hardware failure (hard drive crash)

hardware failure (hard drive crash)
by jargon on 2008-05-27 (#33696)

My hard drive crashed last night due to getting way too hot due to accidentally burying my laptop in blankets while it was running.

I have to have an ultrasound for my gallbladder this morning, so hopefully I will be able to get it up and running again this afternoon using a spare blank hard drive, my full tool set (minus triangle & tetra wrench), and my old operating system discs from 2002.

If you say any Linux, (x)Ubuntu, etcetera, i will poison your next meal with anchovies. Linux is total crap. If you mention viruses, who gives a crap.

Windows XP Home Service Pack 2 has never failed me, has had 11 month uptime on that computer off-line, and 3 month uptime online.

Only reason the hard drive failed was it got so high above normal operating temperature the drive surface basically melted.

by peppers on 2008-05-27 (#33697)

arint most hard drives designed to shut down before they get to the point of heat damage?

Also it would seem your CPU would overheat and tern off the computer before it gets to that point since its more heat sensitive, this situation seems strange to me.

by jargon on 2008-05-27 (#33698)

For some reason the hard drive failed due to being plugged into AC.

if it were just running off the battery or an alternative DC supply interchange battery component, it wouldn't have failed.

The AC/DC converter is what caused the failure.

The CPU and hard drive had already shutdown. but the AC/DC converter was lacking an automatic emergency shut-off.

Newer laptops have this transformer cut-off feature, this laptop being from 2002 does not. Meaning the transformer was what was overheating the laptop.

2 Reason I say "who gives a crap about viruses.":
1. saying "virii" makes one sound like a tool.
2. I remove most viruses by hand anyways since most viruses are custom for a specific target with a custom payload and trigger mechanism, meaning no anti-virus can detect them anyways.

Anyways, yes I am back from my ultrasound now.

I won't know the results until Friday maybe.

-edit-
Sorry I will try to be more clear.

Newer laptops are designed with the ability to insert an alternative power source interchange coupler in place of a battery pack in mind. Also, *good* laptops feature a circuit breaker that is reset when you release the battery using the lever on the bottom of the laptop.

by peppers on 2008-05-27 (#33699)

It still seems strange that onley the hard drive would be damaged. It would seem your case would have melted some and the motherboard should have also been damaged. Its also likley the blankets could have caught fire. also your converter would have been destryed

by jargon on 2008-05-27 (#33700)

peppers wrote:
It still seems strange that onley the hard drive would be damaged. It would seem your case would have melted some and the motherboard should have also been damaged. Its also likley the blankets could have caught fire. also your converter would have been destryed

this laptop was pretty well made, other than the shitty factory hard drive and lack of firmware triggered circuit breaker.