Re: [ARSCLIST] destruction of CDs

[Miriam Meislik <miriam+@xxxxxxxx>]

I have a paper shredder with a disk slot. All it does is make an all 
over patterned imprint across the disk.  It is totally unreadable.  The 
shredder was about $50 or so at the office supply store.

Miriam

Mike Richter wrote:

> Trey Bunn wrote:
>
> > This may be an odd question considering that it's pretty much the
> > opposite of what most of us normally do, but I was wondering if anyone
> > had any tips on how to destroy a CD-R.
>
>
> > Any thoughts?  And no, before anyone thinks I have a CD full of super
> > secret scary government files or something, don't worry.
>
>
> Scribe radially through the acrylic lacquer on top of the disc. One or 
> two slashes that disturb the metallic layer will be quite enough. 
> Forensic experts might be able to piece the fragments of sectors 
> together again, but ordinary tools will not suffice. The directory 
> (innermost written area) will not make sense to any standard player so 
> even the filenames will be lost.
>
> Breaking the disc is both difficult and dangerous. Microwaving is 
> spectacular but slow and potentially harmful both in its effect and to 
> the maser. I'm told that there are heavy-duty paper shredders which can 
> handle CDs, but an Xacto knife used as above suffices for me.
>
> Mike

Miriam Meislik
Media Curator
Archives of Industrial Society
University of Pittsburgh
7500 Thomas Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412)244-7075    voice
(412)244-7077    fax
miriam@xxxxxxxx

http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/archives/archives.html
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When your mouth drops open, click the shutter.
--Harold Feinstein, November 11, 2001