How to remove hard drive from housing dell dimension xps r450

[patti49]

I want to take my computer to staples for recycling but want to remove the hard drive. I know very little about computers so don't even know what the hard drive looks like. I have the side of this Dell Dimension xps r450 and the back casing off. Can someone tell me which is the hard drive so I can remove and destroy it before giving the computer to Staples?
TX

 

[o1die]

Go to newegg.com and select hardrives. They have lots of photos. All desktop hardrives look about the same from the outside, just the label is different.

 

[mbradhoo]

If your model is anything like mine, they weren't exactly built to "standard." I ran into your question only because I'm taking a second whack at working on the old Dell Dimension xps r450. I don't know what you call the space in the case where they actually put my hard drive, but it certainly wasn't the empty bay labeled "HDD" like it should have been.

The screws were in the front after I got the plastic cover off - 3 on mine. I'll try to get a photo of what I'm talking about if you still can't get it. The only photo of the inside of this system I found on the 'net showed a similar macgyvered drive bay at a right angle to the norm.

 

[mbradhoo]

I want to take my computer to staples for recycling but want to remove the hard drive. I know very little about computers so don't even know what the hard drive looks like. I have the side of this Dell Dimension xps r450 and the back casing off. Can someone tell me which is the hard drive so I can remove and destroy it before giving the computer to Staples?
TX

Dell has a diagram illustrating the hard-drive removal:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dkhan/rr9.htm

You've gotta remove the front plastic bezel to get at the screws.