Dead laptop - what is the safest way to dispose of it please?

[Amanda_George]

I know this isn't a tech support group and I've already asked on Facebook, but what's the safest way to dispose of a brain-dead laptop please?  It's lasted me for over 5 years so I've had me money's worth out of it, but the hard drive has failed on it now and apparently there's no way to fix it, but I don't want to risk it having my bank details or passwords on it or whatever for thieves to use so don't want to bung it in the wheelie bin or take it to the tip "just in case" someone decides to take it and finds a way to use my details illegally is all.

So, any other ideas?  What's the safest way to get rid of it that protects me and my bank accounts please?

Thank you!

[Pip]

The safest way is to smash the hard drive to pieces then chuck it.

[Amanda_George]

Someone is coming out to pick up the dead laptop on Thursday to try and bandage it up, fit a new hard drive then bring it back.  It'll cost over £100 but I'll know that it's still useful then!   

[SteveW]

What you are planning to do seems very risky. You let someone take your laptop away and remove your old hard disk. If it is possible to get it going he has all the time in the world and the equipment to extract your data, assuming he is dishonest. You could ask him to remove the old disk while he is at your house.

Then you have Pips suggestion of taking a hammer to it. It is very reliable.

[stewart]

undo a couple of screws and take the HD out, either have fun smashing it, or rub a magnet over it both sides, being as data is stored magnetically this will render the dats unreadable

[Amanda_George]

Groovy, thank you Stewart.  We don't have any magnets here so should I just leave the hard drive with the place that's coming over to pick it up tomorrow?

[stewart]

nope, remove it and smash it

[Amanda_George]

Okey dokey!  Thank you!