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Hard Drive Window

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the because-you-shouldn't dept.

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."

6 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. People have done this for years!! by karlandtanya · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is news??

    --
    "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
  2. Re:uh huh by SandSpider · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Exactly. The problem is not getting it to work at all. The problem is not seriously shortening the life span of the hard drive by opening it up in an unclean environment.

    --
    There is nothing so good that someone, somewhere, will not hate it.
  3. I can't imagine you would see anything by Nf1nk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This seems cool and all, but I can't imagine that there would be much to see. First the discs, in any of the hard drives I have cracked open and destroyed, never had any markings on them that might look cool when they spin. and second the only part you might be able to tell if it was moving is the read head this would be cool to watch, but the odds of screwing up your hard drive seem far too high to justify watching a read head move back and forth.
    but I have never seen the need to add neon lights and clear view windows to my case either.

    --
    I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
  4. Re:Yippy-Skippy. by atta1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I hate to burst that bubble, but newer drives have a few major differences that make this mod more hazardous. Specifically, aerial density (more tpi), smaller head size and a lower fly height. All these things make particulates in the drive much more hazardous to the drive and will cause it to fail sooner.

    --
    "The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote" -- Kosh
  5. Too much free time and money. by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Really to be safe doing this you would need a clean room. One speck of dust could ruin the drive. When you install the window you better be sure you seal it will so no dust can sneak in. Kiss any warranty on the drive goodbye.
    I really don't get these case mods at all. All I want to see of my computer is the monitor and all I want to here is what comes out the speakers.
    When a few people did them it was kind of cool. Now that you can BUY a case with a window big deal.
    Want to impress people. Show me an AMD X2 system with SLI and four really fast big drives in a RAID 0+1 that is totally silent and does need to have it's coolant tank filled. Oh and it has to fit under my desk.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  6. Re:Cleanroom? by Tongo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The thing about a bathroom is you can turn on the shower very hot, causing a lot of steam. This will cause all of the lint, fuzz, and bellybuttong gunk to stick to something, leaving the air a little more dust free.

    Or something like that.