Old 60GB / 80GB HDDs - any use anymore? Or scrap

Mel_P · 14 Jun 2019 at 11:44

Just sorting out backups to 1903 and found in my back up "store" some HDDs with 2015 back ups.

Is there any demand anywhere for such drives - or is it the hammer!

Mel

marc2003 · 14 Jun 2019 at 11:52

bledd · 14 Jun 2019 at 11:55

The only useful HDD are 2TB+ and they belong in a NAS

:cool:

Mel_P · 14 Jun 2019 at 12:32

BUT I bought these for (probably) £100! is there no comeback from the manufacturer for selling me goods that would soon be obsolete and worthless!

varkanoid · 14 Jun 2019 at 13:58

Turn them into clocks.

Randomface74 · 14 Jun 2019 at 14:00

paperweight

MrWhippy · 24 Jun 2019 at 20:15

Take one apart if you've never seen the workings. Drill holes in the rest.

Stephanie Peterson · 24 Jun 2019 at 20:17

Take the magnets out, rest is junk.

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Jun 2019 at 20:56

Make sure you don't tip the drive upside down, the data might fall off making it unrecoverable.

Mel_P · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:05

Stephanie Peterson said:
Take the magnets out, rest is junk.

Stripped 3 down and opened them up. What are the platters made of? Where are the magnets please?

mrbell1984 said:
Make sure you don't tip the drive upside down, the data might fall off making it unrecoverable.

-
Too late - its fallen off!

The drive seems to be mostly reamed out Aluminium - perhaps if I collect enough I can sell as scrap metal?

Armageus · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:14

Stephanie Peterson said:
Take the magnets out, rest is junk.

Platters make good drink coasters

Mel_P · 28 Jun 2019 at 12:49

Stephanie Peterson said:
Take the magnets out, rest is junk.

Wow - what strong magnets! They are part of the scanning head support? What are they for. I now have about 4 stuck together.

bimbleuk · 28 Jun 2019 at 13:51

Rare earth neodymium type magnets I suspect. I use some tiny ones at work to hold schedule sheets to the side of a cabinet but I have to use the round edge against the metal as the flat is almost too strong to prize off again!

cyber69 · 29 Jun 2019 at 10:44

I used the magnets from an old hard drive as stud detectors in a wall (to detect the nails)

andy_mk3 · 29 Jun 2019 at 10:59

cyber69 said:
I used the magnets from an old hard drive as stud detectors in a wall (to detect the nails)

I have a pair in my toolbox cabinet at work to hold my keys

Mel_P · 29 Jun 2019 at 17:27

If I paid £100 for my 80GB HDD and I have scrapped the drive that means I paid £50 / magnet - as that's all I have left! (i know I have had the use of the drives etc . . . .)

Quartz · 29 Jun 2019 at 17:38

Mel_P said:
Just sorting out backups to 1903 and found in my back up "store" some HDDs with 2015 back ups.

Just keep them. The data will still be readable for a good few years.

Mel_P · 29 Jun 2019 at 18:25

Quartz said:
Just keep them. The data will still be readable for a good few years.

Yes but the data has been backed up since then and the widows versions were XP or before! So not really very useful data. And 4 old HDDs are a big volume to store in my back up (steel cupboard) in the garage. Leaves more room for the wine!!!!

Stephanie Peterson · 29 Jun 2019 at 18:54

Technology ages, usually quite quickly and badly.
Your expensive hard drives are now paperweights.

This is just the way it is, fortunately.

Mel_P · 30 Jun 2019 at 12:59

What happened here!