Official Microsoft Humour? OZ style...

[Mac]

Okay it's Friday...

4. You're Totally Paranoid, so Get Out the Acetylene Torch
I'm not kidding. The only absolute and assured way of protecting your data
is to destroy the hard drive. To do that, you need to remove it from the
computer. If you want to save the rest of the computer, touch the machine's
metal frame before reaching in. Static electricity can wreck the circuitry.

Unplug the wires on the hard drive and remove the mounting screws. The hard
drive slides out from the back of its holder.

The Pentagon shreds its hard drives. That should work, assuming you can find
a hard-drive shredder. I've never seen one.

You need to destroy the platters inside. Try smashing them with a hammer.
Destroying them with a torch should work.

Step 4 seems excessive to me. But you're right to be paranoid about this.
Identity theft has become overwhelming. Personally, I would use Step 3. I
believe in being careful, no matter who gets the computer.

From
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/smallbusiness/issues/technology/protect/harddrive.mspx

 

[NotMe]

LOL, That works for guns used in murders too... use the cutting feature of
acetylene torch to burn the gun to pieces.

Old hard drives come apart pretty easily, then the platters can be used for
skeet targets... they're a little more expensive than clay targets, but very
satisfying... BOOM, there goes Red Hat 6.2... BOOM, there goes UNIX...BOOM,
there goes Upyourbuttoo

 

[Mac]

Hehe...

LOL, That works for guns used in murders too... use the cutting feature of
acetylene torch to burn the gun to pieces.

Old hard drives come apart pretty easily, then the platters can be used
for skeet targets... they're a little more expensive than clay targets,
but very satisfying... BOOM, there goes Red Hat 6.2... BOOM, there goes
UNIX...BOOM, there goes Upyourbuttoo