Re: off-topic: scheduled backup to external hard drive

[Norman Bauman nbauman@xxxxxxxx]

At 04:42 PM 4/3/06 -0400, Patricia M. Godfrey wrote:

>> 1. plug a drive cable into the IDE port inside your box and run it
>> (along with power) outside your box where you plug the other end into
>> any bare drive. You don't need an enclosure: the bare drive is perfectly
>> sealed and can function just swell lying on the carpet next to your box
>> or wherever. You will have to shut down before attaching and detaching
>> the cable to the external drive.
>
>Now on that I should respectfully beg to differ. A hard drive generates
>HEAT; modern ones, a lot. It needs a fan, and for that you need an
>enclosure. Furthermore, leaving a slot open in the back of your box can
>muck up the airflow in and out of the box, leading to overheating inside
>it. And heat is very bad for components.

My hard drives don't generate much heat.

Right now I have an old Dell with Win98 running on my desk, with the case
open, and one panel removed, as it's been for the last month, with 2 hard
drives (about 10 GB) sitting inside. I just put my palm on one of the hard
drives, and it's barely warm. The Pentium II chip has its own fan, and the
power supply also has its own fan. I don't know of any benefit to replacing
the panel.

Maybe the larger hard drives generate more heat. Feel one with your hand.

I think Harry is basically right, but why not open the case and leave the
hard drive inside? (I didn't have a convenient mount, so I held the hard
drive down with bent coat hanger wire and paper clips.)

Norman

-------------------------------------------------------
Norman Bauman
411 W. 54 St. Apt. 2D
New York, NY 10019
(212) 977-3223
http://www.nasw.org/users/nbauman
Alternate address: nbauman@xxxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------------------