The question has been asked, and now I have visual proof of how I get rid of my old hard drives.

The computer’s hard drive isn’t its brain, or even its stomach. No, the hard drive is kind of like the computer’s closet. It’s where all the junk you’ve stored on the computer dwells.

The stuff you store on the computer stays on the hard drive, even after you’re done using the computer and (if you’re good) have transferred that stuff to your new computer. There it sits, on that old hard drive.

If you erase the hard drive, the information can still be recovered. Even if you triple-quadruple-sooper-dooper erase, the information is still there. Short of melting the hard drive in a very hot and dangerous fire, the information can still be recovered by crafty people.

So the question is: What do you have to hide?

No, seriously, people are sensitive about their stuff, their personal information, financial records, and all that porn they won’t admit is on the drive. So it’s a good thing to remove the hard drive from an old computer and just, well, store it until you can destroy it.

One way of destroying the information is to put a hole — or better, several holes — into the hard disk platters inside the hard drive unit. Some outfits use a common drill press to do that. Me? I use a .44 magnum revolver and other dangerous weapons.

To prove it, I’ve made a little video.

Below you’ll see the YouTube video I made of me and my boys venturing out to the gun range to dispose of some old hard drives. Enjoy!