Keep or Toss?

How to Tell If a Backup Tape or Hard Drive Still Holds Data
(Before You Toss It)

When it comes to electronics recycling, data security should always come first. Businesses often underestimate the amount of confidential information still lurking on old hard drives and backup tapes—especially if the equipment looks old, broken, or “wiped.” But even when you think a device is empty, chances are it still holds recoverable data.

This quick guide will show you how to identify media that may still contain data and what steps to take before sending it out for recycling or disposal.

Step 1: Identify the Type of Media You’re Dealing With

Start by sorting your items. You’re likely to run into:

• External or internal hard drives (HDDs and SSDs)
• Backup tapes (DAT, LTO, DLT)
• Thumb drives/USB sticks
• Old laptops or desktops
• Servers or network equipment with storage bays

📌 Pro Tip: If you’re unsure what something is, check the label or model number. A quick Google search can tell you if it’s a storage device.

Step 2: Check for Signs of Use or Labeling

Before plugging anything in:

• Look for labels or tags: IT departments often tag drives with user names, asset numbers, or storage dates.
• Note if the drive is scratched, dusty, or looks used—a good sign it was once active.
• For tapes, check for writing or barcodes—this often means it was part of a data backup rotation.

Even if it looks old, never assume it’s empty.

 

 

Step 3: Plug It In (If Safe and Possible)

⚠️ Warning: Only do this in a secure, offline environment—never plug unverified drives into your office network.

If you have an IT staff or secure workstation:

• Use a SATA/USB adapter for internal hard drives.
• For external drives, plug directly via USB.
• For backup tapes, you’ll need a compatible tape drive (most offices won’t have this—see Step 5 instead).

Once connected:

• Look for visible files or folders.
• Even if it looks empty, use a tool like Recuva or Disk Drill to scan for recoverable data.

Step 4: Determine the Risk Level

Ask yourself:

• Was this drive ever used by HR, Finance, or Legal?
• Could it contain personally identifiable information (PII), health data, or intellectual property?
• Is it more than 3–5 years old, making it hard to verify?

If you’re unsure, assume it contains sensitive data.

 

Step 5: When in Doubt, Destroy It

If:

• You can’t verify whether a drive or tape is wiped, or
• You don’t have the tools to scan or read it, or
• It once held any confidential business data

👉 Send it to a certified destruction service like Ship-n-Destroy.

We’ll handle the secure destruction at our Vermont facility and provide a Certificate of Destruction so you have a paper trail for compliance and peace of mind.

 

Final Thoughts: Err on the Side of Caution

The average hard drive can store millions of documents—even if you deleted them. Backup tapes are even trickier, since they can store full system images from years past.

 

 

💡 Bottom line: If you can’t 100% guarantee that a device is wiped, don’t recycle it—destroy it.

 

Need Help? Let’s Ship-n-Destroy It.

Secure your data with confidence. Our Premium Service includes:

• A lockable shipping tote
• Two numbered locks
• Prepaid return label
• Full destruction tracking and certification

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