Bulk erase Zip disks

Question

I have a few dozen old iomega ZIP disks (100MB and 250MB) that I found cleaning house and I'd like to bulk erase them without mounting them on a computer. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

If you want to use them again, the only safe way is to mount and format it. (For secure wipe, obviously use special tools - this will take even longer).

If you don't want to use them again - stick them in a shredder or have some fun and be creative.

Answer 2

In the category of "get creative" I offer the following option (sans giant hammer.) It is quite easy to pry off the metal part that slides to allow access to the inner disc (use a small screwdriver, for example.) Then use a couple of larger screwdrivers to pry open the case to expose the inner disc media. Snatch it out with some needle-nose pliers and voila! Toss the plastic, shred the disc in a normal paper shredded.

Answer 3

Have you tried using a very large magnet? IIRC, Zip drives are magnetic, so a large enough magnet (one from a hard drive?) should erase the contents.

Answer 4

A simple permanent magnet won't reliably erase them unless the magnet is ULTRA-strong. What you'll need is an AC powered bulk tape eraser (Radio Shack used to sell them years ago when Reel-2-Reel tapes were popular). It's just a 3 pound coil of wire that generates a strong 60 cycle magnetic field. A minute or so in that field and your magnetic disk is going to be pretty random. This works because the Zip plastic shield is transparent to the magnetic field. Won't work on disks in metal cases.

HOWEVER - Since you don't need them again I'd go the BIG hammer route. Unless your data is very very very important nobody is going to bother once the disc is seriously bent up. (Umm that bending comment was for Iomega Jaz disk - just use scissors on flexible media inside Zip.)

Hotei

Answer 5

• hatchet will "fix" the data

• fire- to melt them a little bit (complete burning is not necessary)

• if you have old hard disk you can use the magnets, but is not reliable