I engaged "Dave's Computer" to build a new custom build Windows 11 computer as replacement for the Windows 10 machine. I presented my thoughts and needs to Dave about the new unit and he asked some basic questions as to my needs and want for the new unit. We touched on cost for the unit and I left...
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Hard Drive Data Destruction · Dave's Computers, Somerville NJ
Hard Drive Wipe and Data Destruction in New Jersey
You're selling a desktop, donating it, returning a work machine or recycling an old tower, and your tax returns and saved passwords are still on the drive. Bring the drive or the whole computer to my shop in Somerville, NJ and the data on it is destroyed for $25 per drive. It's the simplest job on my desktop computer repair menu, and one of the most important.
⭐ 4.8 Stars · 430+ Google Reviews
🏆 On the Bench Since 2011
📍 Somerville, NJ · Drop-Off Shop
🔧 $25 Per Drive, Flat
📞 Call (908) 428-9558
🚗 Directions to the Shop
Why Deleting Files or Resetting Windows Isn't Enough
The data is still there. Only the directory entry is gone.
When you delete a file and empty the Recycle Bin, Windows marks that space as available and forgets the filename. The bytes stay put until something else lands on top of them. Formatting does the same thing on a larger scale. The tools I use in my data recovery work read straight past the file table and pull those files back in minutes, and so does software anyone can download.
The Windows "Reset this PC" option is better than nothing, but I've had reset towers come across my counter with the previous owner's documents still sitting in free space, and a reset does nothing at all for a second data drive in the same tower.
Don't sell or donate a desktop on the strength of a Recycle Bin. A tower with QuickBooks files, scanned tax returns and a browser that remembers your bank login deserves the data destroyed, not deleted.
What I do is different in kind, not degree. When the drive leaves my bench, the data on it is gone for anyone, including me. How I get there is something I go over with you in person at drop-off rather than publish here.
How the Drop-Off Works
Walk in with the tower or the bare drive. No appointment.
1
Copy off anything you want to keep, first
This is final. Get your photos, documents and QuickBooks file off before the drive comes to me, or have my PC data transfer service move them to a new computer or an external drive first, quoted at drop-off.
Once the data is destroyed there is no undo. That's the point.
2
Bring the tower or just the drive
A bare drive in a bag is the simplest drop-off. If the drive is still inside a desktop, bring the whole tower; removing it is an additional labor fee, quoted at drop-off before anything happens. See how to bring a desktop to the shop if you're unsure what to pack.
3
I log the drive and write your choice on the ticket
Two things get settled at the counter: how many drives, and whether you want the drive back afterward or want it to go into my computer recycling program. Any other questions about the job, ask me then; I'd rather answer in person.
4
Pick it up when it's done
The standard service is drop-off and pick-up, not while-you-wait. I'll tell you when to come back. If you need it done in front of you before you leave, that's the $50 while-you-wait surcharge described below; call ahead so I can set the time aside.
What Hard Drive Data Destruction Costs
Flat per-drive pricing, no diagnostic fee. Prices are a snapshot as of this writing.
| What you bring | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| One bare drive, hard drive or SSD | $25 | Any size. Drop off and pick up. |
| Desktop with one or more drives inside | $25 per drive, plus removal labor | Removing drives from the computer is an additional labor fee, quoted at drop-off. I'll tell you the drive count before I start. |
| Destroyed while you wait | $50 surcharge per visit | On top of the per-drive price. Call ahead. |
| Whole computer for recycling | $25 per computer | Covers the drive inside. See the recycling page for what I accept. |
| Files copied off before destruction | Quoted at drop-off | Separate data transfer job; nothing charged until you approve the number. |
No paperwork. I don't issue any paperwork or written statements of destruction. If your employer, a client or a regulation requires documentation, say so at the counter and we'll talk through whether my service fits what they're asking for.
When You Should Have a Drive Destroyed
Any time the drive is leaving your control.
| Situation | What I recommend |
|---|---|
| Selling the desktop | Every drive in it, then a fresh Windows install so the buyer gets a working machine. My guide to wiping a drive before selling or passing on a PC covers the why. |
| Donating to a school, church or family member | Same as selling. A donated tower with your browser still logged in is a bad gift. |
| Returning a leased or employer-owned desktop | Copy off anything personal, then ask me. Check the policy first; some employers want the drive back untouched so their own IT department handles it. |
| Recycling the computer | Bring it to my recycling program. The $25 per computer covers the drive inside, and the data is destroyed before anything leaves my shop. |
| Tower with tax returns, client files or medical records | No exceptions, even if the machine is going to a relative. |
| Replacing the drive during an upgrade | Deal with the old one before it goes in a drawer. I do this as part of an SSD upgrade when you ask. |
What I'll Tell You at the Counter
A few situations where I'll say so before taking your money.
You need paperwork. Some business, legal or regulatory situations require documentation or a documented chain of custody. I don't provide that. If that's what your policy calls for, I'd rather say so at the counter than have you find out later.
You still need something off the drive. If you're not sure you've saved everything, don't hand it over yet. Ask me to look at the drive with you first. The order matters, and there's no going back.
The drive is encrypted. If it was protected with BitLocker and you want files copied off first, bring the recovery key or your Microsoft account login; without it nothing on that drive can be read, by you or by me. The destruction itself doesn't need the key.
This isn't a fix for a slow or infected PC. For a computer you're keeping, you want a clean Windows reinstall or virus removal, not this page.
Anything else about how the job is done, ask me in person. I keep the details off the website on purpose.
What I See on the Bench in New Jersey
Composite examples, built from the kinds of jobs that come across my Somerville counter.
A Bridgewater accountant retiring an office tower. Fifteen years of client returns on a data drive plus a second drive holding Windows. He'd run "Reset this PC" and assumed he was done. I showed him file names still readable in free space on the data drive. Two drives, $50 plus the labor to pull them, picked up two days later.
A Hillsborough family donating three desktops. Three towers headed to a church sale, one with a browser profile still logged into a bank. I copied the photos folder from one machine to a flash drive they brought, handled all three drives, and they collected the towers later in the week.
A Piscataway small business closing an office. A shoebox of bare drives pulled from old workstations over the years, no idea what was on which. Bare drives are the easy version: $25 each, no removal labor, dropped off Monday and picked up Wednesday.
Bring the tower or the bare drive to Somerville. It's $25 per drive, drop off and pick up, and you decide whether the drive comes home or goes into recycling.
📞 Call (908) 428-9558Drop-off shop at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 9-2
Directions to Dave's Computers in Somerville, NJ
Downtown Somerville, one block off Main Street, behind Bank of America.
Dave's Computers, 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ 08876Drop-off shop, Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 9-2. Street and municipal-lot parking around Main Street.
Directions to the ShopFrom Bridgewater
3 miles · about 10 minutes
Route 22 or Route 202/206 to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east (West Main Street) into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
5 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 206 north into Somerville, right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
4 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 28 west straight into downtown Somerville. Right onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
10 miles · about 20 minutes
I-287 north to Exit 17 (Route 202/206 south), then Route 28 east into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
15 miles · about 25 minutes
Route 202 north to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
18 miles · about 30 minutes
Route 206 north through Montgomery and Hillsborough into Somerville. Right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsTimes are typical drives outside rush hour. Call 908-428-9558 before a long drive if you want to confirm I'm at the counter.
Google Reviews
What Customers Say on Google
Live from the Dave's Computers Google listing. Tap any review to read it on Google Maps.
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★Based on 434 Google reviews
I have been going to Dave's Computers for years because he always fixes my problems. I also use his anti-virus and it is as good as any, if not better, than others that I would have to pay much more for. If you're having problems, go to Dave's. He doesn't break the bank and he solves the problems.
View on Google
Over the last decade or so, whenever I had a computer problem, I went to Dave. I recently had a very worrisome crash; the system failed to boot up. (I hadn't needed to use him for about 3 years.) I paid the "rush fee" on Saturday when dropping the machine off with the weekend agent. By Monday...
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"As a Broker of over 40 years in New Jersey I rely on my computer help", which is the artery to my success and business. Thank goodness Dave's is here for me with the messes I get into with scammers, land grabbers and just uneccesary things that I pick up. The most effective virus program have ever...
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I had previously tried to build my own PC to no success. Even though right now it is really tough to get a PC built due to the price increases with RAM’s, GPU’s and other parts because of AI, I still really wanted to get one for myself. I came across Dave’s Computers online and went in for a...
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Hard Drive Wipe Questions From New Jersey Customers
What people ask before they bring a drive in.
Where can I get a hard drive wiped in New Jersey?
Dave's Computers at 75 N Bridge St in Somerville, NJ takes hard drives and SSDs on a drop-off basis, Monday through Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 2, no appointment needed. Bring the bare drive or the whole desktop. The data on the drive is destroyed in the shop, by me, and you pick it up when it's done.
How much does it cost to wipe a hard drive?
$25 per drive, hard drive or SSD, any size. That's a drop-off and pick-up service. If you need the drive destroyed on the spot while you wait, that's a $50 surcharge on top of the $25. If the drive has to come out of a computer first, that's an additional labor fee, quoted at drop-off.
Can I wait while you destroy the drive?
The standard $25 service is not done while you wait; you drop the drive off and pick it up. If you need it handled in front of you before you leave, I can do that for a $50 surcharge, so $75 for that drive. Call ahead so I can set the time aside.
Do you provide any paperwork for the destruction?
No. I don't issue any paperwork or written statements for drive destruction. What you get is the drive back with the data destroyed, or the drive recycled if you'd rather not keep it. If your employer or a regulation requires documentation, tell me at the counter so we can talk through whether my service fits.
How do you destroy the data?
I don't publish the method. Ask me at drop-off and I'll walk you through it in person. What I will say here is that deleting files, formatting or resetting Windows leaves data recoverable with ordinary tools, and what I do does not.
Can I get my files off the drive first?
Yes, and the order matters. Copy off everything you want to keep before the drive comes to me, or have my data transfer service move it to a new computer or an external drive first. That's a separate job, quoted at drop-off. Once the data is destroyed there is no undo.
Hard Drive Data Destruction in New Jersey, $25 Per Drive
Bring the drive or the tower to 75 N Bridge St in Somerville. Tell me at the counter whether you want the drive back or recycled, and I'll tell you when to pick it up.
📞 (908) 428-9558Mon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-2pm · 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Drop-Offs Welcome