advise on returning a bad hard drive

[macswitcha2]

What can be done to assure that personal information would be impossible to obtain from a bad hard drive that will be returned to the manufacturer?

A friend's hard drive went bad and she was sent another one and has to send the bad one back within 30 days.

 

[lewis82]

If it doesn't work anymore, you can't 7-pass overwrite it.

I don't know, bring it into an MRI?

 

[jaw04005]

If it's a minor issue and the computer can see the drive, zero out the data (using Disk Utility) and be done with it. I'm assuming you're returning the drive to the actual drive manufacturer? If they really wanted your data, they could get it. However, they don't and they go through great lengths to wipe your data once you send the drive in anyway (all of them --- Toshiba, Seagate, Western Digital, etc).

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[stroked]

I use a 5 lb magnet from Harbor Freight.

 

[iJohnHenry]

I use a 5 lb magnet from Harbor Freight.

Do you "pop the hood" first??

 

[stroked]

Do you "pop the hood" first??

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

 

[iJohnHenry]

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Take the drive cover off, to avoid the shielding, and to make sure the disc is fully erased.

You could also pick-up an old degaussing tool, used in the old days of TV picture tubes.

 

[macswitcha2]

It is basically a HD that crashed rendering her Windows system un-locatable.