How do I wipe a hard drive that has already been removed from a computer?

If you want to keep the disk then put it back into another PC or an 'external USB drive enclosure' and then use something like the free version of killdisk (www.killdisk.com) to wipe it properly.

Might take 24 hours to finish but it will be completely data free when finished. You can then reformat it and use it for something else.

If you do not want to keep the disk afterwards then just use a screwdriver to open the disk case and then pound the disk inside with a hammer or a hammer and chisel. Mess it up good so that the disk is bent, punctured, folded over. This will definately wipe it out.

If you have a Windows install disc you, can do it on startup. An easier way would be to hook it up to your computer, let the computer recognize it through the system BIOS. (Of course your computer needs to be off before you do this.) If it has window on it, make sure you point it to your version of windows that you already have installed, and not to the one you just plugged in.

After that, start up a command prompt by going to Start/All Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt.

After that, find the Driver letter you want to delete, and then type in FORMAT E: (More than likely this will be your drive letter if you have only one optical disc reader) To find out what the drive letter is, just go to My Computer and look for the new HD. When you find out what that letter is, Then you can type in FORMAT *insert drive letter here* Type it just how I spelled FORMAT E:

a disk wiper