Old hard drives

[Berlin-Bob]

As far as using old internal hard drives as external storage goes, I wouldn't. Once out of the computer all the ones iv'e dealt with are bare metal cases. I doubt they are double insulated so an electrical risk is present. [...]

You can buy an external case for hard disks, complete with a SATA-connector inside, and a USB connector to the computer outside. I had a laptop with two 250 GB drives. When the laptop "departed this life" I bought two such cases - they cost me (I think) about 12 € each.

So I now have two extra external drives for backups (I rotate them with a third drive, so I have backups from three different dates, in case I need to retrieve an older version of something I've recently overwritten.)

Try "usb hdd external case" or similar in a search engine to find out what is available.

Bob

[GrahamH]

An addition to "You cannot be too careful when disposing of old hard drives."

If you are using a hammer, electric drill or any other tool to destroy a hard drive always wear eye protection. Sharp pieces have been known to fly off.

[arthurk]

You can buy an external case for hard disks.....

Try "usb hdd external case" or similar in a search engine to find out what is available.

Thank you, Bob - what I wrote in reply #1 evidently got overlooked in the flurry of posts about security, smashing disks to smithereens etc etc.

There is one caveat about using an old disk in this way: it's not brand new, and will almost certainly fail sooner than a new one. Disks develop faults over time (bad sectors etc); I believe operating systems are generally clever enough to store data in the undamaged parts (you might need to use tools such as disk cleanup and repair), but the more you put on it, the less possible that becomes.

Of course, a brand new drive will eventually fail too, so backup strategies shouldn't ever rely on just one drive, however new it is.

[Calverley Lad]

Yet I have managed to have 2failed power supplies on an expensive external hard drive.
Replacing the complete drive enclosure costing 10pounds last time, 6months ago.
[Search external hard drive enclosure for suppliers/prices]
 Brian

[Malcolm Bull]

Thanks, too, to Berlin-Bob.  I hadn't heard of these external cases, and they look like the ideal solution for my requirements.  Thanks also those with health & safety in mind, but I'm 77, not 7!

[ThrelfallYorky]

So: is it sledgehammers at dawn then?
TY

[andrewalston]

Running a drive from a failed machine as an additional drive in a working one is common in the IT world.

It allows all sorts of software fixes not possible when the original machine is too screwed up to boot. It also allows important files to be copied off.

The procedure is so common that I used to run the relevant cables to the outside of my desktop machine, ready for rapid attachment. Using a SATA connection rather than an enclosure with a USB one is quicker, and the connectors are the same for 3.5" and 2.5" drives. An earlier comment mentioned electrical risks, but the highest voltage present is only 12V. The drive frame is always designed so that it can be placed on a flat metal plate without shorting anything - this is commonly the arrangement inside the computer's case.

Because of this easy access to drive contents, many organisations now encrypt the contents of drives.

Drives from old machines usually have plenty of life left in them, but beware of any that sound noisy as that usually means the bearings are on their way out. Many laptops get moved around while the drive is running, so their drives have a harder life, subjected to shocks and gyroscopic effects.

Modern drives use less power than older ones, and may work faster.

If your BIOS supports SMART (Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology), you might get some indication of future failure. If it doesn't, then there are many tools to give you a report on a drive. I use Hiren's Boot Disk for this.

[Mart 'n' Al]

Back to the original comment, "Write Zero data sanitization" is another option.  Search for that phrase and you will find articles such as this one.

https://www.blancco.com/blog-dod-5220-22-m-wiping-standard-method/

and

https://www.lifewire.com/free-data-destruction-software-programs-2626174

When I was working, for various companies doing defence work, it was the standard procedure before scrapping old hard drives.  I am no longer up to date on the concept, but I am not aware of anything have changed.

Martin

[cristeen]

Just bookmarking this thread as my motherboard has just bitten the dust!