Question HDD 2.5" internal construction and shock protection ?

[cloudff7ps1]

Do 2.5" HDDs have any protection against impact or accidental shock hdd 2.5" in power on operates to prevent the needle and mechanical arm from touching the magnetic disks?

Do 2.5" HDDs manufactured in 2012/2013 have this protection or only the most recent ones?

Does shock to the 2.5" HDD case when moving it on the table make a big difference to the HDD falling from the table to the floor?

 

[Ralston18]

Make and model HDDs?

Are you referencing "head parking"?

Shock is a matter of G-forces" acceleration/de-acceleration.

Strength and direction matters with respect to the internal components.

Overall if an HDD was "kicked" hard enough across the table the end result would likely be the same as if the HDD dropped from the table.

A car hitting a telephone pole at 60 mph would likely have the same shock as if the car nose rolled off of some parking garage level and hit the ground at 60 mph.

There are variable: a car hitting a telephone pole head on at 60 mph may crumple. If the car hits the telephone pole while sliding sideways at 60 mph then the car may be cut in half.....


As a starting point:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/1bikt0x/what_is_the_lower_limit_for_shocksvibrations/?rdt=38496"

http://www.ghisys.com/EnvironmentalandVibrationalTestingofHardDisk Drives.pdf

Generally the "real world" damage or consequences of dropped or hit HDD's are due to losing data on the drive.

Hence the need for having multiple, proven recoverable backups.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[USAFRet]

In your previous thread regarding external drives, you were informed about the shock protection, in G's, of various drives.
https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...-my-external-hdd.3857063/page-3#post-23353851

Even though this is for an 'internal' drive, how is this markedly different?

 

[cloudff7ps1]

My 2.5" HDDs are a bit old, from 2013, models Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662. I couldn’t find their datasheets. i have other new hdd 2.5" seagate ST500LM030

 

[USAFRet]

My 2.5" HDDs are a bit old, from 2013, models Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662. I couldn’t find their datasheets. i have other new hdd 2.5" seagate ST500LM030

Automagic head parking has been a thing for every hard drive sold this century.

 

[geofelt]

If you are worried about dropping a laptop with a HDD, consider using a ssd instead.
Performance as a C drive will improve your desktop quickness greatly.

 

[SkyNetRising]

If you are worried about dropping a laptop with a HDD, consider using a ssd instead.

After dropping a laptop, broken hdd will be the least of issues.
Probably will have a broken screen also.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

I asked Microsoft and they said that Eject in Windows 10 does not put the 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 case in parking mode, ejecting only ends read/write operations

 

[USAFRet]

I asked Microsoft and they said that Eject in Windows 10 does not put the 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 case in parking mode, ejecting only ends read/write operations

The drive does that on its own.

Going back to ALL your previous questions....what is the risk you think you face?

 

[cloudff7ps1]

After ejection I wonder if the HDD will not perform the parking command because ejecting does not turn off the 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 case only ends reading and writing but the case remains powered and operating

 

[BFG-9000]

I asked Microsoft

Microsoft does not make HDDs. Windows sends an ATA sleep command to the drive on eject, and what the drive does with that + how quickly is up to the HDD manufacturer. Complicating matters is the USB enclosure, which may not pass through such a command properly or in a timely fashion.

This is why you must test these things yourself, instead of asking companies about another companies' product, which is clearly a waste of time. Why would they guarantee a 3rd party drive in a 4th party enclosure always behaves in a certain way? It is also a waste of everyone's time to ask the same question over and over again until you get the answer you want, because even if you do---how can you trust that person's opinion? They don't make the OS or the HDD or the enclosure, or even have them all.

If it's preponderance of opinions you value most, well the majority vote can be wrong too and is not consensus. But given that you usually post the same question all over the internet, you could set up a poll on some forums. Not here though--that's been disabled here for non-admins for at least 8 years.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

Is this ATA command responsible for the 2.5" HDD + USB 3.0 case entering parking mode?

My cases are Kesu 2530 and Orico 25PW1
The HDDs are WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662. and 2.5" Seagate ST500LM030
What is the average number of seconds for the HDD to enter parking mode after ejection in Windows 10?

 

[USAFRet]

What is the average number of seconds for the HDD to enter parking mode after ejection in Windows 10?

Probably 1 or less.

I have a drive on the desk next to me.
500GB Seagate.P/N: 805217-021
2.5" format.
Removed from an office laptop.

Manufactured - 18 Oct 2016
First stood up in the office, mid-2017.
Said laptop was moved between work and home dozens of times. Laptop bag or backpack.
Last powered up in that laptop, early 2021.
Removed from the laptop, early 2021.
Tossed in a desk drawer.
Moved between various desk drawers, maybe a dozen times over the years.
Dropped in a shopping bag, to survive a 10 mile drive home.
Plugged in to a toaster style dock...hey look...it still works.

I can go for a potentially greater destruction level if you want.

 

[CountMike]

Heads' arm is moved and positioned using electro-magnetic force. It has a coil which by varying voltage and power moves across platters to predetermined positions. It's also held mere microns above platters by air churned by platter's rotation. That's why it's very vulnerable when running. It could touch platter surface and ruin it in spots.
Once the power is removed, very strong magnets pulls head arm to one position where heads can't anything (Head parking) practically instantly so it's much less vulnerable to shocks, 90+Gs as opposed to 3-5Gs
Same happens when put in sleep mode.
2.5" drives have much smaller components with less mass and inertia so are less vulnerable than 3.5" ones. All are made that way so they can survive more often than not rough handling during shipping.

 

[cloudff7ps1]

Some people report that after ejecting the 2.5" HDD + US3.0 case in Windows 10 it remained on and operating. In this case, would the heads and arm be above the magnetic disks?

In my case, I noticed that the LED on the case remained on after ejecting in Windows 10.

I did not experience a power outage, just a knock or shock with my hand. After ejecting in Windows 10, the case moved on the table but did not fall to the floor, but I do not know what the position of the mechanical arm and needle is at that moment.

in my models Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 and seagate ST500LM030

 

[Ralston18]

@cloudff7ps1

1) Refer to case documentation regarding the meaning of case LED's.

Flashing, colors, etc. vary between manufacturers. Colors may be misleading - a weak "orange" may appear "yellow". etc. Could be completely useless for those who are colorblind.

Or simply buggy for one reason or another.

2) I would not expect that a "knock or shock" with a hand would cause damage. Such a shock would likely include a broken hand....

= = = =

After reading the above posts, I became curious and looked into code that can be used to park (if necessary) hard drive heads.

I came across linux's "hdparm" command which appears to provide a way to park the head. However, the heads may be immediately unparked thereafter by other events.... Will defer to the Linux Community in that regard.

There is a HDPARM version for Windows:

https://en.freedownloadmanager.org/Windows-PC/Hdparm-FREE.html

I also found:

https://superuser.com/questions/1504490/how-do-i-spin-down-an-hdd-with-the-command-line

Overall, barring specific operational requirements specifying HDD head parking on command, my suggestion is to just simply ensure that all HDD data is fully backed up at all times.

Then "but I do not know what the position of the mechanical arm and needle is at that moment." is rendered moot.

Likely unknowable to begin with (beyond some general sector and track coordinates, etc. and, should it happen to be known, of limited value if data is lost.

Refocus your attention and energy on being able to recover HDD data for when (not if) any given HDD will fail.

Be that failure a "knock with a hand", a fall from a table, or just some gremlin in a bad mood.