Subj : Re: What to do with a gia To : Barry Martin From : Ky Moffet Date : Tue Feb 15 2022 10:58:00 BARRY MARTIN wrote: > Hi Ky! > > Good memory! No idea what happened - thinking maybe one of the r/w arms > > broke as thought I heard a rattling. Computer was on a UPS so shouldn't > > have been a shock from a voltage surge. > KM> I've seen a HD with a busted r/w arm (head come loose and just > KM> dangling) and another with the arm disconnected entirely. So it > KM> does happen! > > In hind sight I should have opened the drive to see what happened. I > know I tried a few recovery options. If they're making noise it's one of two problems: either busted as above, or (more often) the logic board died and it's making the motor go clank clank clank. Logic boards can be replaced... sometimes. Around the 40GB era that starts to be very specific and needs an exact-match chip, or it won't work. Matching same production batch, not just same model, and with the more modern HDs every drive is different because the chip is programmed to match the individual drive. There's an outfit that sells the logic boards, and also does the repairs for under $100 or so, but it's no longer something you and I can really do. > KM> So long as it schlepps files back and forth and stores 'em > KM> reliably, it's good enough, what else is a NAS supposed to do > KM> anyway?? > Provide another source for blinkenlichten! Actually pretty much my LOL! > thoughts: just need it to store/backup data. The only two issues with it > are current OSs whine about the low security version it has (can't be > updated as no longer supported) -- I have a work-around and don't need > the security. The other is it is getting a little long in the tooth and > so might have some pending hardware issues. Yeah, same reason I don't care that Bullet, who until I started rearranging hardware was doing duty as file server, is 14 years old. Reliable, so who cares? And unless some nullwit breaks into my house and peers into my files, there really isn't any security issue. > > I'm been planning to build my own NAS: > KM> There exist NAS-OS images, tho I haven't looked into 'em. > Have found some of them and glanced through. Some look pretty > impressive! Yeah, quite competent. The Asustor, if I were rich and buying a NAS, looks like a really nice unit. Since I'm not rich, some low-power PC will do. :P > > use some of the old/smaller HDDs > > for end-directories (instead of a sub-dir on a huge/new HDD). Some > > other project bullies its way in front of the line.... > KM> I guess until you run out of connectors... > Strip and solder a few of the wires together to make Y-adapeters. Cheat :P > KM> I recall an Adventure with several bogus AData thumb drives.... > KM> in my observation, all the off-brand drives are crap. If it's not > KM> a Big Name, AVOID!! > > Yes, these were Adata thumbdrives. Not sure if it's an off-brand but I > wasn't impressed by their customer service and so they are now on my Do > Not Buy List. Looks to me like the off-brands are buying seconds (borderline-defective memory chips) and building the units with the cheapest logic board available. So they're bound to fail early and often... and are priced accordingly. At this point, in a flash drive or memory card, I'll only buy Sandisk. þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .