Disk drive question (Full Version)

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mrtigger -> Disk drive question (6/27/2008 6:59:36 PM)

This is kind of an unusual question and maybe no one knows but I'll ask anyway....

Does it harm disk drives to operate them vertically rather than horizontally?

They power up and run ok that way but I'm thinking running in that position might wear down the bearings faster and shorten the life??



ta_mosquito -> RE: Disk drive question (6/27/2008 7:24:39 PM)

I asked Hubby for ya.

Hubby says that there are a lot of computers (including servers) that come with their drives mounted that way, so if it were known to shorten the life of the drive, he doubts they'd do it.

It probably differs from model to model, depending on the bearing design, whether it matters at all.

He's read things stating that right side up is OK, sideways is OK, but upside down isn't, but he's even heard conflicting arguments about that!



LCannon -> RE: Disk drive question (6/28/2008 12:30:58 AM)

Since a spinning drive is essentially a gyroscope floating in air after it's at speed the orientation would take care of itself. Some even suggest vertical orientation for cooling.



figmentPez -> RE: Disk drive question (6/28/2008 12:34:29 AM)

In the old days (more than a decade ago, at least), hard drives used different types of mechanics to move the read heads, and setting a drive in a different orientation than it was formatted in could cause read errors (because gravity would effect the position of the read head). Modern drives don't much care what position they operate in.



MWD -> RE: Disk drive question (6/30/2008 7:50:56 PM)

Just to pursue that point, it was accepted practice back then to decide beforehand which orientation the drive would be put into service in, and then stick with that for the life of the drive.

You could always go to the manufacturer's support area.



imagineopeneyes -> RE: Disk drive question (7/3/2008 8:22:05 AM)

For ssd drives you can do whatever you want to them in fact you could probably shake them all over the place in use and it wouldn't matter.



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