[olug] Old Dell 20GB laptop HDD...

[Kelly Williams]

Missed typed that,

I have a old Ibm travelstar Model DARA-21800 its a 18.14 gig that i am 
not using. the laptop died and the drive still works.
Kelly Williams



Kelly Williams wrote:
>  the laptop that was this drive was in died. If you think this 
> will work email me i can send it.
>
> Kelly Williams
>
>
>
> DYNATRON tech wrote:
>   
>> if the firmware is off, you may be able to flash it.
>> i once made a device that hooks to the jumper pins which act as a serial
>> port.
>> the device had a RS232 chip and a molex for power.
>> you can initiate a terminal session on the HD through your DB9 serial.
>> i got the diagram off of a forum, and i've used it numerous times.
>>
>> if you need to flash the firmware, let me know and you can have it.
>> i used to use it to unlock seagate drives, but i cracked a ceramic cap on
>> it.
>> i think i have a replacement though...
>>
>>
>> On 3/10/08, Dan Linder <dan at linder.org> wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> Thanks - yeah, not much protection needed for a "dead" device. :)
>>>
>>> Hold off, I'm checking with some co-workers that have had this same
>>> make/vintage of laptop and have long since moved on.  From what I found
>>> via
>>> Google, it's not even a gurantee to work if even the firmware revision of
>>> the board is off.  Guess that kind of make sense considering that the
>>> connecting between the HDD board and the HDD case itself are mostly for
>>> analog signals which I could see being different even between sequential
>>> serial numbered parts.
>>>
>>> <off topic>
>>> My father worked for IBM in the 60's and was part of a team putting in
>>> three
>>> "hard drives" in the KC area (if I remember correctly).  Anyway, these
>>> machines were the size of a washing machine and the drive platters were
>>> interchangeable by opening the case and removing the platter stack (the
>>> heads and everything else stayed in the chassis).  The customer had three
>>> locations around town and wanted to be able to physically move the stacks
>>> between locations to move data (I believe 5-10MB was the stacks total
>>> capacity.  It was a challenge, but they finally got the three systems
>>> identical enough so that they could share data with each other in this
>>> manner.  It required a lot of tweaking of the software and the hardware,
>>> specifically getting the systems perfectly level with each other so the
>>> heads moved in the same manner.
>>>
>>> Another customer of theirs wanted to help the platters spin-down faster so
>>> he could change them out quicker.  His method?  After issuing the stop
>>> command, he would open the door and push a wooden broom handle against the
>>> edge of the platters as a brake!  Thankfully those old systems had head
>>> that
>>> floated above the surface by a larger margin than they do today!
>>> </off topic>
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 12:46 PM, Obi-Wan <obiwan at jedi.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
>>>>> I don't know what shipping would cost, but it wouldn't need to be
>>>>>         
>>>>>           
>>>> insured.
>>>>
>>>> It's only about 3/8" thick.  I might be able to throw it into a bubble
>>>> wrap envelope & drop it in a mailbox.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth                             obiwan at jedi.com
>>>>   The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the
>>>>     Giver of all good things, so if I stand, let me stand on the
>>>>       promise that You will pull me through.  -- Rich Mullins
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>>>>       
>>>>         
>>> --
>>> "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who can watch the watchmen?) -- from the
>>> Satires of Juvenal
>>> "I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them." -- Isaac Asimov
>>> (Author)
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>>>       
>>
>>   
>>     
>
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