Author Topic: 2 small questions (Read 1068 times)

Puck · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:45:28 PM »

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Originally posted by AKDogg
WD are alot more reliable then maxtor. I never buy a maxtor drive. I build my systems with WD's. I only had 1 WD fail in my 14 yrs of building computers.

WOW! Something has changed since I was in the tech business. I was on a first name basis with several of the support people at WD replacing drives with the infamous clunk. Then again, I remember when Quantum was the ONLY way to go...

Puck · « **Reply #16 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:47:57 PM »

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Originally posted by OOZ662
That should be left up to a technician. If you want to do that, there are companies that have controlled labs just for that reason. It can be pricey, but it works.

I've done it, it's dicey. Depends on WHAT failed.

Had a drive case cracked and spun the motor up with my finger. Pulled the data off with the drive open. Found out you have to put it back together with the drive spinning, by the way, or you're never going to get it to work even long enough to snort data if for some reason you can't do it on the bench.

If the heads crashed you're looking at big money.

Puck · « **Reply #17 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:49:32 PM »

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Originally posted by Skuzzy
I do not care for RAID arrays as done using the cheap onboard solution you find on PC motherboards. I have seen too many people have problems with them.

There is a reason why a good RAID array costs $10 grand versus the $2 part on the PC motherboard, which relies mostly on software.

Three posts in a row. New record.

3Ware makes a pretty decent, inexpensive IDE/SATA RAID card. I've used them in non-mission critical applications.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #18 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:59:14 PM »

Thanks Puck.

I too remember when Quantum was the drive to have if you wanted a tank. Do you remember thier 35MB 5 1/4" full height SCSI drive? I think you could have dropped that drive from a 2 story building and it would have kept running.

OOZ662 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 30, 2007, 03:11:13 PM »

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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Do you remember thier 35MB 5 1/4" full height SCSI drive?

I believe we have one of those in the back room at our High School. Our tech class uses stuff like that in the "days gone by" section of the course.

It's my job to dig around through all of it and find stuff. I just about toppled a stack of Ataris the other day.

Nemeth · « **Reply #20 on:** April 04, 2007, 08:24:48 PM »

By the sounds of it your MoBo or your processor is toast, Check to see if any caps on the MoBo are "bubbling", if so u'll need a new 1, if it was your RAM or HDD it would still POST. HomeBoy, if it was his PSU it would probably never turn on, but if that is the case, 1) check to see if the PSU fan spins, 2) make sure the PSU doesnt make a semi hi pitched noise and, 3) shake it to see if anything has blown inside.

Puck · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2007, 09:17:25 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Thanks Puck.

I too remember when Quantum was the drive to have if you wanted a tank. Do you remember thier 35MB 5 1/4" full height SCSI drive? I think you could have dropped that drive from a 2 story building and it would have kept running.

Mine was 10 MB; I wasn't rich enough to afford 35M back in '82 or whenever it was I bought it. I have a platter collection at home from drives I've worked on. Everything from 14" DEC aluminum to 1.2" glass.

Before going after a MB you might want to look at the power supply. Those things are (generally) made cheaper than dirt and will cause all kinds of strange behaviors. I had a system that was rock solid for years, then started doing the random crash thing. Looked at EVERYTHING, then realized the power supply was going flaky on me.

Speed55 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2007, 09:50:04 AM »

For backing up files, i've been using an external usb hard drive.
Plug it in, drag and drop the files you want backed up onto the new drive and your done.

So easy a caveman can do it. Fits me perfect.

I just backed up 35 gigs of info in less than a half an hour.

The only downside is that it's a hard drive, and it could fail too, but i've had this thing for about as long as usb2.0 has been around. (knock on wood)

RSLQK186 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2007, 05:18:29 PM »

I've had intermittent problems with my hard drive. Sometimes it's fine for months and sometimes not. Not looking for help. Know what I need to do. Just though you all might find this interesting.

Push the power button to start and it might or might not. Get the beeps and then nothing. Or sometimes for no reason it reboots or just hard shutdown.

I searched for power problems and loose connections. Replaced RAM couse they looked overheated-needed the upgrade anyway.

Then one day out of frustration after it started to boot up and stopped, I thumped the drive pritty good with my palm-had the side off. Didn't have any problems for weeks after that.

I use hibernate to elimanate the need to cut prossesses on startup-yah I know about FS-Autostart. Anyway I told it to SHUT DOWN for travel one day and when I got to the motel it did its mobo beeps and nothing. Smacked it on the side and it came out of HIBERNATION.

Moral: Don't underestimate the crapiness of your hard drive.

Puck · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2007, 05:38:08 PM »

Sounds like a sticky drive. Those motors have pathetic torque. The GOOD news is you can generally save the data. The BAD news is you need a new drive sooner rather than later, because the window of salvation is finite.

Chalenge · « **Reply #25 on:** April 05, 2007, 09:20:05 PM »

Skuzzy how do you feel about acronis true image? Ive got my system setup with two OSs with each backed up to similar drives using true image. I find it to be a lot more reliable than the crap onboard raid and it restores drives in less than an hour for even large capacity drives.