sephy

Has anyone removed their hard drive and taken it in their luggage, instead of shipping, saving having to download everything important onto sticks or disks?? just wondered if its worth it Thought I read it somewhere ! any advice !

Vash the Stampede

Sure!

It's dead easy to do, and far more convenient than trasferring all your data to other media.

sephy

Thanks for that Vash, I think I will probably do that.

Widdi

Simple simple simple - if you can do lego you can do this (and its the way I do it all the time! )

Open up your puter

find it! - looks like a block about 5.5inches long and is usually in a cage just under your cdroms!

pull out the wires - just give em a yank - unscrew the screws on the side of the cage and slide it out. (be careful not to hit other bits of the computer)

when putting it back in a new computer - you have to put the wires in the correct way - so maybe ask the local nerd if you want to be careful.

(I accept no liability for anything I have ever said or done to anyone )

Luke I Amyofath

I brought 5 hdd, a cdrw, broadband modem, extention cables for my uk appliances in my bags (dvd player, hair dryer etc) and all customs was interested in was the kitchen knives I had in my bags they saw through xray.
When I told them they were kitchen knives there was no problem.
Youll have no problem bringing hdd's into australia

Mongrol

Also remember to hold it infront of you without touching any of the electronics on the bottom of it. You must hold it like this until you reach your new computer. Or alternatively place it in an electrostatic bag. That way you can pack with in your luggage. Don't wrap tinfoil around it!!

chr1sarter

Used to be a hard drive engineer for IBM, so have some knowledge. As quoted the ard drive is easy to locate and take out. Keep the hard drive in its tray. To make things easier for you, take digitsal pictures of where the wires are connected now, and simply plug them back in the same way. Be careful with the hard drive. A hard drive is a mechnical device and the hds in side can damage really easily if knocked and are sensitive to ESD (Electro static discharge. This means a charge from your own body to the elctronic components of the drive. touch the casing of the pc before carrying out ant removal and fitting to discharge your own electrical current. Once your hard drive is out, make sure its wrapped really well, in your luggage. keep it in your hand luggage.because if the drive is dropped it can cause the drive to never work again. Its always worth making a backup of the drive. anything mechanical can breakdown, and you will lose evrything. its like taking out a life insurance policy, you hope you will never have to use it, but if you do, you will thank god.

Good luck

A dogs life

Well then what is the point? If you have to make backups of everything in case the hard drive breaks in transit, is it not just better to ship the hard drive with the pc, and take the backups with you?

When we moved we backed up everything onto our Zen Extra and carried that with us, and shipped the pc with its harddrive. At least things like the Zen are designed to be mobile. Pc hard drives are not.

Widdi

I suggest you go and get a USB hard drive - very big (in capacity)- easy to use (just plug it in!) and transfer everything over. Simply plug it in you new computer when you get there!

Then you always have a copy at home if it all goes wrong.

chr1sarter

What u confused about. Its easier to take a back up drive with you, but that doesnt stop the orginal drive being damaged in transit. The HDD is an expensive item, and its always worth protecting. Making a backup even when not moving, its the smart thing to do.

Bluerobot

I brought a backup disk with me & installed it into a USB 2.0 drive case, just plug in to any PC & all your data is to hand. Best thing since sliced bread.

A dogs life

I thought the OP was suggesting removing the hard drive and taking it with him to save making backups. But then it was suggested that this was a good idea, but make backups as well?

So hence the confusion. Whats the point of removing the hard-drive, and bringing it with you, AND bringing a USB hard drive or removable hard drive back up with you as well?

Internal PC hard drives aren't designed to be portable devices, it much more likely to bust carrying around, as opposed to leaving it the machine and taking the backup with you.

If you are going to take a back up, in whatever media you choose, then DONT carry the hard drive. Whats the point of that?

spalen

Just delete everything - you dont really need it.


New Hard Drive Down Under (c) 2005 Spalen : A series of vignettes describing the life of new migrants to the lucky country all of whom took the courageous move of leaving their hard-drives and family behind them in England to journey 14,000 miles down-under. Called the 10-meg Poms these jocular and brave group of travellers are the new hope for a country that needs more entrepreneurs to feed the desperate need for Cold-Rock franchisees.

Premiers on SBS at 9 Wednesdays (8 eastern)

A dogs life

What are you on?? Don't you realise I need a copy of that letter I wrote to Aunt Bunty seven years ago about her dogs dermatitis skin infection. You never know when that could come in handy.

Seriously, you know they are internet hard drives. Urrmm hang on, I'll just dig one up

http://www.xdrive.com

There are loads like that, just do a search for "internet hard drives" or "online hard drives". Now obviously you aren't going to upload your entire hard drive onto that. But choose the important stuff, and it'll cost about 2 pounds a month for 5 gig until you get set up here, and then shut it down.

Sorry, I just have a real aversion to carrying PC hard drives around. Its asking for trouble.

ADL

spalen

What if the infernet crashes?

Carrying Boogy board bags is far more trouble than carrying hard-drives.