Gallery: How to destroy your hard drive

Degausser

Of course, every security professional knows that it's also recommended practice to wipe your hard drive using one of these bad boys: a degausser.

These use electro-magnetism to clear data and render the hard drive unusable. This method is recommended by the National Security Agency in the U.S. for military and government hardware.

Photo credit: Tim Ferguson

Acid test

Another method proven to work well is to leave your old hard drive soaking in acid - apparently hydrochloric is best. Leave the hard drive soaking for a couple of hours and the metal will corrode making the device useless.

Photo credit: CNET Networks

Burn it

Obviously the previous approach depends on you having enough time to wait for acid to do its work but in some situations speed is sometimes most important.

Military and security service personnel wanting to avoid information getting into the wrong hands are able to make their hard drives explode. This can be triggered either remotely or by people tampering with the device.

Photo credit: CNET Networks

Donate

For the more philanthropic or environmentally conscious among us, donating old computers to a good cause is an option. Organizations like Computer Aid International will take a hard drive off your hands and put them to good use elsewhere.

Data on your hard drive will be wiped before a fresh operating system and applications are added.

Here Tony Roberts (left), Computer Aid International CEO, cuts the ribbon on a shipment of PCs delivered to Kenya and hands over the first piece of kit to a pupil at Starehe Boys' Centre.

Photo credit: Will Sturgeon

Nuke it

Or you can nuke it.