hard drive-run full time or not?

athalonhead

Is it better for a hard drive to be on all the time? Or is it better to let it to go on standby and shut off when not using the computer?
I read somewhere the the heads ride on a cushion of air and when it shut off they would contact the platters. But before the platters stop spinning the heads go into a park position.
So I am wondering is it better to let it go on standby to save wear the motor?
Or would be better running all the time so the heads dont contact the platters?

madmat

Some drives park the heads in the center of the platter others park them completely off to the side. I'm not sure as to which does what but I really doubt that the ones that park in the center are damaging the drive and allowing the motor to stop if the PC is going to be unused for a goodly amount of time can only help the spindle motor live longer.

Tex

leave it running. Like most electronics its the powering up and shutting down when its most likely to fail.

Tex

kryyst

If it's on a normal computer there really is no need to rest the drives. On a laptop though if battery power is a consideration then there is a need for it.

athalonhead

I read that too that they usually fail on startup and shut down. What about leaveing it on overnight do most of you do that?
Some said defraging alot was bad too. What do you guys think about that?

ronbo

I have worked for a motor repair shop for the last 30 years and I have to agree with Tex. If you let a motor run all the time it will last a lot longer. During startup of a motor the current could be over 10 times the rated current of the motor. True, a hard drive does not draw much current but when powered up the little motor in it will draw 10 times what it is rated for. I have a good example in my house. I have had the same ceiling fan running in my living room for 24 years. It is never off. It blows up in the winter and down in the summer. Best $29 I ever spent.

madmat

Actually, a HDD will draw about 2A at spin up and about .7A on the 12V at read/write and .375 at idle so it's closer to 5 times the current.

ronbo

madmat wrote:

Actually, a HDD will draw about 2A at spin up and about .7A on the 12V at read/write and .375 at idle so it's closer to 5 times the current.

Sorry I'm used to working on motors up to 5000hp. I guess you could be right on the tiny hard drive motors....

Tex

athalonhead wrote:

I read that too that they usually fail on startup and shut down. What about leaveing it on overnight do most of you do that?
Some said defraging alot was bad too. What do you guys think about that?

I always defrag. All my computers run 24/7

If you worry about your computer and keeping it alive buy one of these. And then just don't ever turn it off.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8770774400&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1

Best money you will ever spend.

Tex

madmat

ronbo wrote:

Sorry I'm used to working on motors up to 5000hp. I guess you could be right on the tiny hard drive motors....

Yeah, I think brushless motors are a bit more efficient at startup than the big brush type. Still, a fivefold increase in draw at startup is a pretty good increase nonetheless.

ronbo

Tex, I always defrag too, but I have a question for you. My nephew told me it is not necessary to defrag all my drives (4). He said to only defrag my operating system drive. The other drives where I have my downloads and movies and music and games do not need to be defraged. He said there is a slight chance I might lose data on them if I am always derfaging them...Is this true?.....

Tex

ronbo wrote:

Tex, I always defrag too, but I have a question for you. My nephew told me it is not necessary to defrag all my drives (4). He said to only defrag my operating system drive. The other drives where I have my downloads and movies and music and games do not need to be defraged. He said there is a slight chance I might lose data on them if I am always derfaging them...Is this true?.....

No it's BS but...

ALWAYS do a disk check before you defrag to know the partition is sound. If its not you could lose data because the filesystem is messed up. And its going to defrag stuff and since the filesysystem is corruptit will "defrag" stuff together that isnt supposed to BE together.

if your computers memory (test it from time to time) and filesystem is sound you should NEVER lose data on a defrag.

It uses your computers memory to defrag and its bad yes you can jack yourself. Same with having a sound filesystem. Always try and do a filesystem check BEFORE defragging. Check the memory every couple months.

Tex

airbornflght

does the line conditioner just make the power cleaner, or does it also have a batter backup also? Im looking into getting an ups.

Tex

Its a voltage regulator. It locks in the exact voltage. it handles VERY short (like lights blinking) outages. Most UPS's do nothing to regulate the power. they look for a power outage and try to switch to battery before the device dies.

Tex

airbornflght

so if i trip a breaker than my computer still dies, what do you think about using both of these in conjunction with one another. im guessing you would put the voltage regulator in front of the ups?

athalonhead

What about defraging programs. Is windows xp good enough or is there other defrag programs that are better.
Are you sopposed to use that line regulator with the surge protector or does it eliminate it.
I was searching and found this http://www.gizmosquad.com/products.asp?product_id=5871087378

Is this line cond -reg better, worse ,wrong-- than the other one on Ebay?

Leonardo

I don't know about that particular model, but Triplite is renowned as good quality.

Tex

Its a third the size but its the same thing basicaly.

athalonhead

Tex I was doing some more reseasrch on those stabalisers I found out that one you reccomended was over $160.00 new.

I went back to ebay.regestered and bid $28.00 on it with 20 minutes left I was the high bider. I thought I was going to be luckey. But with 7 seconds left someone bid $29.00 on it and got it. Dam!

Now you got me thinking about voltage stabilisers.
Do those deals come around very often?
Is that one I found worth biding on or should I wait for a higher rated one?
Are there other sources that have those for good prices?
Thanks alot for the help so far short media and tex. I learn so much here at these forums.

Tex

I have that search setup (along with like 30 others) and ebay emails me every morning when another is listed. The 600 watt one you found should work ok for a single computer, Maybe not with a laser printer and 21 inch monitor etc... I mean it might. Others more into electronics should chime in for ya here.

I run multiple computers off the big 1800 watt ones. I have a pair of 1800 watt ones and smaller 1200 watt also. I have five 64bit computers. Ones a dual opteron and the other is a dual xeon. And I know lots of folks recomend really expensive PSU's in your computer but ever since I started using these suckers I use big CHEAP ASS power supplies. Big 600 watt cheap ones. My computers all run 24/7 and its been 4 years since I lost a PSU. Before I lost a big Antec True power and two HUGE Enermax's.

Tex

I have that search setup (along with like 30 others) and ebay emails me every morning when another is listed. The 600 watt one you found should work ok for a single computer, Maybe not with a laser printer and 21 inch monitor etc... I mean it might. Others more into electronics should chime in for ya here.

I run multiple computers off the big 1800 watt ones. I have a pair of 1800 watt ones and smaller 1200 watt also. I have five 64bit computers. Ones a dual opteron and the other is a dual xeon. And I know lots of folks recomend really expensive PSU's in your computer but ever since I started using these suckers I use big CHEAP ASS power supplies. Big 600 watt cheap ones. My computers all run 24/7 and its been 4 years since I lost a PSU. Before I lost a big Antec True power and two HUGE Enermax's. These really help ! I think I paid around $40 a pop for the big lc-1800's

athalonhead

I need more than 2 plugs so I guess I will wait until another 1800 comes around for a good deal.And put in a little higher bid in with one minute left.I would apperciate it if you could let me know if another comes up.

In june there is this sale at a trailer park where there is alot of cheap old computers for sale. A friend of mine was there last year and said I could have filled up my truck with computers. If I have some extra cash at the time I may go and get a few computers. I want to build one of those numbers crunching computer farms. That might keep me occupied enough that I wont keep wanting to build a 939 system until the 939s get cheaper.