Like everything else, technological equipment and devices come and go; hard drives included. Hard drives can fail at any moment. Most of them become obsolete over time, while others are due to human errors. May it is because of physical damage, maximum usage, or an unforeseen mishap, you will eventually dispose of them. You should not be surprised if you will find yourself searching were to shred hard drives one of these days.

Well, you must be wondering why it is first suggested to shred the hard drives instead of just disposing of them right away. Their disposal into a nearby garbage bin will be more convenient than doing an entire task of researching where to shred hard drives and going there. But the reason behind all of these will be worth it, not only for you but for any people who have a share of information recorded in that media storage of yours. 

Instances of data breach are still happening online. But the shocking part is that users are unaware that files that they deleted are still technically present in the storage of their devices. The data will look like it is already eradicated, but the truth is, it only hides, so it will be harder to find. Unfortunately, most people who dispose of their storage media like hard drives are not familiar with this. They clear all the content logged in the press, believing it is sufficient and just throwing them away somewhere. That is improper data destruction that you should avoid at all costs.

The right thing to do is to understand hard drives deeper. It is time to be familiar with hard drive shredding and consider the process as a big deal. Because guess what? It is a big deal. Whether you are an individual who hoarded precious keepsakes in your device before or a company that held thousands of employees’ records in a now unusable data storage, you are advised to know how and where to shred hard drives. This way, you will be able to achieve secure data destruction. 

Components of a Hard Drive

You certainly heard of hard drives before, but many people might be unaware of what indeed it is. It is a powerful storage device, yet users often forget how disposing of them can crucial. Before proceeding to shred hard drives, it is only right and proper to know first what exactly you are shredding. Hard drives are called hard disk drives; few people also call them the shortened term – “HD.” The hard drive is considered as hardware since it is a physical component required in a system.

Throughout the world, hard drives are known for being a data storage device that can accumulate a large volume of information. This information includes your computer operating system and the majority of your installed software. They likely store the entire file that you have saved throughout the usage of a particular computer that is commonly capable of storing 500 GB worth of files. Imagine how much data that is and the weight of confidentiality it holds.  

With shredding, certain parts of a hard drive must be destroyed before stating that it is indeed a successful data destruction.  Below are the parts of a hard drive and their respective functions:

Platter

A platter is a circular plate made of aluminum or glass and coated with a magnetic material film. Hard drives are often comprised of several platters that are attached to the same spindle. These platters later rotate whenever a hard drive is reading or writing computer operations. Platters are capable of storing a large amount of data but take note; it is overly sensitive. Slight contamination is enough to cause data loss or turn files unreadable. Unfortunately, if yours becomes contaminated, it is time to look for places where to shred hard drives.

Spindle

The spindle is the shaft responsible for holding the hard disk drive’s platters in place. It also has coated bearings, which prevent a hard drive from building up too much during high-speed setup.

Read/ Write Head

As its name implies, this is the part of the hard drive that reads and writes data from the platter. There is usually one RW head for each platter side that stays on the platter while your computer is open but not in use.

Read/ Write Arm

Imagine the arm in record players; the RW arm looks and works like that same thing. Whenever the platter spins, the access arm regulates the RW heads to make the reading, writing, or even the erasure of data possible.

Actuator Axis

An actuator meets the RW arm at an axis point; hence, the name. To access data, the computer sends a signal to this part of the hard drive to move the arm, turn the head, and put it in the correct position.

Connectors

Hard drives often contain two connectors. There is one cable to connect with a computer’s power supply, while the second connector known as the interface is for the data exchange. Connectors vary depending on the drive model. 

What is Hard Drive Shredding?

Hard drive shredding is a process where mechanical equipment specially built for electronics shred and destroy all the parts of a hard drive until no information can be recovered. This particular process pulverized the hard drive’s platter, which holds the data. It pretty much resembles how a wood chipper disposes of tree limbs.  It is done to guarantee that the data previously stored in the hard drive will not have any hackers or people that might tarnish your reputation and your company’s.

Shredding ensures that the entirety of a hard drive is grinding up and destroyed. Unlike manual data, it is like using a drill or a hammer, which is not practical. Those simple methods only often damage some of the device’s portions but failed to eradicate the data available in the drive. When these “portions” still manage to leave a track, small bits from the hard drive still produce a few data that can be potentially be retrieved.



Performing such data destruction is necessary to have a safe data disposal to solve your data privacy concerns. Experts highly suggest that you first degauss hard drives before proceeding to the next destination - where to shred hard drives. Degaussed and, at the same time, shredded hard drives are proof that an immaculate destruction procedure has taken place. 

Hard drives serve as an electronic extension of you and your company since most information and transactions can be found within them. It is safe to say that these storage devices are valuable, whether in use or up for disposal. Thus, the place and conditions of where to shred hard drives are critical points to consider to have secure data destruction.

IT asset disposition vendors are, fortunately, offers shredding services based on your needs and situations. You are given two options to shred hard drives that you own; it can be a personal hard drive or the ones that your company used before. These options are Onsite Hard Drive Shredding or Offsite Hard Drive Shredding. 

If you want to do first-hand supervision of your hard drives while undergoing the process, choose the onsite hard drive shredding. The service providers will then arrive on your premises with their secure vehicles carrying the required shredding machines to do the process. The location of where to shred hard drives is adjusted for you to ensure that your data is handled with proper precautions. Also, any worries that you may have about the hard drives leaving your property will disappear.

On the other hand, the vendor will still arrive on your property, but instead of shredding the media at your place, they will load the hard drives in their trucks and head back to their processing facility. Do not fret because, after collecting your carts, the storage will directly be put in their secured area. Their laboratories are where to shred hard drives; you can rest assured that all of these are equipped with surveillance cameras. So in case you want to request a video for transparency, they can provide one. 

Both hard drive shredding services options will give you a Certificate of Destruction upon completion. If there will be an instance that you fail to receive such, immediately call your service provider and ask for one. It is your right as a customer, and it will help address any possible concerns that you may have later on. 

Shred Hard Drives with Abtron!

Abtron Computer Services Inc. will answer your questions on where to shred hard drives and fulfill all your curiosities regarding any hardware and data destruction. It is one of the leading companies that have been doing IT asset disposal for over 20 years. The available experts that will assist you in the hard drive shredding process are guaranteed well-rounded and trustworthy. So, you can relax knowing that your data are in good hands and will never be stolen by unwanted people and organizations. Contact us today!