Seagate Replacement - Concerns (Want to format but can't!)

[valkyrio]

I have two ST3500320AS hard drives that are no longer recognized by the BIOS. They're both under warranty, however both drives contain sensitive information (addresses, bank accounts and credit cards, both personal (me and my family's) as well my boss's bank accounts/credit card information.)

Is there any way I can try to get erase the data before sending them in to get replaced? I'm mildly concerned considering that a lot of the ST3500320AS drives seem to be easily fixed (and my drives are neither clicking nor clunking, they spin fine, they are simply not recognized by the BIOS) and it doesn't help that my boss tends to be paranoid.

The data isn't unique - i.e. I don't mind losing it, hence why I'm not sending it in to get the data recovered. If the drives I get back work fine and the data is safely destroyed then I'll be happy. (And yes, I know total data erasure would involve crushing the disks into a fine powder, but still.)

Any advice?

[pepe]

Put a strong magnet uppon the drive and move it around. Then put it on the bottom.
This will do the trick. However the drive will probably click after the operation... if done correctly

pepe

[valkyrio]

Hm. Magnet?

How strong should it be? The strongest I have is from an old hard drive.

And wouldn't that void my warranty or something? lol

[pepe]

The strongest I have is from an old hard drive

That's perfect.
I don't know if it will impact warranty, we will know as soon as u do it
The worst thing u can have is that u have to buy a new drive, which is an option anyway if u are anxious about the info...

pepe

[valkyrio]

I suppose so, yeah.

I just went through the 19 page long thread about the seagate ST35000320AS. It's shaken my faith in Seagate. Though I suppose I should've never had that much faith on a hard drive (the thought of backing up wasn't a concern to me before this happened...)

[harddrivespecialist]

I am sure someone can offer Data destruction here, but in order to do that you have to fix a hard drive and then delete all of the items.
New hard drives will cost you 5-10 times cheaper.
So it is up to you.
You either send your hard drives for replacement or take a hammer out and....... destroy!!!!

[pepe]

If he uses that pretty magnet, he has some chance for warranty...
He can still buy a new drive if it is not accepted.

pepe

[harddrivespecialist]

If you use hard drive magnet, I can still get data from that drive, probably more then 95%.

If you use magnet that metal salvage cranes do, that is a bigger chance of destroying data.

[pepe]

I doubt U could recover anything from a disk when servo is destroyed... but that's just my oppinion
If u can, that's great.



pepe

[harddrivespecialist]

I doubt U could recover anything from a disk when servo is destroyed...



pepe

My point is, hdd magnet won't do the trick, as bigger magnet should.

[BlackST]

I can fix the drive AND destroy data, but if you want to be 100% sure you have only to disassemble the drive and destroy it...