# What is the best way to irrevocably destroy floppy disks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997 "2023-02-18T17:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/121 "2023-05-03T13:22:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Honestly, at this point, you probably don’t even need to. Even if anyone ever went to the effort of digging out a floppy drive, they’ve probably succumbed to age by now. My thought exactly. I was a kid when they were in use, but I do remember my father being annoyed with them because some would fail just lying in his desk drawer and, at that time, they were anything but old. After checking several sources, I found this assessment: > Floppy disks were never very reliable, and some didn’t even work correctly right out of the package. Some manufacturers claimed the lifespan of floppy disks was three to five years, while others said they could last **ten to twenty years**. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/122 "2023-05-03T14:52:59Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > > [@whc.03grady](#): > > > > If the data on these floppy disks was what it seems like it probably was, couldn’t the remedy have been to take them to the police and say “I acquired these floppy disks as part of the estate of someone who died in 2005. I have come to learn they may have a certain kind of data on them. Here, please take them.” Would that get you in trouble? > > One would be wise to consult a lawyer for legal advice on how best to proceed with something like this. This. Or better yet, simply destroy them thoroughly without ever letting them near any computer you own. Contacting the authorities can only make your life worse. It cannot possibly make it better. So don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/123 "2023-05-03T15:19:03Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So don’t do that. Indeed. Don’t attempt to read the discs, or pass them along to anyone. As mentioned above, a simple method (hammer / shears / heat gun / propane torch) will render them unreadable to all but exotic (& extremely expensive) procedures. A degaussing coil (cheap on eBay) will erase them beyond all hope of data recovery. In the (highly unlikely) event that someone later inquires into this, say: “Those discs - now destroyed - had no possible value to me. I had no reason or means to read them, and thus absolutely no knowledge of what they may have contained.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/124 "2023-05-03T15:29:32Z")
“What disks? I threw away 4 dumpster-loads of old moldy crap that guy owned. I have no idea what was in most of the boxes.” Asserting that you carefully destroyed an old disk of a technologically obsolete format _strongly_ suggests that you knew they contained something destroy-worthy. That’s painting a gigantic “Dig here for buried treasure” sign right on your forehead. Don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/125 "2023-05-03T19:40:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Asserting that you carefully destroyed an old disk of a technologically obsolete format _strongly_ suggests that you knew they contained something destroy-worthy I think it is much more reasonable to say: I didn’t know what was on those, and I had no interest in looking, but it could have been personal stuff, and the raw material is of no value to anybody, so I just destroyed all of it. I’m going through that exact process right now with a stack of very ancient Mac laptops. The choice is dig through all of the files on 15 computers, evaluate what everything is, then decide what needs to be removed before disposing of the computers; or spend 1-2 minutes per computer to start overwriting the whole drive, then let them run unattended for 7 hours, and dispose of them confident that any sensitive data has been destroyed. Of course when the grizzled old retired detective finds out there was a bunch of disks from that one pedo he couldn’t put away, any behavior is going to be suspicious: destruction=cover up; keeping=illegal possession of CSAM; non-destructive disposal=distribution of CSAM. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/126 "2023-05-03T19:49:22Z")
Makes sense. I was reading some of the suggestions as volunteering to the authorities that “Yes, they are gone, but I did an extremely thorough and conscientious job of utterly and irretrievably making double damn sure there was no way any snooping Federal agency with an unlimited budget could ever recover them. Now why did you ask me that?” That was the part I was objecting to. Destroying them, or simply pitching them within a large volume of trash is something an innocent person with nothing to hide would do. Going to highly unusual lengths, then volunteering that unusuality to the naturally suspicious sorts who work as investigators seemed to me to be … unwise. That person may have avoided any impropriety, but they sure aren’t avoiding the _appearance_ of impropriety. Don’t do that. Especially not around kiddie porn. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/127 "2023-05-03T21:24:03Z")
Oh, yeah, if you destroy them yourself, then you definitely don’t go telling the authorities that you’ve destroyed them. No point to that. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/128 "2023-05-04T10:48:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Contacting the authorities can only make your life worse. It cannot possibly make it better. So don’t do that. While I mostly agree with this, the potential harm you could stop or prevent from other people/children might be worth the sacrifice. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/129 "2023-05-04T11:07:19Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > One would be wise to consult a lawyer for legal advice on how best to proceed with something like this. Better Caul Saul! Or, just don’t fuck around with cutting, shredding, burning, or dissolving. [Use science, bitches!](https://youtu.be/xVEj36ABsVU) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/130 "2023-05-05T18:17:41Z")
This is almost a Trolley Problem. Though he had nothing to do with any criminal aspects of the situation and acting in good faith, Smith contacts the authorities about some CSAM he has incidentally come to possess. As a result of that contact and despite Smith’s best efforts, at the very least his name is dragged through the mud and he draws suspicious attention to himself. Maybe he goes to prison for a while. As a result of that contact, some potential harm to other people/children is prevented. Is it really worth Smith’s sacrifice? What if _you’re_ Smith? Do you view it as worth it? ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/131 "2023-05-05T18:54:31Z")
> [@whc.03grady](#): > > Though he had nothing to do with any criminal aspects of the situation and acting in good faith, Smith contacts the authorities about some CSAM he has incidentally come to possess Look at this as a real world case of that. Summary: school officials who were investigating sexting came into possession of CSAM images. They reported this to the school resource officer, who delayed reporting it to his superiors. Two weeks later, when the police did find out they executed search warrants on the school officials, and arrested them. Perhaps the school officials made a mistake in proceeding with the investigation without law enforcement involvement, but as far as they were concerned they had contacted law enforcement. After months all charges were dropped, but as said, this was only after their names were associated with kiddie porn arrests. > **[Criminal charges dropped against school administrators in students' sexting...](https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/criminal-charges-dropped-brush-school-administrators-students-sexting-bradley-bass-scott-hodgson/)** > > A judge granted a motion to dismiss charges against the second of two Brush School District​ administrators on Wednesday, concluding the criminal cases against the two men who had viewed and downloaded 'sexting' images being exchanged among students. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/132 "2023-05-05T19:04:52Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > Asserting that you carefully destroyed an old disk of a technologically obsolete format _strongly_ suggests that you knew they contained something destroy-worthy > > I think it is much more reasonable to say: I didn’t know what was on those, and I had no interest in looking, but it could have been personal stuff, and the raw material is of no value to anybody, so I just destroyed all of it. The most reasonable thing to say – should you be questioned by authorities about it – is nothing. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/133 "2023-05-05T19:12:25Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > f you drilled a hole through them to let in water and sat them in a bucket, does the data storage media corrode at all? No, but plenty of other solvents will do it. For floppies or tapes, a 2-minute acetone bath would be more than adequate (nail polish remover). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/134 "2023-05-05T19:29:45Z")
> [@whc.03grady](#): > > This is almost a Trolley Problem. > Though he had nothing to do with any criminal aspects of the situation and acting in good faith, Smith contacts the authorities about some CSAM he has incidentally come to possess. > As a result of that contact and despite Smith’s best efforts, at the very least his name is dragged through the mud and he draws suspicious attention to himself. Maybe he goes to prison for a while. > As a result of that contact, some potential harm to other people/children is prevented. > > Is it really worth Smith’s sacrifice? What if _you’re_ Smith? Do you view it as worth it? Given the factual reality that the contents were on ~20 (if not 30) year old disks, the probability that useful evidence could be derived from them that leads to a prosecution now is extremely close to zero. Even if 100% of the digital bits were perfectly retrievable, making evidence from them would be much, much harder. Given that mere possession, regardless of how one came into said possession, of such material is a serious crime that’s trivial to prosecute, trivial to get convictions on, and very, very headline-worthy for prosecutors wanting to increase their public profile, it doesn’t seem like much of a conventional Trolley Problem to me. But _if_ I was forced to cast this scenario into a Trolley Problem it would go about like this: > Smith is tied to the trolley tracks on one branch of a track switch. On the other branch of the track switch is nothing; just clear unobstructed track as far as the eye can see. > > The track switch is currently set to direct the oncoming trolley down the unoccupied branch. Should Smith activate the remote control in his hand to redirect the trolley down the other branch and over his own body? ISTM the morally correct answer in this case is clear enough. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/135 "2023-05-05T20:43:48Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > The most reasonable thing to say – should you be questioned by authorities about it – is nothing Well yeah, I mean I was obviously paraphrasing the statement released through your lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/136 "2023-05-12T11:29:00Z")
I have a friend who came to learn that her husband was trading in kiddie porn. I don’t know if he produced it, but he was making a nice income selling it. She told the authorities. Nothing bad happened to her. Well, lots of bad things happened to her. The police raided her house. She lost her husband. She lost access to that income. The police had her look at a lot of the photos (obscured so only the faces showed) to see if she could identify any of the children. She had to hide for a time, fearing retribution from her ex. (When he killed himself, she stopped worrying about that.) But she didn’t suffer any legal or reputational harm. The police even let her keep her laptop when they raided and took all the other computer equipment in the house. There’s certainly a risk of reporting. But it’s not a guaranteed disaster or anything. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/137 "2023-05-12T20:34:35Z")
There’s always this method of getting yourself into trouble (8 year old thread): > [@Stupid criminal of the decade](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-criminal-of-the-decade/740599/5): > > I’ve told this before, but it’s always good. A daughter of a friend of mine married a slightly weird guy. OK; she was kinda weird too. Anyhow, he later applied for a job as a police dispatcher. Which screening process included a polygraph test. At the end there was one last question: “Do you want to tell us anything else?” Him: “Actually there is. I have a ginormous child porn collection on my PC at home.” The rest is history as they say. He completed his 10 year sentence last year. And pro… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997/138 "2023-05-19T15:08:44Z")
Shredding is the best method to destroy flloppy disks. Remove the media from the shell. That’s very easy with the 5 1/4 disks. Its a paper/plastic sleeve. Should open with scissors. The 3 1/2 are in a harder case. I think they can be pried open. Pry out the metal hub in the middle. The magnetic media would easily shred. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-irrevocably-destroy-floppy-disks/979997.md?page=6)