which part is the hard drive

virgin_moneysaver

opened the tower unit to remove the hard drive so my hubby can dispose of the rest at the local tip but don't know which is the hard drive of all the removable parts - what should I be looking for?
thanx

8u87fhsd

Hi,

It will be ~ 5 1/4 inches wide, maybe 6-8 inches long & ~ 1 inch thick (if you've got a CD/DVD drive it will be same width & length but ~ 3 inches high).

Typical photo is here http://www.build-your-own-computer.net/hard-drive.html

N.B. How are you planning to dispose of the hard disk?

If you want to wipe it you will need it in a PC to do so (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBAN)

TBH I usually format the HD, bounce it off concrete from a great height several times, hit it with a lump hammer (very cathartic) & then drill through it several times.

If you can hear the platters rattle when you shake it then there is no way anyone can recover the data.

Mista_C

8u87fhsd wrote: »

Hi,

It will be ~ 5 1/4 inches wide, maybe 6-8 inches long & ~ 1 inch thick (if you've got a CD/DVD drive it will be same width & length but ~ 3 inches high).

A desktop hard drive will usually be 3.5 inches rather than 5.25. The only 5.25 inch hard drive I can remember in the last 10 years or so was the Quantum Bigfoot which haven't been around for a while now.

Dave_C_2

The hard drive is usually mounted towards the front of the PC underneath the CD/DVD drive in the drive bay. The hard drive is a flat moulded aluminium box with connectors at one end and will not stick out of the front of the case.

Follow the very wide ribbon cables from the main printed circuit board (motherboard) to the drives. One of them must connect to the hard drive. On some systems there is only one ribbon cable to connect the motherboard to the hard drive and the CD/DVD drive.

To give you an idea of what to look for google Replace desktop hard drive.

HTH, Dave

virgin_moneysaver

Dave_C wrote: »

The hard drive is usually mounted towards the front of the PC underneath the CD/DVD drive in the drive bay. The hard drive is a flat moulded aluminium box with connectors at one end and will not stick out of the front of the case.

Follow the very wide ribbon cables from the main printed circuit board (motherboard) to the drives. One of them must connect to the hard drive. On some systems there is only one ribbon cable to connect the motherboard to the hard drive and the CD/DVD drive.

To give you an idea of what to look for google Replace desktop hard drive.

HTH, Dave

Got it thanx - wide ribbon split to two different boxes one of which was the bigger cd drive so have given OH the hard drive to destroy

ddoris

The more physical the destruction the greater the paranoia.

8u87fhsd

ddoris wrote: »

The more physical the destruction the greater the paranoia.

And the more fun :rotfl:

mttylad

And please do not just take the PC to the tip.

Please instead join your local Freegle where you can give it away and someone else can reuse it. Just mention that when offering it.
Someone will come & take it away and you wont need to use petrol taking it to the tip.

maryke

It is the part that stores your files.

moonrakerz

23n1th wrote: »

Picture paints a thousand words:

Yes............ but what if it is a WD, or a Seagate, or.....................

googler

Why do you NEED to destroy the HDD? I've seen nothing which suggests it's faulty or not.

Why can't you install it as a secondary or back up drive in or around your newer PC(s) ...?