Bye Bye Hard Drive

[biggiy05]

So my lil 20gig IBM hd out the family gateway from way back when finally bit the dust. I think it got ruined when we were puting it into my friends system so that he could get some rather large files so we didnt make sixteen trips with my lil usb drive. Basically what happened where you plug your ide cable at above on mine are these pins I am guessing that they are what help move info and commands through everything but anyways two of those got bent and are no longer stuck in place so I tried everything from holding them down with a tiny lil flathead to pressing on it with my finger. I gave up and went to BestBuy knowing it was a goner but wanted to be sure the guy told me he was amazed that it had lasted as long as it has for being made back in 1999, I was like ok I know ppl who have hard drives older than this that still work just fine, he didnt answer he just said there was no hope for it. So I went to CompUSA and got a WD 80gig for 96 with tax after some $10 instant savings so after the $50 in rebates it comes down to like $39.99 or something like that, not a bad deal for an 80gig Wd.

The only thing I am not happy about is I have lost all my pictures from my digital camera and from friends music and videos dont bother me its the pictures I cant get back, and I had some really good pictures from my camera.

[King Link]

Uh huh. Maybe trying to move your hard drive into somebody elses computer wasn't the greatest idea. Also, you should be careful when you're using any kind of metal tool around the computer, although I doubt it was plugged in. Still, it's not overly safe.

Sorry to hear you lost your files, but the new 80 gig drive sounds great.

[ZTC]

You could replace the logic board(the circut board with the connectors) for the drive(if you still have the drive), then you can transfer the stuff

[biggiy05]

You could replace the logic board(the circut board with the connectors) for the drive(if you still have the drive), then you can transfer the stuff

Really? Now I just gotta find a screwdriver with the head I need on it. Where can I get a circuit board for a 99 IMB?


Uh huh. Maybe trying to move your hard drive into somebody elses computer wasn't the greatest idea. Also, you should be careful when you're using any kind of metal tool around the computer, although I doubt it was plugged in. Still, it's not overly safe.

Sorry to hear you lost your files, but the new 80 gig drive sounds great.

Ive had to take my computer apart a few times before and have been careful just like we were this time but I dunno and yea I had it unplugged and I had myself grounded so the hd was safe.

[King Link]

Yeah. I've heard some stories about people who were working with computers, even professionals, and they forgot to unplug something, and they just weren't very careful. I'm not much of a rely-on-yourself guy. I worry that if I open up a computer, I'll destroy its innards.

[ZTC]

if i remember right, logic boards are interchangeable

[DarkDragoonX]

Uh huh. Maybe trying to move your hard drive into somebody elses computer wasn't the greatest idea. Also, you should be careful when you're using any kind of metal tool around the computer, although I doubt it was plugged in. Still, it's not overly safe.

It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. I've done the same thing numerous times (except without the destroying the drive part). Also, there's nothing wrong with using metal tools. I open up my PC rather frequently in order to plug in new parts, or clean it out with compressed air, and I use a standard magnetic screwdriver. Granted, I DO use an anti-static wrist strap, but evem so, PCs aren't THAT fragile. Just don't stab any circuitry with your tools, or fondle the power supply, or lick anything, and you'll be OK.

The only thing you can fiddle with related to your computer that really is unsafe is your monitor. The damn things hold a charge forever, something I learned the hard way. I had a broken monitor that was unplugged for about two days. I was curious as to what the inside of it looked like, so I began opening it up. Now, I'm not a TOTAL dolt, so I was using a plastic screwdriver. However, I neglected to think of the possibility that the grease on my hand would transfer to the screwdriver, thus leaving a wonderfully conductive coating on it. I accidentally brushed the capacitor with my screwdriver, and the next thing I knew, my arm was numb and the screwdriver was on the other side of the room. Not exactly what I call fun.

[Rainman]

It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. I've done the same thing numerous times (except without the destroying the drive part). Also, there's nothing wrong with using metal tools. I open up my PC rather frequently in order to plug in new parts, or clean it out with compressed air, and I use a standard magnetic screwdriver. Granted, I DO use an anti-static wrist strap, but evem so, PCs aren't THAT fragile. Just don't stab any circuitry with your tools, or fondle the power supply, or lick anything, and you'll be OK.


Heck I don't even wear a static free wrist strap. I remember at LAN parties we used to mix and match parts to make some good comps for people to use. We practically tossed the parts around. Just keep yourself grounded.

[gdorf]

Heck I don't even wear a static free wrist strap. I remember at LAN parties we used to mix and match parts to make some good comps for people to use. We practically tossed the parts around. Just keep yourself grounded

Exactly. I had a lazy/stupid friend that decided not to screw in his sound card. One day, I was at his house and it fell out of the socket when the computer was still on. His response? "Oh, that happens all the time". And he kept playing his game. Computers are more resilient than most people think.

Note: I still do NOT recommend hot-swapping sound cards. :P

[King Link]

I didn't mean it wasn't safe, there are just some risks. The reason I said that was because I read an article about a man who had worked around computers his whole life, and was electrocuted to death when he was attempting to do something inside the CPU. I'm not sure specifically what happened, but he unfortunately died. That's all. It's better safe than sorry. I know that people open up their computers all the time, and is for the most part quite safe.

[Breaker]

The reason I said that was because I read an article about a man who had worked around computers his whole life, and was electrocuted to death when he was attempting to do something inside the CPU. I'm not sure specifically what happened, but he unfortunately died.

did you read this on bullshit.com (www.imanidiot.com)?

[AtmaWeapon]

Well of course he got electrocuted while in his CPU. When you are shrunk down to the nanometer scale, even fractions of a volt are dangerous.

That said, it is a good idea to remove metal jewelry while working in a PC. It's a danger to the PC because you can short components and it's a danger to you because of electricity. You probably won't get enough of a jolt to kill you, but metal does get hot when electricity goes through it. It's really more dangerous for the PC than you, though.

Tell me something, are the screwed up pins the little gold ones you plug a cable into? I've bent those back into place many a time, I don't see why that wouldn't work for you unless you actually pulled the pins out.

Oh and FYI King Link I swap hard drives between computers all day long and usually the worst that happens is I sometimes can't plug the cable in easily.

[biggiy05]

No its not the gold connector cables I have bent them back plenty of times also its on the board its self. I will take a picture tonight with my digital camera to show you what I mean after the game.

[AtmaWeapon]

Ahh, in that case your only chance of fixing the drive is combing eBay for a drive with the same model number so you can swap controller boards. It's pretty easy if you are careful. You will probably need a #8 Torx bit, that's what I tend to find on hard drives.

What's lovely about the #8 Torx is it is the most common screw type on hard drives, and Belkin is the only company that makes a computer toolkit that has it as far as I know. There are more kits than I can count that claim they have "every tool you will ever need", but they only include #10 and #15 Torx. I have NEVER found a #15 screw inside a computer.