Heating a HDD

[The Coolest]

LOL, exactly what it sounds like! Heating, my 4.3GB WD HDD is crap it won't work in this cold, I keep hearing high pitch noise, prolly the bearings, I got no important info there, but I need it to run my Duron. Whener I power up the HDD starts to make the noise, then windows loads, hangs and get corrupted, I noticed that after I held it in my hands for couple of mins then powered it up it went to windows relatively smoothly, so I need to heat it up a little b4 power up, I need to know how, I don't have a clue how to do it... Do u?
Can u help me? I borrowed a 850MB HDD to run while this drive is offline, but I can't put nothing on there. PLZ I need help ASAP!!!

[The Overclocker]

geta low power peltier and attach the hot side to a large metal plate for the hard disk, the cold side gets a big heatsink with a fan, it will become an air chiller

[Breadfan]

Use it as a heatsink for your Duron :) :)

You could try wrapping some foam around it, like the kind you find under a new mobo...you know, restrict airflow...the exact opposite of what we do :)

Mike

[Aesik]

How cold is the room this hard drive is in? Most hard drives I've seen are rated from 5-60 degrees celcius or so.

[The Coolest]

My room as at a freezing (for me) 12-14C° So the drive is still in specs, the 10GB quantum fireball worx and an old WD 850MB worx also, dunno what's up w/ this HDD

[TruckChase!]

Sounds like your bearing(s) is(are) going out. I had that hapen to an old quantum drive awhile back, and eventually it just totally seized. I'd get your data off that drive before it's too late and pick up a new one.

[The Coolest]

I don't have important data on the drive, only windoze and some games installed. I want to run this drive as long as poss till I'll have to buy another, I know HDDs are not very expensive but I don't have a dime... What would u suggest?

[rogerdugans]

Definitely backup that data and get a new drive! Once they start to go, they don't revive, so the longer you wait the more you risk.

I'd keep using the borrowed drive until you get a new one and then just use it the one time to copy all your data over.

They make good paperweights, and small doorstops.

[UserName]

go to WDC.com and download the data lifeguard tools. These create a boot floppy with some diagnostics on it. Run the comprehensive test. It will tell you if anything is wrong.

It will also tell you if you can get it replaced under warranty. Sometimes they have a 5 year warranty.

Not that i recommend this cource but if you can find a vendor that sells the 4.3 buy it and then return it. Don't even open it. Keep the recipt to show WDC. Instant warranty. Worth paying a restocking fee for.

Sometimes they replace warranty drives with bigger drives too!

[lennytiger]

UserName you have a very interesting umm.... username lol!! ;)

[zoopa_man]

I agree. Once a drive starts to go there doomed. I just lost a 10g WD drive. I walked into my room and it smelled like burnt marsh mellows. My HDD had committed suicide while I was at work. I'm just glad it didn't ruin anything else in my system. I recommend getting rid of the drive before the same thing happens to you. Burnt marshmallows stink something awful.

Maybe you could buy a lotto ticked or walk up and down my road and pick up all the pop cans that people have tossed out the window. :D

[lennytiger]

Do you play any musical instrument??? You could busk??? lol!! ;)

[The Coolest]

LOL!

Look guys, I apriciate your suggestions. I'm saing again: I use this drive for playing games that I have on CDs. the data on it isn't important at all. I just need to find a way to heat it up a lil bit b4 comp starts.

[lennytiger]

The TEC was a good idea!! do you have one of those fan heater type things?? like one that has a blower and heater elements???

you could duct the warm air on the HD for a few mins and then turn on!! ;)

[inkleoneaters]

an obvious answer is just staring u in the face, put the hard disk at the top of the case, in the top 5.25 inch bay, the top of ur case should be warmer. alternatively tape it to where the warm air comes out of ur power supply, or press it against the bottom of ur graphics card using an old book. get a couple of power extension cables and put it on top of ur monitor with a bit of masking tape, that way to warm it up u simply turn on ur monitor.

[inkleoneaters]

or u could just not turn of ur computer that way it would stay warm thru use.

[Athlonman]

Overclock your computer more so the heat will build up and heat your room

[ButcherUK]

Originally posted by ClaytonComp
Overclock your computer more so the heat will build up and heat your room

Damn right my comp can heat the room by about 1-2C / hour when it's on ;)

[rivercom9]

Hmm, interesting problem you got there. I say you mount the drive up top like inkleoneaters said, but leave the bay open so that you can heat up the drive through the bay using a hairdrier. Well, thats my take on it. Hope it helps.

[The Overclocker]

thinking about it put the hard disk on the psu, it gets warm all the time even when the pc it not on so you will boot straight away

[The Coolest]

Unfortunately I don't have the tools/stuff...
About the PSU, just checked it (the comp is off) Its very cold so that is out of the Q... :(

[lennytiger]

u could just leave it on 24/7 and just tell the HDD not to pwer down after x mins! ;)

[Athlonman]

Originally posted by ButcherUK


Damn right my comp can heat the room by about 1-2C / hour when it's on ;)


WOW Thats Pretty Good

[CrystalMethod]

You could always boot up off of a floppy, and leave it in DOS mode for a few minutes till it's heated up, then take out the floppy and reboot. Might work, and without adding anything fancy to your system.

[ButcherUK]

Originally posted by ClaytonComp



WOW Thats Pretty Good

Yeah this room is about 12x6 though and my comp puts out a lot of heat (115W for the cpu alone).

[rivercom9]

HOT!:mad:

[lennytiger]

lol try the hairdryer thing should work great!! ;)

[The Overclocker]

keep teh 850MB, boot from that have have the 4.3 as slave, by the time windows has booted the heard disk will be warm

[lennytiger]

the overclocker

Both HDDs have to spin up at the same time at boot when they are detected by the BIOS, this won't work!

[Doorman]

I Have Same Prob. With My 850meg. at Work, Cheep Boss Wont Let Me Get a New One.
Just Let it Run 24/7, Thats What I Have Been Doing For all Most A Year Now. Just Need To Reboot Now and Then To Keep Windows Happy.

[The Coolest]

Yea, but the fan noise is inbearable in the night, I can't sleep.. I would run it for 24/7 though... Its my secondary system (duron) so even if I'll get WC i'll put in my main Tbird

[lennytiger]

Originally posted by Doorman
I Have Same Prob. With My 850meg. at Work, Cheep Boss Wont Let Me Get a New One.
Just Let it Run 24/7, Thats What I Have Been Doing For all Most A Year Now. Just Need To Reboot Now and Then To Keep Windows Happy.


lol windows needs to be restarted occasionally!!

Geeze your boss is tight!! only 850 too!! :)

[Doorman]

lol windows needs to be restarted occasionally!!

Geeze your boss is tight!! only 850 too!!


Tight ant the Word, I push Harder But its only a 133mh I Figure that I'l Just Wait Till The HD Dies Then Convince Him He Needs To Buy a Hole New Rig. (He Not To Bright Either):beer:

[lennytiger]

lol

[rivercom9]

Hey thecoolest, did you figure out a way to heat up your HD?

[The Coolest]

YUP:D !!! Wait for the summer to come... ;)
I borrowed another half dead, but alive WD 2.5GB, that I can't start the comp from, BIOS Boot won't recognize the HDD but windoze and in BIOS itself the HDD is recognized and worx, it has some bad blocks... not something terrible, AFAIK, after Norton disk doctor I have about 300KB bad blocks... I'm using this HDD to host games and Swap file. It all fits very tightly! The 4.3 I put in a static bag and a drore (« spelling?)... I'm using the 850 for windoze, pretty slow, but not too bad, better than nothing :p

Thanks for all the replies I got. I think its my most successfull thread! have a :beer: everyone!!!!