Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[Sylvander]

Took the old 10GB HDD to bits.
Have it sitting in front of me.
1. Cover seems like Aluminium.
Pack of moisture absorbing crystals in something that looks like a flexible, fine mesh, white bowler hat, fixed to the underside of the cover.
Located in the spare corner adjacent to the hinge of the arm.

2. The disk has a perfect mirror surface.
I can already see handling-marks beginning to appear on the surface.
Rings like a bell if I "ping" it with my thumbnail.
I guess its made of steel.
How come it doesn't corrode?
1/4 inch thick ring holding it in place with 6 screws, each with 6-pointed star-shaped scewdriver-sockets.
Anyone know what fits those?

(a) Strange!
The magnets do NOT stick to the disk.
Screws beneath the disk are attracting the magnet, but not the disk itself.
Hence it cannot be made of steel.
Yet it rings like a bell.
The case is non-magnetic also [Aluminium?]

3. Removed the arm assembly.
WOW, THOSE MAGNETS ARE POWERFUL!
Almost impossible to prise them apart, even using a screwdriver to lever and twist, but I managed it.
The arm is interesting.
Mostly the structure is made of non-magnetic material, but with a tiny magnetic insert.
The coil of fine copper wire slides back and forth between the 2 opposing magnets as the arm pivots.
Two opposing [and very tiny] read/write heads, that press against each other [to gently pinch the disk] on the end of tiny flat spring-steel extensions to the arms.
With my powerful magnifying glass I can see the details of those.
Each tiny support head is specially constructed so the opposing read/write blocks [what are included in these?] sit flat on the opposite surfaces of the disk.

[Karl Godt]

[rjbrewer]

[bigpup]

In the future.
About the bad hard drive.
If you go to the hard drive manufactures web site. In their support section. They will have troubleshooting and diagnostic programs, you can burn to a bootable disc, to check it out.

[Sylvander]

1. What's the best/easiest way to destroy the contents of the disk?
Or prevent recovery?
Would the magnets do the job?
Or whack it with a hammer?

2. Showed my wife the HDD...
Lifted the cover and showed her the disk and removed arm.
She was quite interested.

3. Asked her to try removing the magnets from the door of the fridge/freezer.
She managed to slide one to the edge of the door, and lever it off once only a portion was attached.
Makes quite a bang if you allow it to pull itself onto the door from about 10mm away.

[Karl Godt]