ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (04/22/91)
I always had the impression that installing HDs upside-down was bad. Then
I replaced my internal SCSI drive, and noticed that it was originally installed
upside-down. This struck me as surprising; nonethless, I installed my
new drive upside-down. :^) The drive I replaced had no problems with it, ever,
so I'm assuming upside-down drives aren't a problem.
Is it preferable to install hard drives upside-down?!
--
Ed Krimen ...............................................
||| Video Production Major, California State University, Chico
||| INTERNET: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu FREENET: al661
/ | \ SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261 FIDONET: 1:119/4.0mikeg@c3.c3.lanl.gov (Michael P. Gerlek) (04/24/91)
In article <1991Apr21.184024.13484@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes: > I always had the impression that installing HDs upside-down was bad. Then > I replaced my internal SCSI drive, and noticed that it was originally installed > upside-down. This struck me as surprising; nonethless, I installed my > new drive upside-down. :^) The drive I replaced had no problems with it, ever, > so I'm assuming upside-down drives aren't a problem. > > Is it preferable to install hard drives upside-down?! Doesn't make a (bit) of difference, because the bits are stored on the disk vertically, and an upside-down 1 or 0 is still readable as a 1 or 0 - ones and zeros are vertically symmetrical. :-) :-) Of course, you may wind up reading all your files backwards (endianness, et al)... -- -[mpg] mikeg@lanl.gov "The ducks are back!"
rcb@shaman.cc.ncsu.edu (Randy Buckland) (04/24/91)
In article <1991Apr21.184024.13484@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes: > I always had the impression that installing HDs upside-down was bad. Then > I replaced my internal SCSI drive, and noticed that it was originally installed > upside-down. This struck me as surprising; nonethless, I installed my > new drive upside-down. :^) The drive I replaced had no problems with it, ever, > so I'm assuming upside-down drives aren't a problem. > Is it preferable to install hard drives upside-down?! Be careful with unusual orientations of hard drives. Some types have their head arms designed in such a way that only some positions will work properly. Others can be stood on their head and no problems. Check the drive manual for any info before installing. -- Randy Buckland "It's hard to work North Carolina State University in a group when you're randy@ncsu.edu (919) 737-2517 omnipotent" -- Q
ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) (04/25/91)
In article <1991Apr21.184024.13484@ecst.csuchico.edu>, ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) says: > >I always had the impression that installing HDs upside-down was bad. >.......... > >Is it preferable to install hard drives upside-down?! It depends on the design of the drive. Check with the manufacturer. I would also be careful about heat from the drive affecting the drive electronics if the upside mounting results in the electronics being above the drive. Cooling fan *may* handle that or may not.
ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (04/25/91)
In article <rcb.672496153@shaman.cc.ncsu.edu> rcb@shaman.cc.ncsu.edu (Randy Buckland) writes: > >Be careful with unusual orientations of hard drives. Some types have >their head arms designed in such a way that only some positions will work >properly. Others can be stood on their head and no problems. Check the drive >manual for any info before installing. The drive in question is a Quantum 105meg ProDrive. I called Hard Drives International, where I bought the drive, and talked to one of their techs. He said don't do it because it wasn't to be installed that way. I plan to call Quantum soon (when I get a chance). -- Ed Krimen ............................................... ||| Video Production Major, California State University, Chico ||| INTERNET: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu FREENET: al661 / | \ SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261 FIDONET: 1:119/4.0
slaurel@contact.uucp (David Maxwell) (04/28/91)
In <MIKEG.91Apr23123100@c3.c3.lanl.gov> mikeg@c3.c3.lanl.gov (Michael P. Gerlek) writes: >In article <1991Apr21.184024.13484@ecst.csuchico.edu> > ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes: >> I always had the impression that installing HDs upside-down was bad. Then >> so I'm assuming upside-down drives aren't a problem. >> Is it preferable to install hard drives upside-down?! >Doesn't make a (bit) of difference, because the bits are stored on the >disk vertically, and an upside-down 1 or 0 is still readable as a 1 or >0 - ones and zeros are vertically symmetrical. :-) :-) >Of course, you may wind up reading all your files backwards >(endianness, et al)... Well, while the positioning of a drive may have no effect on the magnetic storage system used, because everything is relative to the position of the drive, there is another matter. Hard drives contain a disk which spins constantly, and at high speed. These two facors are part of the reason hard drives are so fast. 1) No wait for spin-up time during each disk access (As per floppy). 2) The disk is more durable, and encased in a dust/fingerprint/moisture-proof box, which means that the magnetic surface is more reliable and is one factor which allows the data to be read at the higher rotational speeds. Numbers one and two combine to set up a constant, fairly strong gyroscope, so moving the drive (aside from in the plane of rotation) while it's on is a bad idea. Try holding a gyroscope and turning it in any direction (Not in the plane of rotation) and feel the resistance. Imagine the gyroscope spinning much faster, and the resistance as pressure on the surface of your hard disk's platter. Not good. I'm not a physics major, but I've been told that the best positions for the drive are 90 deg angles, (I justify this by reminding myself that the Earth is spinning too. (Maybe hardrives should only be mounted sideways in positions where they face north or south? :-) ) ) So aside from that, remind yourself that hardcard makers mount drives sideways daily, but that the hard drive manufacturers make them with a side generally considered up. If it was better for your hardrive to be upside down, or sideways, wouldn't the manufacturer have called a different side 'up'. (I have two hardrives mounted sideways in my machine, one on it's left, on it's right.) David Maxwell P.S. Would some kindly physics major like to discuss gyroscopic forces in terms of hard drives? -- Worf: I protest! I am NOT a merry man! (Qpid) slaurel@contact