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Jaelyn Rae

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  • How do I erase a laptop hard drive with no power?

    I have a laptop that I have had a lot of issues with and now it will not power on at all. I have tried a new battery, and a new power cord. The only thing left to do is send it in to HP to be fixed, it is still under warranty.

    So now I have a dilemma, I have sensitive information that I don't want HP techs to see. Normally I wipe the drive and reinstall if I have to send it in for something, I have a nightly backup so that isn't an issue. Now I need to know what to do without any power, I am sure there is an electrical short somewhere. When I plug it in the connection light on the laptop where you plug it in flickers once but doesn't actually charge so there is some sort of spark.

    Also I can't just take it out and smash it because then my warranty would not cover it. I need to manually damage/erase it somehow without visible signs of damage. Any suggestions?

    7 AnswersLaptops & Notebooks1 decade ago