Degaussing & physical destruction explained
When a drive can't be erased — because it's failed, frozen, or locked — destruction is the answer. Here's what each method actually does.
Under NIST 800-88, Destroy is the third outcome: rendering the media itself unusable so data can't be recovered. It's the last resort — used when Clear and Purge aren't possible, not as a first choice.
Degaussing
Degaussing subjects the media to a powerful magnetic field, scrambling the magnetic domains that store data. It works on magnetic media — hard drives and tapes. Crucially, it does not work on solid-state drives, which store data as electrical charge in flash cells rather than magnetic orientation.
A degaussed drive is usually unrecoverable — but also unusable, since the servo tracks that let the drive operate are typically destroyed along with the data.
Physical destruction
Physical destruction — shredding, disintegration, or crushing — works on everything, including SSDs. It's the universal answer for drives that can't be erased: failed drives, frozen drives, or drives locked behind Block SID lockdown.
The trade-off is irreversibility. A shredded drive can't be redeployed or resold, which is why destruction is a last resort rather than the default.
Erase vs destroy: the decision
| Situation | Erase or destroy? |
|---|---|
| Healthy drive, firmware erase available | Erase (Purge) — preserves resale value |
| Drive failed or physically damaged | Destroy |
| Frozen / blocked, lock can't be lifted | Destroy |
| Magnetic media, no erasure support | Degauss |
| SSD, no erasure support | Destroy (degaussing won't work) |
How tScrub fits in
tScrub's job is to erase what can be erased and to be honest about what can't. When a drive is failed, frozen, or blocked, tScrub marks it accordingly rather than claiming it was wiped — so your destruction workflow knows exactly which drives need physical handling, and the report stays defensible.
FAQ
Can I degauss an SSD?
No. SSDs aren't magnetic, so a degausser has no effect on them. Physical destruction is the only destruction route for solid-state media.
Do I need a certificate for a destroyed drive?
If the drive can't be erased, you still want a record of its disposition — serial number, reason, and destruction date — so the audit trail doesn't have a hole in it.