stacking 2.5" hard drives on top of one another

[yawnmoth]

Whenever I get a new laptop, I sell my old laptop (sans the hard
drive, which I keep in storage) on eBay. I now have three 2.5" hard
drives just sitting around and to consolidate space, I've stacked them
on top of each other. Problem is, when doing this, I can feel the
permanent magnets.

3.5" hard drives, as I understand it, have mu metal to dampen the
permanent magnets, so stacking them on top of one another doesn't
worry me. The 2.5" hard drives, however... can the permanent
magnets, without the mu metal shielding 3.5" HDDs have, wipe or worse
render unusable blocks of other hard drives? If so, what would be the
ideal way to store the drives?

I'm not too terribly concerned about it as I have another copy of the
data on these drives, but... these drives were kinda acting as a
backup. If the hard drive on which I have their contents copied onto
fails, I'd like to be able to just recopy the data off of the old
drives.

 

[Rod Speed]

Whenever I get a new laptop, I sell my old laptop
(sans the hard drive, which I keep in storage) on eBay.

What does that do to the price you get ?

There are plenty of secure wipers around.

I now have three 2.5" hard drives just sitting around and to
consolidate space, I've stacked them on top of each other.

I've reported you to the RSPCPPLHDBCA. You'll be soorree...

Problem is, when doing this, I can feel the permanent magnets.

Its illegal to touch up permanent magnets without their consent, boy.

3.5" hard drives, as I understand it, have mu metal to dampen the permanent magnets,
Nope.

so stacking them on top of one another doesn't worry me.

It does worry them tho.

The 2.5" hard drives, however... can the permanent
magnets, without the mu metal shielding 3.5" HDDs have,

Pure fantasy.

wipe or worse render unusable blocks of other hard drives?
Nope.

If so, what would be the ideal way to store the drives?

You could shove them up your bum, sideways.

I'm not too terribly concerned about it as I have another copy of
the data on these drives, but... these drives were kinda acting as a
backup. If the hard drive on which I have their contents copied onto
fails, I'd like to be able to just recopy the data off of the old drives.

That will work fine, if you ever need to do that.

 

[Arno]

Whenever I get a new laptop, I sell my old laptop (sans the hard
drive, which I keep in storage) on eBay. I now have three 2.5" hard
drives just sitting around and to consolidate space, I've stacked them
on top of each other. Problem is, when doing this, I can feel the
permanent magnets.

3.5" hard drives, as I understand it, have mu metal to dampen the
permanent magnets, so stacking them on top of one another doesn't
worry me. The 2.5" hard drives, however... can the permanent
magnets, without the mu metal shielding 3.5" HDDs have, wipe or worse
render unusable blocks of other hard drives? If so, what would be the
ideal way to store the drives?

No. The magnets are not strong enough for that by a large margin.
However, I would think that mmechanically damaging the head
assembly is a possibility.

Arno

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Whenever I get a new laptop, I sell my old laptop (sans the hard
drive, which I keep in storage) on eBay. I now have three 2.5" hard
drives just sitting around and to consolidate space, I've stacked them
on top of each other. Problem is, when doing this, I can feel the
permanent magnets.

Wow, do you buy them a new hard drive, or do you just tell them they
won't be getting a hard drive? A lot o laptops have an OEM reinstall
partition located on their original hard drive too.


Regarding stacking the hard drives, I wouldn't worry about losing data
by magnetic damage. However, I would be concerned about losing data by
heat damage. These little drives are cooped up in confined aluminium
cases which are passively cooled, at best. Stacking them up would just
be transferring their heat between each other, and making them all
overheat candidates.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Rod Speed]

Wow, do you buy them a new hard drive, or do you just tell them they
won't be getting a hard drive? A lot o laptops have an OEM reinstall
partition located on their original hard drive too.


Regarding stacking the hard drives, I wouldn't worry about losing data
by magnetic damage. However, I would be concerned about losing data by
heat damage. These little drives are cooped up in confined aluminium
cases which are passively cooled, at best. Stacking them up would just
be transferring their heat between each other, and making them all
overheat candidates.

Not really a problem with 2.5" hard drives.

 

[YKhan]

Not really a problem with 2.5" hard drives.

I've had a 2.5" drive fail in a passive aluminium case without even
being stacked. Just overheated and never heard from it ever again.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Rod Speed]

I've had a 2.5" drive fail in a passive aluminium case without even
being stacked. Just overheated and never heard from it ever again.

I've never had any even get warm.

And thats where we get 10 days over 40C and I like it
warm and dont even turn the AC on until its well over 30C.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Regarding stacking the hard drives, I wouldn't worry about losing data
by magnetic damage. However, I would be concerned about losing data by
heat damage.

I understood that the OP was storing his HDs in a cupboard or drawer,
ie not powered.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Keith Wilby]

Not really a problem with 2.5" hard drives.

Esp when they're switched off.

 

[Rod Speed]

Keith Wilby wrote

Esp when they're switched off.

You quite sure you aint one of those rocket scientist fellas ?

 

[Keith Wilby]

Keith Wilby wrote


You quite sure you aint one of those rocket scientist fellas ?

You quite sure you can't detect a tinge of sarcasm?

 

[Rod Speed]

Keith Wilby wrote

You quite sure you can't detect a tinge of sarcasm?

You in spades, child.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

I understood that the OP was storing his HDs in a cupboard or drawer,
ie not powered.

Hmmm, I wasn't sure if he meant just storing the hard drives on top of
each other, or if he meant utilizing them stacked on top of each other?
So I just assumed the worse possibility of the two.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Arno]

Hmmm, I wasn't sure if he meant just storing the hard drives on top of
each other, or if he meant utilizing them stacked on top of each other?
So I just assumed the worse possibility of the two.

Well, stacking them directly and running them that way would
indeed be quite bad heat-wise.

Arno

 

[Ed Light]

You really hate it when someone gets the better of you, don't you shitfer?
"Rod Speed" say it all about you, feckwit.

We have filtered Mr. Speed out. It is very nice without him.

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[JK Jones]

We have filtered Mr. Speed out.

Because he hates having his nose rubbed in his terminal stupiditys, time after time after time.