could hold another magnet under the board and move the magnet on top, through a 3/4 inch bench top!

In any case, you need to practice some serious care when removing the magnets. First, you'll want to unscrew the magnets. There's often two or three screws holding them in. At this point, you can remove the top magnet, as shown in Figure H.

FIGURE H

Remove the top magnet with pliers and a screwdriver. Click picture for a larger image.

WARNING: Do not do this with your hands. The magnets are wildly strong and they can really friggin' hurt if they pinch your fingers. I learned this the hard way. Instead, use a screwdriver to lever the top magnet up, and then use your needle-nose pliers to remove the magnet. Place it someplace far away from your computers (I had a plastic bin, on the floor).

You'll then want to remove the head array to get at the lower magnet. Sometimes you can just pop the array off, as you can see in Figure I. Other times, you may need to use your pliers and screwdriver to crack the coil section off, and then twist the head array out of the way.