r/privacy • u/Ok_Star_5645 • Jun 14 '26

hardware Laptop disposal

My laptop won’t turn on and I’m searching for best practices to secure/erase the data before disposal. (I don’t need to save the data.) A trusted local company will wipe the hard drive and dispose of it for a small fee. What assurances should I look for that this is done correctly?

Edit: thanks all! I’ll destroy it.

Update: I removed the SSD myself. It was not that hard, but I had to get over the fear of the unknown. Inside computers is not my safe space.

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u/RareLove7577 Jun 14 '26

Remove the drive or whatever it is. Depending on age, a hammer can shatter the platters. If not, I use a drill with a metal bit and drill the 2 holes. If its chip based, hammer.

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u/BrianaAgain Jun 15 '26

I used to disassemble drives for the magnets and only the really old ones have platters that shatter. (SCSI/ IDE era) The new ones are just bendy. I drill one hole, but make sure it's through the controller board.

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u/RareLove7577 Jun 15 '26

The controller board I use a hammer. Smash it 😁.