David Brodbeck wrote the following on 08/28/2007 01:32 PM:
On Aug 28, 2007, at 10:50 AM, Raquel wrote:
I also understand that when the hard disks get power that the
platters torque just a tad, if not causing heads to come into
contact with the platter, at least causing wear on bearings.
In theory start-ups put more stress on the spindle motor, yes. I can't
remember the last time I saw a hard disk that had a spindle motor
failure, though. Also, modern hard disks move the heads to a safe
"landing zone" before they spin down.
On machines I don't rely on to provide network services, I shut them
down when they're not in use. I also set hard disks to spin down after
a half hour or so of inactivity. I turn off the lights in rooms I'm not
in, too, although I'm sure this shortens the life of the light bulbs. ;)
Hmmm ... True, but I can buy many light bulbs for the cost of any
component of my PC!
Leave it on! Set your screen saver to blank the screen to save your
monitor and that will save power.
The most common failure mode of drives is bearing failure. When you keep
them on and spinning they are warm and happy. When you turn them off
they get cold and cranky and the bearings may lock up. When this happens
there is very little you can do about. Head crashes are an uncommon
occurrence these days. 15-20 years they were more common, but bearing
failure was still the #1 cause of drive failure.
As for the environment, it will be much happier if you don't use battery
operated devices, use nuclear or hydro generated electricity, and only
travel by shanks mare (walking).
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