Did Anyone Get Hard Disk Damage Caused By The Earthquake?

[Fred & Mimi]

I returned back to Argao to check my rented studio and found it more or less intact. There was a large crack along the wall and the fridge had moved but not much else to say anything happened

 

I decided to check my external hard disk for errors and it was loaded with them. It is a powered 3.5" type and had been stored on its side in a draw. I only had a little time to check it but will do a more extensive check and information transferral if it's possible when I get the time.

 

Did anybody else sustain computer damage due to the earthquake?

Edited October 26, 2013 by Fred & Mimi

[i am bob]

Most HDs are engineered to take some shock when sitting flat and level but not if on their side or upside down. I know it sounds a little extreme but it has to do with how the "bearings" are packed/set.

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[Steve & Myrlita]

HDs are usually able to withstand about 3G's of shock.

[i am bob]

HDs are usually able to withstand about 3G's of shock.

True - but this is where the horizontal comes in during engineering. 3Gs when placed flat. Not so well when sitting at 90° or even upside down. Interesting fact - one (1) G is almost exactly the same as free falling 1 inch at sea level. We used to test the G meters for our gyros by dropping them. If they passed within specs, we reset them. Which was a pain... Balancing a small ball bearing between 2 springs compressed inside a plastic container about 1.5 inches across.

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[Fred & Mimi]

3Gs when placed flat. Not so well when sitting at 90° or even upside down

That's the thing...my HD was laying flat as that's the best way to store it in my draw. As long as I can get the info off it. I bought a 3GB drive to supplement my 2GB one but now I only have 1GB spare :(

[i am bob]

3 GB? Was this a solid state HD? Or an older HD from an older computer system? If it's from an older system, they were manufactured using multiple types of bearing systems and often couldn't stand up to a gentle bump. The engineers were designing for inside a big heavy PC case while techs and users were trying to make them portable and failing because of the engineering. It took a few years for the manufacturers to smarten up.

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[Fred & Mimi]

3 GB? Was this a solid state HD? Or an older HD from an older computer system? If it's from an older system, they were manufactured using multiple types of bearing systems and often couldn't stand up to a gentle bump. The engineers were designing for inside a big heavy PC case while techs and users were trying to make them portable and failing because of the engineering. It took a few years for the manufacturers to smarten up.

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The 2GB Drive is Western Digital 3.5 and only a couple of years old if that. The 3GB drive is also a WD 3.5 but I just purchased it in Australia to increase my storage. Now it will have to also hold the data stored on the damaged drive.

Oh well, that's life

Edited October 27, 2013 by Fred & Mimi