why some HDs fail ...

[flexy]

just a thought...

always playing with the thought when i get a new HD - should i keep the old one or sell it ?

I have a Enlight 7237 case, and there is this small 3.5" 'cage' where i have my HD on the bottom and my floppy on the top. A smaller section in the middle is free.
I think:
Where the **** would i put the second HD there in case i would want to keep it ?

I could try to cramp it in the middle section of the cage, very tightly stacked below the floppy, probably get shortcuts...and *for sure* extremely bad circulation and heat ! With ONE drive i have enough space and circulation so heat is no issue...

Just wondering...it's kinda weird that i (as a pseudo geek with many years sys building exp) have no clue how to put there two, or better, three HDs in a standard case without acting against common sense. Maybe that's the reason HDs for other people fail that often....they build RAID arrays and stack HDs, and then wonder when they all of a sudden crap out on them....

 

[fell8]

I fabbed a very simple bracket out of a yard sign.

Simply cut out a couple rectangles, drill holes that correspond to the mounting holes on the HDD (one set on top, one set on the bottom) in the plastic rectangles, and hang the new HDD off the old HDD.

I did mine extra-fancy by offsetting it to make room for a case fan and leaving an air gap between the drives. Good luck.

 

[lucky9]

you can always find something to put on them. i have a 120 as primary for the os and stuff i use all the time. a 10gig as an mp3 storage site. and two 40gig drives. one of which i have the old system on while i validate xp. the other i use for ghost images. i'm about to wipe the backup 40 with the old os and use it for a second place for ghost images and general storage. then i'll wipe the other 40 and do the same. i lost a disk once and it's a mess to take backups (i use cdr's) and restore them. ten times faster witha disk. i've only had one disk fail (the 10gig that came withthe rig). but i'm guilty of having no mercy, i leave the sys on 24/7. it's six years old as i type.

 

[StraightPipe]

stacks are fine if you leave 1/2 inch gap for breathing, HD's dont get too hot unless they are high RPM drives (SATA, SCSI)

i like to have atleast 2 HD's so i can keep the second for storage of sensitive data, and never have to stress if i need to reformat in a hurry, store all my installation files on 2nd too, makes llife grand, and easy to reload everything in a hurry.

Edit: I've had lots (probly 25-30) HDD's in the last 10 years, kept many for 5-6 years b4 selling, and never had one crap out. (though I've lost data due to partion err's, virus,...)

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: StraightPipe
stacks are fine if you leave 1/2 inch gap for breathing, HD's dont get too hot unless they are high RPM drives (SATA, SCSI)

i like to have atleast 2 HD's so i can keep the second for storage of sensitive data, and never have to stress if i need to reformat in a hurry, store all my installation files on 2nd too, makes llife grand, and easy to reload everything in a hurry.

Edit: I've had lots (probly 25-30) HDD's in the last 10 years, kept many for 5-6 years b4 selling, and never had one crap out. (though I've lost data due to partion err's, virus,...)

the case i have (enlight 7237), if you have your mandatory floppy in this 3.5" cage and ONE HD (as everyone has) there is definetly *less* space than half an inch left if you (somehow) are able to put a second HD in the middle. (If it would even fit, that is which i highly doubt).

Right now there is about an inch between floppy and HD...

 

[OverVolt]

I have 3HD's now, two are WD Raptors the other is a 80Gig. have a Antec1080 Soho fileserver case that has spots for up to 4HD's (or 3HD's and a floppy)

I just have an intake case fan blowing on them and their fine. It runs 24/7.

EDIT: i think HD's die from people bumping them around too much, or not using the right screws, so the drives are not installed tightly and it vibrates itself to death.

 

[goog]

Being jarred around will kill drives, and so will heat. I have 3 drives in a drive cage with a fan blowing on them, I have a fourth in a 5.25" drive bay not aircooled my newest drive ran fairly hot there (for a couple days) but is fine in the cage with the fan now.

As far as cramped space my old comp still has a HD literally stuck in the drive cage (top spot), can't be getting a heck of a lot of air, but it is the only HD in there and stills works fine.

 

[zephyrprime]

I think the biggest thing that kills drives is just dumb luck.

 

[vss1980]

I just put the hard drives each side of the floppy drive and let that soak up the heat, at least that way one drive gets ventilation and minimal heating effect from the device next to it while the other hardrive can dissipate its heat into the metal cage of the 5.25" bays which act as a fairly good heat-sink....... this means that the floppy gets a bit warm but at around $10 a pop for a floppy drive I think I can afford it if it fails..... although this same floppy drive has been with me for quite a while.

 

[sharkeeper]

Poor packaging (manufactures ALWAYS ship correctly!) once it leaves the distributor is by far the biggest contributor...

Dropping the drive is obviously bad for it. :Q

Thermal cycling, constant high temps over 50°C will dramatically affect the life of the drive.

Incorrect mounting! A drive that is not rigidly mounted in a carrier is under more stress. It's OK to mount the drive with six screws in a carrier and have that carrier suspended in foam (as long as cooling needs are satisfied!) for acoustic control. IT IS NOT OK to suspend the "naked" drive with rubber bands, condoms, or whatever you have lying around!

Some drives are just defective. Sh!t happens. Best be prepared for it.

-DAK-