paper shredder repair?

Andrew Gabriel wrote: [Burning CDs]

The dye used is pthalocyanine some of it will be released as cyanide by burning. Not advised in a confined space such as a kitchen.

I thought I'd heard something like that, hence my question. However, I guess this isn't a problem with the quick blast in the microwave?

Not if you get the MiL to do it for you:-)

Custom kitchen, delivery?

I wouldn't think the microwave would be a problem. I use a cross-cutting shredder for cds, it's less of problem than any other disposal method. However I think the shredder cost around £700 so it's not a home use option.

In the past the technique used was a propane torch and a firebrick hearth to melt down CDs and Hard Disk platters.

I have a much cheaper (crosscut) shredder - around 20 quid from Rymans, and it seems quite capable of destroying the odd CD/DVD.

..and the chicks for free.

That's a bit dire. :p

We're lucky to have a data shredder at work. It'll even eat tape cartridges with metal backplates.

Andy

It takes only a second in the microwave but in my experience it does stink in the worst possible way, it may depend on whether the metalised surface is bare, printable or commercially printed.

These days I snip across the data area with a pair of tinsnips, the finely serrated edge types. One snip should make a disk unreadable as it will distort the disk and break every track, and trying to read the disk would tear the optics of the drive to pieces. Two snips, one opposite the other, makes it more secure and easy to fold over and break if desired. Half the time the disk delaminates too making it totally un-un-unreadable.

And mine, fortunately my clients are keen on destroying media thoroughly once they have finished with them.

Done in the open air, so plenty of ventilation.

The Natural Philosopher

Actually, having tried it tonight I can say that it takes a *lot* less than

Tim

yebbut its really far out man, if you leave them in a bit longer, with the lights out after a couple if good bongs.

Oh, *that* kind of "natural philosophy"!

Thank f*ck someone has some humour left this morning.

If they're CD-ROMs, you can microwave them. You need to space them apart if you're doing a batch (plastic toastrack, or else a $500 silicon wafer processing boat). You also need to do them for just long enough to nuke the data layer, but without cooking the plastic or there's a fume problem. For regular industrial use I was able to use a cheap domestic microwave from Currys, but had to mod it with a fixed timer and a single big push button.

CDs can't be nuked to reliably kill the data without getting them hot enough to cause a fume problem. Shredding is easier, although you do need a hefty shredder.

Seems a bit overkil when surely cutting the disc into pieces weither with a cheap shredder from Argos or a large pair of shears is just as good. Who in the world would bother to attempt to retrive data from broken cds. Brian

If the data is worth it you can use a microscope and read the pits by eye. It probably wont happen for a password to a bike lock but it might for a name and address of a spy. I dare say someone will have done software to read scanned images to make it quicker.

You could even remove the protective lacquer and redeposit aluminium back on the disk to make it machine readable if you wanted to spend the effort.

I do not understand this penchant for microwaving CDs! Toxic, extremely obnoxious fumes will be released. Do people just put up with the stench permeating their houses? Crazy, when there are shredders available for the price of a decent meal for two or a tankful of fuel. You actually BOUGHT a new microwave, then modded it?!! Risible, when you could have simply bought a shredder. Since I bought mine, there are new models on the market that are considerably cheaper (under 40 quid). It's a no-brainer.

MM

Forensic data recovery specialists. But there would have to be a very good reason to do it.