Removing a hard drive
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
Removing a hard drive
Here's one for the spanner wielders.
After sorting out Windows Games I want to dispose of my old computer which involves removing and destroying the hard drive. I searched the internet but I cannot see my model of Dell.
It a standard PC 100mm. high and 390 mm. wide, designed to lie flat but is OK vertical. A clip on the top releases a top/side plate and the DVD and the central memory cards reader can be slid out on short rails by releasing them with a catch.
Then you come to the hard drive.
Is had a blue plastic surround which looks as if you can just squeeze a couple of tags and it will come out but I cannot work out how.
Do I have to dismantle the whole thing so I can get at it from the other side or is there a simple way of removing it?
The internet has stacks of instructions but none of them cover this model.
I know I could destroy the case getting it out but I am trying to avoid lacerating my fingers.
After sorting out Windows Games I want to dispose of my old computer which involves removing and destroying the hard drive. I searched the internet but I cannot see my model of Dell.
It a standard PC 100mm. high and 390 mm. wide, designed to lie flat but is OK vertical. A clip on the top releases a top/side plate and the DVD and the central memory cards reader can be slid out on short rails by releasing them with a catch.
Then you come to the hard drive.
Is had a blue plastic surround which looks as if you can just squeeze a couple of tags and it will come out but I cannot work out how.
Do I have to dismantle the whole thing so I can get at it from the other side or is there a simple way of removing it?
The internet has stacks of instructions but none of them cover this model.
I know I could destroy the case getting it out but I am trying to avoid lacerating my fingers.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
Here's a couple that might help.
The first is a quarter view with the card reader and DVD removed. The blue frame for the hard drive can be seen at the left of the aperture.
The second is looking at the inside with the hard drive at the top left. The blue surround can be seen.
Any ideas? I would be grateful as the rest of the kit seems to extract fairly easily.
The first is a quarter view with the card reader and DVD removed. The blue frame for the hard drive can be seen at the left of the aperture.
The second is looking at the inside with the hard drive at the top left. The blue surround can be seen.
Any ideas? I would be grateful as the rest of the kit seems to extract fairly easily.
Psychophysiological entity
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 169
From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
Okay, it's an I.Q. test and the prize is $64,000.
Now it'll come out.
You've done it now, you've made me want to have a go getting it out.
The lug on a stalk at the top. It looks like a release trigger - but you will have tried that.
can you see if the HD is screwed into the blue cradle? That's sort of saying will the entire cradle pull out from the front - many of the new ones seem to do that now.
Now it'll come out.
You've done it now, you've made me want to have a go getting it out.
The lug on a stalk at the top. It looks like a release trigger - but you will have tried that.
can you see if the HD is screwed into the blue cradle? That's sort of saying will the entire cradle pull out from the front - many of the new ones seem to do that now.
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,113
Likes: 1,087
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
If the PC is to be destroyed, surely the niceties of how to remove the HD are largely irrelevant?
A blowtorch could be used to heat the drive up enough to wipe its residual magnetism and destroy the data. Either in or out of the case.
A blowtorch could be used to heat the drive up enough to wipe its residual magnetism and destroy the data. Either in or out of the case.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
This looks like the manual for your PC (Optiplex 755 according to your photo).
There's a section in there on how to remove the HDD, which I commend to your attention.
SD
There's a section in there on how to remove the HDD, which I commend to your attention.
SD
Hippopotomonstrosesquipidelian title
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 1
From: is everything
Dell: blue or green plastic means that component is a tool-free removal. So in your case, squeeze the blue tabs together and the drive should pop out (but still attached by the cables).
Joined: Mar 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 9,217
Likes: 981
From: Seat 1A
I have a fully serviceable 12bore shot gun
Shooting a hard drive in suburbia makes too much noise, better a good bashing with a axe...
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
Thanks SD That is a useful site because it covers the replacement as well. It took quite a lot of force to release the clips; I wouldn't have tried it unless I knew it was coming out.
There's nothing wrong with the old computer except the rootkit virus in the hard drive. I will keep the chassis, you never know when you might need one.
There's nothing wrong with the old computer except the rootkit virus in the hard drive. I will keep the chassis, you never know when you might need one.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
I will keep the chassis, you never know when you might need one.
My current PC case (Cooler Master mid-tower) is almost 11 years old now - it's on its 3rd mobo, processor and GPU, 2nd PSU, now with SATA SSDs & DVD writers - in fact the case and sound card are the only things that are from my original build. The 3.5" floppy drive finally got replaced with a 2 x USB 3.0 front panel to access the USB ports on the mobo.
I find that incremental upgrades are the best way for me to keep reasonably up to date hardware-wise.
SD
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
The hard drive has 160gb so I may well clean it and load it with an old W98 disc I have. This will not take up a lot of room so I can transfer about 60 years of photos and films taking care to copy sections to discs.
I have the kit to transfer and all of it is old enough to work with W98.
I'm not worried about security; it will be a storage only so will not be connected to the internet by Ethernet or wireless..
The purist may well suggest an external hard drive but being connected to a computer it could pick up another virus.
I have the kit to transfer and all of it is old enough to work with W98.
I'm not worried about security; it will be a storage only so will not be connected to the internet by Ethernet or wireless..
The purist may well suggest an external hard drive but being connected to a computer it could pick up another virus.
Psychophysiological entity
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 169
From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
Erm, it's a lot of work shoving masses of pics over to a small drive - especially one that's got a big ? hanging over it.
I'm still not sure about using a NAS drive direct in a PC enclosure. I was going to use a WD Red as a dedicated second physical drive as it ticks over at a modest RPM - the emphasis being on reliability. 3 year guarantee etc.
Perhaps SD would like to comment.
Hmm . . . not as cheap as the last one I got (but didn't use).
WD Red 1TB 3.5" SATA NAS Hard Drive - Ebuyer
I'm still not sure about using a NAS drive direct in a PC enclosure. I was going to use a WD Red as a dedicated second physical drive as it ticks over at a modest RPM - the emphasis being on reliability. 3 year guarantee etc.
Perhaps SD would like to comment.
Hmm . . . not as cheap as the last one I got (but didn't use).
WD Red 1TB 3.5" SATA NAS Hard Drive - Ebuyer
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
I tried my Killdisk programme disc but it didn't work as it was a freebe download for one use only; which I have used.
To save the hassle I bought a used 250 Gb off fleaby for a fiver which had been cleaned.
I reloaded it with a W7 disc I had, tried to authenticate it but it was out of date so it is back to a photo storage unit and little else.
I have two others for the internet so there seems little point in bothering it with anything else.
I dismantled the old hard drive and scorched the disc on the gas hob. A laser follower would have trouble getting over the blisters.
Thanks to everybody for the help and comments.
To save the hassle I bought a used 250 Gb off fleaby for a fiver which had been cleaned.
I reloaded it with a W7 disc I had, tried to authenticate it but it was out of date so it is back to a photo storage unit and little else.
I have two others for the internet so there seems little point in bothering it with anything else.
I dismantled the old hard drive and scorched the disc on the gas hob. A laser follower would have trouble getting over the blisters.
Thanks to everybody for the help and comments.
