Re: [LAD] [OT] Richard Stallman warns against ChromeOS

On Friday, December 17, 2010 05:32:43 am Ralf Mardorf did opine: I don't recall using the word hammer without the rubber prefix. That really is extreme, although I do have an old Maxtor 7120S that needs a pretty good bump to get it started. Once running, it has no bad sectors yet. The idea is that you give the drive a good bump, with the ball of your hand, or a small rubber hammer, striking the corner of the case so that the drives case is spun a few degrees in the same plane the disks inside turn. This breaks the heads loose from the disks, which have become so polished that they stick to the disk like a set of machinists 'Joes Blocks' which are so highly polished that one can bring them together in whatever thickness you need to set a gage with, by twisting them. They will remain stuck together until you twist them again breaking the atomic bond. If the drives case, and the heads attached to it, can be given enough of a twisting motion relative to the disks, by a sideways blow on the corner of the case, the heads will come loose and the drive motor will then have enough power to get the disks started. The heads will be flying on a film of air, as they are designed to do, before the disks have turned half a turn. Soft wood might do as it would dent, cushioning the blow somewhat without damaging the case casting. -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) There are no accidents whatsoever in the universe. -- Baba Ram Dass