I´m running Linux Lite 6.2 on my Lenovo H520e desktop computer.
The operating system (Linux Lite) is actually installed on an external HDD (“WD Elements 25 A2”), which is 1 TB in size. It´s a spinning drive and it´s placed on the desktop tower with a bit of a cloth under it.
This HDD is connected to the PC via USB and that´s the way I boot Linux Lite. It runs perfectly well and I´m pretty satisfied with it.
Now: yesterday I needed to move the HDD just a few centimeters from its original location in order to make place for another external HDD, which I needed for my clonezilla backup.
Linux was running at the time and I didn´t want to power it down just for moving the (running) HDD.
But I was very careful when moving it. I didn´t even lift it up but just nudged it with the tip of my finger ever so gently (together with the cloth).
I´m a bit worried though after all. Did I do it correctly? Because I read somewhere that so called head-crashes should be avoided, of course.
I have no reason to assume that a head-crash occurred though. Still: your thoughts on the matter are highly valued.
Thanks a lot in advance and many greetings from Rosika
External hard drives come in a very sturdy case, so to just nudge them with your finger whilst running, does not matter. However if the USB lead is a loose fit to your computer, then that is when problems can arise.
No need to worry.
I have turn an external HDD several inches while running. I have even lean over, pick up
the HDD and placed it to my ear to see if it was spinning.
Like Mark said, the only problem I ever had with moving a HDD was sometimes the the USB
connection would come loose which would disconnect the drive from the PC.
Rosika, Neville’s entry is spot on. Years ago HDD’s would need to be “parked” before any movement but those HDD’s were the size of a small microwave oven today and had the incredible capacity of 10 megabytes. Times have changed exponentially since then. You need not concern yourself with moving you external HDD or even your internal HDD these days. Well, maybe if you wanted to use it as a hockey puck.
That surely did not hurt.
Think of the plane of the rotation in the HDD.
The dangerous movements are quick accelereations (like shocking) perpendicular to that plane.
Also, quick changes to he plane itself, so for example quickly turning the HDD along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the rotation.
They can be shocked too. Normal movements are slow enough, so it does not hurt at all. But dropping a laptop from above 20 centimeters is dangerous too.
HDD’s sepcification used to include acceleration it can survive when not spinning, powered dwon.
Used to be some 20…40G
Yes, you´re quite right, Neville.
I was also thinking of the laptop situation and the thoughts you mentioned also entered my
mind. I wasn´t sure about it though.
So it´s good you talked about it. Thanks a lot.
Yes, I took special care to avoid any quick and bumpy movements
Thanks for providing the link to the pdf. I looked at it.
It´s rather hard for me to interpret those numbers though. You know much more about things like that than I do.
Thanks again to all of you for your kind input. I may rest more assured now.
