Hard Disk Crash Due To Vibrations ?

[pannaguma]

I have been wondering lately if a HD could crash, by excessive vibration due to a woofer? I have a logitech X-530, whose woofer i have placed on the lower part of the computer table. Hence I am very wary of pushing it to high volumes.

I have not read this anywhere, this is my own theory based on the fact that:
1>HD read head moves at high speed.
2>there is very less seperation b/n the platter and the read head.
3>X-530 is bass heavy, tends to generate vibrations even at a low volume.

What say?

 

[pimpom]

It is certainly possible, depending on the strength of vibration. I had an actual experience years ago, but the vibrations were from another source.

I assembled my first PC solely from salvaged and repaired parts, and it didn't even have a cabinet at first. The PSU was on my desk, the CD-ROM drive on top of it, and the HDD in turn on the CD-ROM drive.

I assembled the CD drive from three defective ones and it vibrated a lot when it read a CD. I sometimes got unexplained errors and crashes and I was puzzled until it occured to me that vibration from the CD-ROM drive must be affecting the HDD.

I inserted a 1-cm thick sheet of foam plastic between the CD-ROM drive and the HDD, and the crashes stopped completely.

On a side note : The HDD was a 4500 rpm 4.3GB drive that didn't produce as much heat as today's high-speed drives. Running current HDD models for extended periods with them lying directly on foam wouldn't be a good idea. The foam would prevent heat from dissipating quickly and could damage the HDD.

 

[janitha]

Even small vibrations can be disastrous to the HDD, especially when it is working.

 

[nileshgr]

Small Vibrations can cause disaster. But if u hv shock absorbers fitted in ur cabby, then may be disaster will not occur.

 

[dabster]

But if u hv *shock absorbers* fitted in ur cabby, then may be disaster will not occur.

Can you explain on that, what are the options..?

 

[nileshgr]

Can you explain on that, what are the options..?

Man, if we fix some spongy material arnd the HDDs, the HDDs will not recv. shocks as in laptops. Why laptop doesn't get damaged when we move it so much? This is the reason. They have shock absorbers inside them.

 

[dabster]

Man, if we fix some spongy material arnd the HDDs, the HDDs will not recv. shocks as in laptops. Why laptop doesn't get damaged when we move it so much? This is the reason. They have shock absorbers inside them.

You just can't wrap hdd in spongy material, these days hdd generate lot of heat....
knw abt Lappy, they come with stock shock absorption mechanisms within the harddisk itself.

 

[nileshgr]

You just can't wrap hdd in spongy material, these days hdd generate lot of heat....
knw abt Lappy, they come with stock shock absorption mechanisms within the harddisk itself.

Damn it! I made my own myth!!!

 

[pannaguma]

Good to see that some people agree with me, for a moment i thought that i was hallucinating.

BTW - if some one knows more info abt the shock absorbing material plz post it.

 

[janitha]

Good to see that some people agree with me, for a moment i thought that i was hallucinating.

BTW - if some one knows more info abt the shock absorbing material plz post it.

Some cabinets like Antec has HDD bays with rubber grommets which absorbs vibration to some extent.

 

[nileshgr]

@dabster, see @janitha has your point. Shock Absorbers.

 

[dabster]

@dabster, see @janitha has your point. Shock Absorbers.

yup sure, its correct that many good Case models have dampeners added on joints between the hdd fastening place and main case, which works as shock absorbers, but haven't come across anything which can be used with cases which don't have any dampeners.