So, let's talk about a fun topic, harddrive destruction :)
A friend called me tonight, wanting to know how to sanitize drives in a secure manner, and i would say, it really depends on a lot of things, so let's see what we can do.
First off, you have a couple of things to figure out. Who are you trying to protect your data from, for how long ?, how much time do you have to discard the data ?, what equipment do you have ?, and where are you ?
In some cases, it's simply enough to reformat the drives. And how to do that ?. Well, for windows, there's a couple of options. First up, is the software called Partition Wizard. https://www.partitionwizard.com/download-free-from-cnet.html?p=pw&e=pw-free&r=free-partition-manager. Another option, is using a Live Linux, and using buildtin tools to do a secure wipe.For connecting 2.5" drives to a desktop, use a tool like this.Unitek universal drive adapter.
But, what if that is not enough ? Well, let's be destructive for a bit. First, you need to take the laptop apart and find the drive. It can look like these, and we'll take a closer look, and discuss each option for discarding data.
The normal SATA drive. this is a 2.5" from a laptop, after it's been opened up.
Formatting it is an option, but what else ? See the drive platters ? Take them out, grind them down, or simply smash them with a hammer, into tiny bits, and throw those in ten different places / in ten different sewers,
For the real secure way, melt them with thermite :) If you need an introduction to what thermite is, go visit Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite
I would say, don't play with thermite. It is normally used in firebombs, and once ignited, it impossible to stop, so don't...really... don't :)
The internals from a SSD drive. Note the chips.
This can simply be melted with a blowtorch, or smashed with a hammer. I do recommend the blowtorch :)
The "new" chipbased m.2 SSD type. It can be seen both in desktop type machines, and in laptops.
This is the same as the other SSD, melt it with a blowtorch. The same goes for USB sticks, any kind of smart cards / memory cards. Melt them, and throw away the rest.
For platter based media like DVD /CD-R, grind them down using a grinder, and throw away the dust, or dissolve them using acid. What ever works for you :)
Have fun :)