Hard Disk Head Crash
One of the machines at work suffered a severe head crash on 12 May 2009. Some
time over the previous weekend, the disk head tore off the actuator arm and
went flying around the case. Meanwhile, the arm itself crashed into the disc
surface, ripping the magnetic coating off the platter and filling the drive
with black powder. This is the photo album of that destruction. The machine
is out of warranty; the disk cannot be RMA'd.
![[Just Prior to Opening. This drive will not be RMA'd.]](thumb_img_4106.jpg "[Just Prior to Opening. This drive will not be RMA'd.]")
Just Prior to Opening. This drive will not be RMA'd.
Size: 1282 × 855, 203KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Open. Note the black dust everywhere.]](thumb_img_4107.jpg "[Open. Note the black dust everywhere.]")
Open. Note the black dust everywhere.
Size: 1282 × 855, 196KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Gouged platter!]](thumb_img_4108.jpg "[Gouged platter!]")
Gouged platter!
Size: 1282 × 855, 223KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4109.jpg "[]")
img_4109.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 192KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[New, that filter is white.]](thumb_img_4111.jpg "[New, that filter is white.]")
New, that filter is white.
Size: 1282 × 855, 125KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4112.jpg "[]")
img_4112.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 198KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4113.jpg "[]")
img_4113.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 190KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Severe Gouging]](thumb_img_4115.jpg "[Severe Gouging]")
Severe Gouging
Size: 1282 × 855, 232KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4117.jpg "[]")
img_4117.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 248KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[That dust would be the magnetic surface]](thumb_img_4118.jpg "[That dust would be the magnetic surface]")
That dust would be the magnetic surface
Size: 1282 × 855, 185KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4119.jpg "[]")
img_4119.jpg
Size: 855 × 1282, 130KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4120.jpg "[]")
img_4120.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 166KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4121.jpg "[]")
img_4121.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 123KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4122.jpg "[]")
img_4122.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 90KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4125.jpg "[]")
img_4125.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 158KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4126.jpg "[]")
img_4126.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 218KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Head tore off; actuator arm dug into the surface and destroyed it]](thumb_img_4127.jpg "[Head tore off; actuator arm dug into the surface and destroyed it]")
Head tore off; actuator arm dug into the surface and destroyed it
Size: 1282 × 855, 250KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[T-shirt shaped thing is what's left of the head]](thumb_img_4128.jpg "[T-shirt shaped thing is what's left of the head]")
T-shirt shaped thing is what's left of the head
Size: 1282 × 855, 199KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4129.jpg "[]")
img_4129.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 198KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Black powder got everywhere]](thumb_img_4130.jpg "[Black powder got everywhere]")
Black powder got everywhere
Size: 1282 × 855, 125KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4131.jpg "[]")
img_4131.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 128KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 12 May 2009
![[Voice Coil Magnet]](thumb_img_4132.jpg "[Voice Coil Magnet]")
Voice Coil Magnet
Size: 1282 × 855, 117KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4141.jpg "[]")
img_4141.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 175KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[Inner Disc Assembly]](thumb_img_4133.jpg "[Inner Disc Assembly]")
Inner Disc Assembly
Size: 1282 × 855, 220KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4142.jpg "[]")
img_4142.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 297KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[Underside of the Platter. Note the heavier damage.]](thumb_img_4134.jpg "[Underside of the Platter. Note the heavier damage.]")
Underside of the Platter. Note the heavier damage.
Size: 1282 × 855, 247KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[See the deep groove carved into the platter?]](thumb_img_4135.jpg "[See the deep groove carved into the platter?]")
See the deep groove carved into the platter?
Size: 1282 × 855, 86KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4136.jpg "[]")
img_4136.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 85KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4137.jpg "[]")
img_4137.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 85KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[Hard Drive Heads. Both heads tore off the arms.]](thumb_img_4138.jpg "[Hard Drive Heads. Both heads tore off the arms.]")
Hard Drive Heads. Both heads tore off the arms.
Size: 1282 × 855, 92KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[]](thumb_img_4139.jpg "[]")
img_4139.jpg
Size: 1282 × 855, 96KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
![[Washer that holds the platter onto the drive spindle.]](thumb_img_4140.jpg "[Washer that holds the platter onto the drive spindle.]")
Washer that holds the platter onto the drive spindle.
Size: 1282 × 855, 138KiB
Photographer: Darrick Wong
Date: 16 May 2009
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