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Write Bits Directly Onto a Hard Drive Platter?
kidcharles writes "I'm working on a project that requires writing bits to a magnetic hard drive platter in a completely controlled fashion. I need to be able to control exactly where 1s and 0s will appear physically on the platter. Normally when data is written to a drive the actual bits that get written are determined by the file system being used, as modified by whatever kind of error handling the drive itself is using (e.g. Reed-Solomon). All of the modern innovations in file systems and error handling are great for reliable and efficient data storage, but they are making my particular task quite daunting. My question for Slashdot: is there a way to get down to the 'bare metal' and write these bits? Any good utilities out there to do this? Obviously a free and open source solution would be preferable, but I'm open to anything at this point."
It works for me. http://www.staples.com/Staples-Dry-Erase-Markers-Chisel-Tip-Black-4-Pack/product_607101?cmArea=FEATURED:SC1:CG11:DP1101 Now that someone has said it no one else can be a smart ass and they have to be informative.
May I suggest a magnetic needle and a steady hand? http://xkcd.com/378/
Regards, Boyan
I can't help directly, but can give one important advice - careful how you distribute the bits! If too many ones get on the same side of the platter this will destabilize it, causing it to wobble due to the weight difference ( a one weighs quite a bit more than a zero, you know!) and potentially tearing the platter in two!
Got myself a disk editor, and wrote something on the very first sector.
After that I can't use the HD anymore.
The computer can't even recognize it anymore.
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
>Any good utilities out there to do this?
Yes. My solution involves a screwdriver and a sharpie. And you can write bits of information to the bare metal, like "this drive is broken, dont waste your time trying to fix it".
My colleague was not happy finding the drive on his desk and told me its a low level joke. Well, yes.
yup
Once you can read, you can also write. I've learned it at schools some 20 years ago
this post contain no useful information, no need to mod it down
Good. Go write "Paulatz wuz here" next to the HOLLYWOOD sign.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
I'm working on a project that requires writing protons to an atom nucleus in a completely controlled fashion. I need to be able to control exactly where protons will appear physically on the nucleus. Normally when atoms are created during fusion the actual atoms that get created are determined by the energy input of the fusion reaction as modified by whatever kind of atoms are being fused (e.g. hydrogen into helium). All of the modern innovations in nucleosynthesis and alchemy are great for particle colliders and crackpots from the Middle Ages, but they are making my particular task quite daunting. My question for Slashdot: is there a way to get down to the 'bare metal' and transmute lead into gold in a cost-effective manner? Any good utilities out there to do this? Obviously a free and open source solution would be preferable, but I'm open to anything at this point.
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
"I'm working on a project that requires writing bits to a magnetic hard drive platter in a completely controlled fashion."
Are you sure?
The reason I ask is I'm working on a project that requires me to move data faster than light. At least that's what I spent last Monday working up the math to prove that data replication between our different data centers has an upper bound enforced by the fabric of the universe and that it was impossible for me to achieve the project's stated goals without essentially inventing warp drive. As it turns out after a meeting it was determined that the goal was just a stated guideline. It also turns out the price of faster data transfer rates is prohibitive and after a further meeting the stated project goal was total baloney. Yes. Baloney. We had sandwiches. It was a nice meeting.
[signature]
... parametrize ... influence ... situation ... position ...
You sound like a corporate buzzword generator.
Randall Munroe
http://outcampaign.org/
You will need a reasonably sized HD, like this one where ones and zeros occupy a space of about postage stamp size.
No, its only that his writing algorithm a word.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Nice, 'course there's an emacs command to do that, good old C-x M-c M-modintooblivion...
But how can be sure?
sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
Your sentence is wrong, sorry.
Your sentience is wrong, sorry.
damn. I was going to say "Call Woz."
Steve -- If you have to call it a system, you don't know what it is.
"I hope he get his $100, and share with us if possible."
gives new meaning to "my 2 cents worth"
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
The romantic in me wonders if he is trying to create a piece of art. Next week's front-page headlines are like "Hard-Drive Hacker Recreates 'Starry Night' Directly On Platter".
UTF-8: There and Back Again
> Not to mention that disks haven't actually written "zeros and ones" as such for at least 15 years
Roight--modern drives go to ELEVEN!
Find a drive with characteristics similar to what you want, and contract with the manufacturer to modify the drive to do what you want. The manufacturer has the tools and engineers to alter the existing firmware. It won't be cheap. If the manufacturer refuses the proposal, buy the company.