Travelling with HDD

[shioriharu]

Hello guys
Okay this might be a dumb question, but i just need to make sure...
My new pc is arriving at the computer store, i want to bring 2 HDDs for the tech dudes to put them safely into my PC.

The road is a 20-30 minute long one, not smooth at all, and the driver thinks hes in a race car and refuses to listen to me to go slower

I want to know what is the safest way for my HDDs to travel if i only have the following at my posession:

Wooden box, some cardboard boxes, (bubble wrap, but dont wanna use it)

Would i be ok with a wooden box sitting in my lap on the backseat, and me holding the sides of my HDDs with my fingers to prefent physical shock? or would that rub static?
Atm im quite puzzled cause i know i shouldnt touch the circuit board but some ppl say i shouldnt touch the upper side of a HDD as well without rubber band or such.

 

[Mattios]

You should be fine just holding on to them.

If you're that worried you could just put them in yourself - it is an easy procedure that we can guide you through.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Hard drives can handle a little bit more than you think.

I just traveled from NJ to CA with hard drives crammed between clothes in my checked baggage and the drives still work.

So a trip in a box in a car would be nothing.

 

[shioriharu]

I was also thinking of putting it myself, cause ive done this when i was younger (and more brave) but wouldnt that ruin the guarantee if they see ive opened up the PC case?

 

[ThatVietGuy]

No, opening a computer will not void a warranty.

 

[shioriharu]

Hard drives can handle a little bit more than you think.

I just traveled from NJ to CA with hard drives crammed between clothes in my checked baggage and the drives still work.

So a trip in a box in a car would be nothing.

WOW thats harsh! but if they still work thats good news to me, i thought one rub of cloth on the circuit board kills HDD in an instant
Guess ive heard too much nonsense

 

[ThatVietGuy]

You can touch any part of a bare hard drive (the metal casing and circuit board) with no issue.

If those things could cause any damage by being touched, the manufacturers wouldn't let you touch them in the first place.

 

[Mattios]

ThatVietGuy I wouldn't say it wouldn't void the warranty because some places might - we don't know where OP is from or which business he is purchasing his PC from.

I think it is safe to say that if you are able to add HDDs yourself then by all means do it. Check if warranty will be voided first though.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Unless there's a seal somewhere that says "Void if tampered" I think he'll be fine.

 

[fzabkar]

I keep the original foam padded boxes that Seagate drives used to ship in. Their "clam shells" are antistatic, so you could probably stick them inside a cardboard box full of packaging "beans" or scrunched newspaper, bubblewrap, etc.

http://www.seagate.com/support/warranty-and-replacements/packing-and-shipping-instructions/

 

[shioriharu]

I dont have anything special at hand like those foam padded boxes, tomorrows the big travel day for them lol.

Mind you, they where sitting without use for 30+ days, during this, i initially cleaned their top and under with a microfiber cloth, put them into bubble wrap, placed them into a textile-coated box and such, they were rubbing with plastic too, tho i dont know if it touched the circuit board, hopefully didnt.
I thought i was handling them well until i started reading/hearing BS about static so checked if they were working and they do, i put them into a wooden box not long ago just to make sure tho.
So yeah i'd need to make sure they survive this road too and i have only a wooden box or cardboard boxes -and my hands- at my disposal

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Wrap the drives in your clothes.

 

[shioriharu]

Wrap the drives in your clothes.

I honestly dont think thats a good idea lol, wonder what brand of HDDs youre having which survived an airplane travel crammed inside a luggage with cloths... my sunglasses werent that lucky during Tenerife-Hungary trip

 

[ThatVietGuy]

You're seriously overthinking this.

I have a regular 3.5" Seagate and 2.5" Hitachi drives and they survived my trip ACROSS THE US IN AN AIRPLANE just fine. Your hard drives will survive a short car ride.

 

[shioriharu]

You're seriously overthinking this.

I have a regular 3.5" Seagate and 2.5" Hitachi drives and they survived my trip ACROSS THE US IN AN AIRPLANE just fine. Your hard drives will survive a short car ride.

Yeah i know, but better be safe than sorry, will see how it goes tomorrow, really hope it be alright, gonna buy you guys some beers if theyre up and running
Mine are Samsung and Western Digital HDDs both 3,5 inch

Im pretty much afraid of touching/handling anything computer related since 7 or 8 years ago my Maxtor Diamond died after 1,5-2 years of usage and i still have no idea what killed it, but i know i was bringing it along with me everywhere and it was always in just a paper bag

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Hard drives die - they're not infallible, nothing man-made is.