Hard Drive Window

Xx Shinwa xX writes "This guy has done what was thought to be impossible: he has opened his hard drive and installed a clear acrylic window. And it still works. I would love to try this, if I had the guts."

Usefool

[biocute]

This guy deserves a usefool entry [interneh.com].

One day I'll get around to making a window for my CDROM, so that I can see what's going on when there's no CD inside.

uh huh

[TheRealMindChild]

And it still works

For now...

Cool... but

[swilde23]

Where's the blue LEDs???

This is only the first step

[Shadow Wrought]

Next comes painting a swirl pattern on the platter with magnetic ink so it looks pretty when it spins.

Looks like someone wiped his drive

[Timesprout]

cos when I go to the page its blank

Re:H/D Window

[ShrikeDOA]

I definitely remember the same. Article with lots of pictures.

The real question is. . .

[smooth wombat]

will the acrylic melt if he uses the drive in his server and posts the link to Slashdot?

Re:Video

[geekoid]

"10g full-height MFM hard disk."

10g?

Re:Video

[frdmfghtr]

While it was doing this, we managed to pour lighter-fluid into the unit, and set it on fire.

And after a good slashdotting, he'll get the same effect sans lighter fluid.

Now I can see my hard drive crash

[digitaldc]

...IN REAL TIME!

Microsoft will be suing for patent infringement for putting windows on hard drives.

Just for fun, a hard drive undone: http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image /9/0,1425,sz=1&i=93587,00.jpg [ziffdavisinternet.com]

Re:Usefool

[Anonymous Coward]

"WARNING: Do not look into laser with remaining eye."

Re:Vacuum?

[digitaldc]

I thought the inside of a hard drive was a vacuum.. am I wrong?

Only if it is by a brand that really sucks.

Re:Vacuum?

[Esion Modnar]

I thought the inside of a hard drive was a vacuum.. am I wrong?

Inside your hard drive, no one can hear you scream. (Um, how'd you get inside your hard drive?)

Re:Cool... but

[danieljpost]

Blue LED's hadn't been invented yet when this story was news.

Re:Usefool

[MarkGriz]

"One day I'll get around to making a window for my CDROM, so that I can see what's going on when there's no CD inside."

Excellent. Maybe this same technology can be applied to a refrigerator so we can see what happens when the door is closed.

Re:Usefool

[Sketch]

> Excellent. Maybe this same technology can be applied to a refrigerator so we can see what happens when the door is closed.

Just wait until you can see all of the bodies in the trunk of my car through the trunk window!

Heck I Just Did This

[fdiskne1]

Our intern was messing around with old hard drives and decided to take off the cover of one, plug it in and let it run. It worked fine, so I touched my finger to it. It still ran, so I licked my finger and touched it. Oops. Blue Screen. I didn't think the heads were close enough to the disk to get a good read so I put some pressure behind it. Let me tell you, the noise that makes isn't nearly so annoying to the person doing it as it is to everyone else in the room. The hard drive platter now looks quite similar to an LP record's grooves. Cool. Okay, I didn't put a window on the drive. So what? This was more fun.

Re:Yippy-Skippy.

[IAmTheDave]

Apparently it did. Picture links are dead.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Heck I Just Did This

[mucktoad]

I once super-glued rabbit ears to my penis...can I be in the hardware section of slashdot....heeeeyaaaaa

Re:Yippy-Skippy.

[Anonymous Coward]

" This drive is BRAND NEW (still in the static wrap) sitting right next to me as I type this. Personally, I think the hardest part of this whole mod was gluing (Did I spell that right? lol.) the plexi back onto the drive cover."

For you maybe, but I suspect the hardest part for most anyone else would be finding a friend stupid enough to ruin a brand new hard drive.

Re:Yippy-Skippy.

[carlos_benj]

I suspect the hardest part for most anyone else would be finding a friend stupid enough to ruin a brand new hard drive.

Nah. They run in packs.....

Re:Usefool

[Sketch]

> Finally I'll know whether the light turns out or not!

Just think of what this technology means for Schrodinger's Cat! We'll finally know whether or not it's alive at all times when it's inside the box!

Re:Usefool

[cyberchondriac]

The light is in a state of superposition:
It is both on and off !

Oh, it's a Quasar refrigerator ? I thought you said quantum !
;-)

I've run a naked drive for a week

[yeremein]

I was writing a disk imaging utility for my company and I had to deal with bad sectors properly. Couldn't find a drive with bad sectors so I decided to make one. I pulled the cover off an old hard drive and hooked it up to my machine, figuring the dust would cause bad sectors soon enough.

The blasted thing ran just fine for a week.

Eventually I tried writing on the platter with a dry-erase marker while it was spinning. That didn't even kill it. But a little scratch with a screwdriver killed it dead.

Re:Usefool

[Linker3000]

Eh, so someone installs Windows on his hard disk and it's news? Why no, I didn't RTFA

Re:Too much free time and money.

[imboboage0]

You DON'T have a case with a window? you must have a small e-penis.

Re:uh huh

[legirons]

"The problem is not seriously shortening the life span of the hard drive by opening it up in an unclean environment."

That doesn't even begin to describe my house...

No, see...

[paranode]

He installed Windows and it still worked.

Re:Usefool

[doxology]

The size does not matter

For Slashdotters...no it really doesn't =P