Comments on: Death of a Hard Drive http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/ Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:12:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Fig http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1302 Fig Thu, 02 Aug 2007 01:31:49 +0000 http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1302 My "dying" hard drive has been dying for at least three years now. When I first had troubles with it, I wiped it and then ran a diagnostic on it which somehow blocked the "bad" parts and reduced my 40 gig drive to 31.3 gig. When I moved two years ago, it started to get picky during startup. I would make a really neat noise, and then no operating system would be detected. I would keep turning it off and on until it worked. Right now it is a slave in my new computer. There is still some files I would like to take off it. Perhaps when I'm done that I'll drop it and see if it feels any better or worse after that. Interesting note (to me anyway): since making it a slave, I've had no troubles with it not being detected at startup or making that lovely clunk/grind noise.... My “dying” hard drive has been dying for at least three years now.

When I first had troubles with it, I wiped it and then ran a diagnostic on it which somehow blocked the “bad” parts and reduced my 40 gig drive to 31.3 gig.

When I moved two years ago, it started to get picky during startup. I would make a really neat noise, and then no operating system would be detected. I would keep turning it off and on until it worked.

Right now it is a slave in my new computer. There is still some files I would like to take off it. Perhaps when I’m done that I’ll drop it and see if it feels any better or worse after that.

Interesting note (to me anyway): since making it a slave, I’ve had no troubles with it not being detected at startup or making that lovely clunk/grind noise….

]]> By: Nils http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1301 Nils Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:54:57 +0000 http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1301 I'm dreading it happening to me. Of course, I have no backup whatsoever and nothing in the bank for emergencies like that. Oh well, who said we shouldn't hold on to earthly possessions again? I’m dreading it happening to me. Of course, I have no backup whatsoever and nothing in the bank for emergencies like that. Oh well, who said we shouldn’t hold on to earthly possessions again?

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1300 Josh Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:13:57 +0000 http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1300 I didn't know about the warranty shortening; that's pretty lame. I'm not sure what you do with them. I've not thrown mine away yet. I was actually told by a techie friend that he's heard that you can sometimes delay the death by - get this - <em>throwing it on the floor</em>. It supposedly knocks stuff back into alignment. It sounds crazy, but if the thing's already dying, what's it going to hurt, right? Having said that, though, I'm still hesitant to go throwing an 80gb drive to the floor. Something deep in my geek circuitry says that doing such a thing is a technological heresy. I didn’t know about the warranty shortening; that’s pretty lame.

I’m not sure what you do with them. I’ve not thrown mine away yet. I was actually told by a techie friend that he’s heard that you can sometimes delay the death by – get this – throwing it on the floor. It supposedly knocks stuff back into alignment. It sounds crazy, but if the thing’s already dying, what’s it going to hurt, right?

Having said that, though, I’m still hesitant to go throwing an 80gb drive to the floor. Something deep in my geek circuitry says that doing such a thing is a technological heresy.

]]> By: Gnorb http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1299 Gnorb Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:18:52 +0000 http://system13.org/2007/07/30/death-of-a-hard-drive/#comment-1299 Hard drive quality's been going down over the past few years. While it used to be standard that HD's came with a 3-year warranty, they now come with only 1 year standard. Meaning? Hard drives from before were built to be better than hard drives of today. Isn't progress great? What do you do with one of those things anyway? Can you recycle it? Hard drive quality’s been going down over the past few years. While it used to be standard that HD’s came with a 3-year warranty, they now come with only 1 year standard. Meaning? Hard drives from before were built to be better than hard drives of today.

Isn’t progress great? What do you do with one of those things anyway? Can you recycle it?

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