Does degaussing work on SSDs?

No. SSDs and other flash media store data electronically, not magnetically, so degaussing does not erase them. They are physically shredded instead.

Can you degauss and then shred hard drives?

Yes. USACA operates degaussers and industrial shredders, so magnetic drives can be degaussed and then shredded when your policy requires both.

Do you degauss at our location?

No. Drives and tapes are sealed at your site, transported under documented chain of custody and degaussed at USACA facilities.

Do you degauss backup tapes?

Yes. Magnetic data tapes can be degaussed and, if required, shredded, with each item logged.

Will I get a certificate of destruction?

Yes — backed by a serialized log recording the method used for each item.

Data destruction · Magnetic media

Hard Drive Degaussing Services for Businesses

Degaussing erases magnetic media — hard disk drives and data tapes — by exposing it to a powerful magnetic field. USACA collects drives and tapes under sealed chain of custody, degausses them at our facilities, records each serial number and, where your requirements call for it, also shreds them. Degaussing can be used on its own or combined with physical destruction, depending on the media, your security policy and your disposition plan. Degaussing does not work on SSDs or flash media; those are physically destroyed instead.

Who this service is for

IT, security and compliance teams disposing of spinning hard drives, backup tapes or tape libraries whose data-handling policy calls for degaussing — on its own or before shredding. Also suited to data centers and enterprises retiring large volumes of magnetic storage.

USACA operates degaussers and industrial shredders across its United States and Canadian operations, so the method can be matched to each media type and recorded against every serial.

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What you receive

Degaussing at USACA facilities
Drives and tapes are degaussed on USACA equipment after transport under sealed, documented custody — never at the customer location.
Optional shredding after degaussing
For policies requiring erasure and physical destruction, degaussed drives are then shredded.
Serialized destruction log
Each serial is recorded with the method used (degaussed, shredded, or both) and the date.
Certificate of destruction
Issued against the serialized log so auditors can match every drive to its outcome.

When degaussing is the right method

Degaussing is effective on magnetic storage — hard disk drives and magnetic tape. It has no effect on data stored in flash memory.

Because a mixed shipment usually contains both magnetic and flash media, USACA confirms the method for each media type during scoping and records it against every serial number.

Media	Degaussing effective?	Typical approach
Spinning hard disk drives (HDD)	Yes	Degauss alone, or degauss and shred, per your policy
Data tapes (LTO and other magnetic tape)	Yes	Degauss alone, or degauss and shred, per your policy
Solid-state drives (SSD, NVMe)	No	Physical shredding
USB drives, memory cards, phones, flash modules	No	Physical shredding
Hybrid drives (SSHD)	Partially — the flash portion is not affected	Degauss and shred

Degaussing vs shredding: what the difference means for you

Degaussing erases the magnetic data but can leave the drive physically intact. Shredding destroys the drive itself. Some organizations degauss only; others specify both, so the data is erased and the drive is visibly and permanently destroyed. The right choice depends on the media, your security policy and what happens to the equipment afterwards — we confirm it with you at scoping.

A degaussed hard drive is normally no longer usable, so degaussing is not a way to preserve drives for resale. If you want drives reused or resold, discuss your options with us before collection.

Documentation you receive

Serial-by-serial log showing method and date
Certificate of destruction tied to that log
Chain-of-custody records from pickup to destruction
Exceptions report for any unreadable or missing serials

Coverage and pickup

USACA serves businesses across the entire United States and Canada. Pickup requests are reviewed and confirmed by USACA. Availability and any charges depend on location, volume and materials.

How it works

A documented process, start to certificate.

Step 01
Scope the media
Tell us the quantity and mix — HDDs, tapes, SSDs — and your policy requirement.
Step 02
Seal and collect
Media is sealed at your site and transported under documented chain of custody.
Step 03
Degauss and/or shred
Magnetic media is degaussed; SSDs and flash are shredded; magnetic media is also shredded when your requirements call for it.
Step 04
Report
You receive the serialized log and certificate of destruction.

FAQ

Common questions

Still unsure? Send the details through an inquiry and a specialist will answer directly — usually within one business day.

Hard Drive Shredding

Drives move under sealed chain of custody to our secured warehouses, where they are shredded, serialized and certified.

Enterprise Hard Drive Destruction

Recurring and multi-site drive destruction with serial-level reconciliation and audit-ready evidence.

Data Destruction Services

One accountable process for every type of data-bearing media, from collection to certificate, with the method matched to the media.

Certificate of Destruction & Serialized Reporting

The documentation behind an auditable IT disposal: a certificate for the file and a serial-level report that proves it.

Server Recycling

Retired servers, blades and storage routed to reuse, component recovery or responsible recycling, with drives destroyed and every serial accounted for.

Division 01: Sustainable Recovery

Recover the most value from decommissioning assets through responsible recovery, recycling, reuse and material management.

Guide

How businesses should dispose of hard drives

Inventory, reuse vs destruction, method by media type, custody and records.

Guide

How businesses destroy hard drives

Methods, HDD vs SSD differences, custody and the records an auditor will ask for.

Global network

Worldwide service and local execution across the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Quick quote

Get a quote for hard drive degaussing

Share the basics and our team will reply, usually within one business day. Prefer to talk? Call 1-800-704-6666.

Let's solve what's next

Stay connected.

Tell us what you need and we will connect you with the right USACA Group team — recovery, semiconductor, hardware or global supply chain.

Submit an Inquiry Call 1-800-704-6666 (Toll-Free)info@usacagroup.com