Re: [tlug] Dealing with a possibly busted external HD

[Kalin KOZHUHAROV <me.kalin@example.com>]

On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 7:38 PM, Daniel A. Ramaley
<daniel.ramaley@example.com> wrote:
>> BTW, another slightly time-consuming, BUT FUN, way is to open and
>> disassemble the drive. Use the magnets on your fridge (write GEEK on
>> them), bend the platters or sand them.
>
> The most powerful magnets i own are ones i pulled from drives.
> Definitely worth doing if you have the time. Modern drives sometimes
> have magnets in weird shapes that are glued to metal bits. I've never
> figured out a good way to unglue them. Any thoughts on that?
>

Well, most of them are only slightly glued actually (with a dot of
glue), they just stick to the metal too good.
Prying them off with (potentially sharpened) minus driver requires
some skillz, but I think I can do 8-9/10 without breaking them.
Another way is to use to big clamps/wrenches/pliers/slit in metal or
whatever, and bend the holding bracket away from the magnet (the
bracket is relatively soft).

Always wear gloves (I do after I pierced my hands a few times with the
said driver) and better protective glasses also (I do, after I  made a
place to hang them, so I know where they are)!
And work one at a time, keeping the rest away, sandwiched between a
piece of plastic and stored in a metal box. I had a freak accident
where a few jumped over probably 30-50 cm and stuck together (no
injuries, just pure luck).

And one last one! Never keep your 図書カード stuck to the fridge with those
magnets (or old phone cards) - they (turned out to be) are magnetic
stripe... I was gathering some during the years and despite them being
new, the record was completely messed up, so I had to send them back
for refund, not a funny exercise while leaving Japan for good and in a
hurry...

Cheers,
Kalin.