Have you purchased a new, fast solid state drive (SSD) and your old one is lying around? Give him new task and use as external drive data. To do this, you only need a case with a SATA controller; it is available for both 2.5" and 3.5" models. For the latter, a power supply is required, while compact drives have enough power supply through the USB port.

Labor intensity: average, costs: 600 rubles.

Mini NAS on router

In all home network need access to the same data? You don't need expensive and bulky network-attached storage (NAS) for this - a USB drive can do this task if it is connected to your router. Newer devices are equipped with the corresponding port.

First you need to format the USB drive from under Windows OS in file system NTFS and then just connect it to the router. In this case, the latter must have USB port and it must support the appropriate functionality. Now by typing in address bar browser address 192.168.1.1 (or similar), you will be taken to user interface router.

Click the USB Settings | General access to the storage device" (for TP-Link routers, for other devices, the name of the menu items may be different) and make sure that the disc starts up.

To access data on a home network, it will be enough to windows explorer type the address like "\\192.168.1.1\Volume1". A permanent connection is achieved with a click right click mouse over the folder to which you plan to allow access, and selecting the item "Connect network drive».

Labor intensity: low, costs: no

Flash drive instead of a password

For a small USB flash drive, there is also practical use. For example, when you sign in to Windows, you can unlock your computer without entering a password. To do this, you need the Rohos Logon Key tool (1450 rubles), Predator (650 rubles) or free USBLogon (http://www.rohos.ru/products/rohos-logon-free/).

After installation, you need to select the connected USB drive and configure the security settings. After entering Windows password flash drive is ready to go. Unfortunately, working with USBLogon is complicated by the German-language interface, but even without knowledge of German, it is easy to figure it out.

Labor intensity: average, costs: no

flash drive for emergencies

If the computer no longer works as it should, a bootable USB flash drive comes to the rescue. The Sardu tool (http://www.sarducd.it/) installs up to 20 different antivirus programs, and also provides various versions of Linux and other first aid software.

> Training: in the left sidebar, the selected software is listed by category. Check the required programs. We recommend choosing multiple antiviruses and Linux version(e.g. Ubuntu).

> Flash drive creation: on the right sidebar, click on the symbol with the USB drive. You can start creating bootable flash drive.

> Use in an emergency: to use a bootable flash drive in case of an "accident", you need to change the boot sequence from the drives to BIOS Setup.

In this case, you should set the boot priority from USB to HDD. Then choose from the list necessary program. Don't forget to revert your BIOS changes after "repairing" your computer.

A photo: manufacturing companies, racum/Flickr.com

And just for those who like to look at the site in search of interesting and useful things. As usual in our time, old things are disposed of most in the usual way, this is a dump to landfills, but sometimes it happens that from an object that has failed or lost its basic qualities, you can collect something useful, in other words, give a second life. In this homemade product, the author shares with us the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcreating a vacuum cleaner from hard drive, which is not able to work as a drive due to its long service life.

In order to assemble a vacuum cleaner with our own hands, we need:
* A hard drive from a computer that is not capable of functioning properly as a storage device or is simply unnecessary.
*Plastic band.
*Glue "second".
*Hacksaw blade for metal.
* Thick cardboard or thin plywood of your choice.
*Insulating tape.
* Thermal gun.
*Filter, which can serve as an unnecessary stocking, pantyhose or sock.

After all the components are available, you can begin to manufacture a vacuum cleaner.
The first step is to disassemble the hard drive and free it from unnecessary parts that we do not need,
be careful when disassembling, as many elements are glued with strong glue and you can get hurt when torn off.

When only the engine and the disk itself remain in our hard drive, we proceed to gluing the blades, which in finished form will look like an impeller. With glue "second" should also be shown caution, since the time of its drying is an instant.

After that, we need to make a hole in the cover for air supply and its exit from the system, we do this with a metal file.

Now you need to make an air duct out of thick cardboard, as the author did.

We heat the gun with hot glue and glue the air duct to the cover of our disk, for convenience we glue it at an angle.

The place on the reverse side where the air will come out must have a filter, or garbage will fly out, for this you can use a stocking or a sock.

In order to complete the homemade work, it is necessary to fix our filter with electrical tape and connect the computer's power supply, if it is used separately, then it is necessary to close the green wire with the black one, which imitates the power button on the computer.

If yours is broken HDD and you can’t restore it - just like in a joke, you can get an ashtray, a mirror and a magnet from it :) In fact, you can get MUCH more, and I’ll tell you now how to do it and what is interesting there.
If you don't have faulty hard disk (hard drive) - do not be discouraged, contact your computer friends, just friends, or in any service center computer technology, they definitely should have such copies (usually in workshops men are too lazy to throw away old trash). The "older" the disc, the better: before the material and all sorts of tricks were not spared.

For the master class, I took as many as three pieces (saved for a long time) to show the possible differences (although they are usually all different, you will never guess what is under the cover this time) In addition to the hard drive itself, we will need screwdrivers (minimally - Phillips and flat (" +" and "-"), maximum - a set of screwdrivers as in the photo in the left upper corner, namely the nozzle-hexagonal asterisk).

This photo shows that there are different thicknesses. It is better (if there is a choice) to take a thicker one, there may be a bonus: not one, but even two or three mirrors! Plus some other stuff.

If the "screws" (the slang name for a hard drive) are such (of such a company), then it will be easier for you, you only need a Phillips and straight screwdrivers, they are usually found in every home. I don’t know where, but I came across ALL hard drives from this company with cross mounts ...

like this

We unscrew the bolts, and take a flat screwdriver (as a lever, so it’s better to be stronger)

We put a screwdriver under the cover and slightly turning it, we go through the perimeter. The lid is usually glued to something that looks like silicone, so simply pressing the lever does not work well, especially since you can break something inside with a sharp movement.

Does not work? something preventing you from opening it? Still would! Manufacturers are not stupid:) there is always one or two. or even three hidden bolts under the stickers :) Feel with a screwdriver and you will find dimples that are easy to dig with the same straight screwdriver. That's where I hid it :)
And another tip: when you unscrew the bolts, you don’t need to do it in turn, you need to loosen each one by half a turn or a turn and only then unscrew them to the end, otherwise it may turn out that one or two of the last ones can’t be unscrewed due to the skewed cover. Another IMPORTANT: when the bolt does not want to unscrew in any way, you do not need to turn it with force - this way you can comb either a screwdriver or a hole. It is necessary to press the screwdriver with almost all the weight perpendicular to the product, and so, while pressing, gently try to turn it. The harder you push, the better. Even the fasteners that my husband could not unscrew =) The main thing here is technology and accuracy, not strength =) Although you still need strength, if your hand is tired, it’s better to get down to business in a couple of hours, when your hand rests.

So, we've got it all. And what a beauty inside the lid! Everything glitters :)
Someone decides that beauty is needed in order to admire it and leave everything as it is, but I'm greedy :) Therefore, I analyze further.

Now you need to unwind the top elements in turn. It is better to start with a magnet and a "prickly thing". And as a warning - when unwinding, use the method described by me above, since in the middle everything is usually screwed very tightly and you can ruin the whole thing.

After the magnet is unscrewed (sometimes, by the way, it is not screwed at all, but simply fixed on the protrusions in the case), we remove the upper part of the magnet with the same lever screwdriver, only very carefully, it can re-magnetize and beat off your fingers! Bottom part magnet (more often it is not a magnet, but just a piece of iron) can also be screwed on, or it can simply be easily removed after removing the magnet

Now it's time for the mirror. There are many complications here:
the first - the element rotates and must be held firmly and pressed down to unscrew all the bolts
the second - the mirror is very easy to scratch with a screwdriver, and then these scratches will not please at all
and the third - according to the law of meanness, how not to follow the rules that I described above - the last bolt ALWAYS turns out to be tightly-tightly twisted ... here you already have to tinker, rest and tinker again (after all, you need to carefully unscrew for the first and second reasons)
BUT the result of greed is always the same: after all, everything unwinds and very interesting and beautiful things get: in the photo there is a ring with holes ...

The mirror itself (here you have to rejoice and clap your hands - especially if there are several mirrors)
By the way, now you understand why the name "hard drive"?
The disk must be taken out carefully by moving the little thing on the right (I call it a mouse, why - I will explain later)

When all the mirrors are removed and the joy has calmed down, you can unscrew the motor (located under the disk) and the "mouse". The "mouse" can simply be removed from the base up, or it can be screwed on.

I don’t know, maybe it’s still a bad photo, but in this circle in the middle there is a recess. It was lucky if, in addition to the recess, there is a transverse slot - then you can unscrew this cylinder with a regular straight screwdriver. I was not lucky - and therefore we look closer at the recess, or rather at its shape. This is a hexagon for me - it means I take it from a set of screwdrivers (there is also a set of keys - men should know) approximately the right size and twist.

Here it is! Only now I realized that I didn’t take a photo of the “mouse”:(((But I think if you look at the rest of the photos (and especially make out yourself), you will understand why. When the cylinder is removed, it turns out something like an “eye "mouse. And the sharp end is her nose. Some old hard drives used colored wires, and when I tore off the "prickly thing" cable from the mouse, she had funny antennae wires sticking out on the tip of her nose :) Therefore, the" mouse "

Let's return to our trial. Here's what we ended up with. This contraption can be used in different ways: like a hammer :), like an ashtray (only you have to screw the motor into place and cover the holes with something) or you can do it somehow, I think you should have no problems using it.
But first, we must also turn over and unscrew something that is no less valuable to us.

We unscrew 4-5 bolts (I think an intermediate photo is not needed) - and lo and behold! in addition to a cool scheme (from which, if necessary, you can unscrew the microcircuits, or use it as a decoration on your own), we also have a miracle foam rubber. A miracle, because it is unique in terms of density, softness, etc. It was from her that I made the pupils for my felted dragon, but you can cut out anything! Sometimes foam rubber is covered with a film on one side, and sometimes without it. If the hard drive is sooo old - there is an uninteresting foam rubber, and most often burnt in some places.

Here are our treasures :)
By the way, maybe your fantasy will tell you WHAT can be made from bolts? I already have a SEA of them, of different sizes and colors ... maybe your fantasy will tell you? :)

Below is another photo options parsing on the example of other hard drives

You just need to pry off a piece of metal and peel it off a little from all sides, glue, as you remember, like silicone and it stretches. The main thing is not to bend

This time another surprise was in store for me - a metal ring under the lid. At first I thought it was a magnet and was delighted, but the effect of the magnet was created by a very tenacious glue.

You can disconnect the circuit immediately, even before disassembling the entire "screw". Especially when it is attached with such a train that you can accidentally tear it if you do it the other way around.
The cable is easy to protrude, just pull on it.

This is the advantage I was talking about when I pointed out the thickness of the hard drive. Here top cover It turned out to be very roomy, and there are only two holes in it (they can either be sealed or screwed in with the same bolts), this is an ideal ashtray :) or a container for small items .. you decide.

Before we start gutting and gutting your hard drive, let's talk about data security. "Dead hard drive" means that the drive is not functioning properly and any attempt you make to recover data programmatically were not successful. If the disk contains really important data, and you suspect that there may be an eccentric who decides to get it, then erase the data so that it cannot be recovered :). Although if the only valuable thing on your screw was stolen rips of Bon Jovi concerts, then your piece of iron is ripe for all sorts of DIY projects ("Do it yourself" projects).

In principle, all DIY projects with hard drives can be divided by the level of technical knowledge and skill of the experimenter. Let's start from simple to complex :).

Extraction of spare parts

The simplest but most useful thing that can be obtained from a hard drive is magnets. Hard drives use super-strong magnets and can be used around the household for just about anything. Here is an example of how one character built a knife holder for the kitchen. He took a wooden plank, removed the core with a chisel, and stuffed magnets into it.

In general, of course, he did this in vain, because when a friend has knives at hand, it’s not far from everyday life :). Good thing I didn't touch the pans.

They are also often used to magnetize screwdrivers or as fridge magnets.

Let's add more creativity

Ordinary screw pancakes can be turned into a steampunk watch. To do this, you will need a few parts, which you can find in hobby stores, or try to discreetly borrow Granny's alarm clock.

And if "your hands are not for boredom", then the next one can be assembled from a hard drive LED clock.

Another old hard drive can be turned into a super-sensitive input device. you can see how the craftsman turned his old HDD into a DJ console.

Here is just a small sketch of interesting solutions from old pieces of iron.

It is interesting how our readers use dead hard drives in everyday life.

In this publication, we will consider what can be made using unnecessary old hard disk.

Neodymium magnets in the computer

First you need to unscrew a few screws that secure the body parts. Under the lid we see a neodymium magnet. Hard drives use very powerful magnets that are capable of lifting 1,300 times their own weight.

All modern drives always have two magnetic head block limiters and, accordingly, 2 neodymium magnets. To remove magnet 2, you need to unscrew another screw and remove it together with the holder or unscrew the block of magnetic heads first, and then pry it off with a screwdriver.

The applications of neodymium magnets are almost limitless. For clips and clamps, toys and entertainment, cleaning engine and transmission oil, searching for treasures and lost iron objects underwater, making engines and generators, restoring the magnetic properties of other magnets and much, much more.

Mini emery from a hard drive

To do this, you first need to transfer the dimensions of the disk to sandpaper, it is convenient to do this with a compass. Fine-grained sandpaper should be used so as not to overload the engine too much. So, cut out the outer diameter with scissors and the inner diameter with a clerical knife.

Glue sandpaper where possible with glue. But in order not to wait for the glue to dry for a long time and so that you can easily change the sandpaper, you can use double-sided tape.

The emery is ready. Connect it to the socket computer block food and use. With its small dimensions, such an emery machine is quite powerful. Its power is enough to sharpen screwdrivers, pencils, chisels and cutter knives.

How to Eliminate PC Noise

Often, old computer cases are very noisy. One reason for this problem is the direct mounting of the hard drive to the PC case. When reading information, the disk develops tremendous speeds and, accordingly, a slight vibration appears, which is transmitted to the entire computer case. A small factory defect, poor soldering or a loose screw in the case cover will always remind you of this.

To fix this problem, we just need to cut 4 rubber strips. It could be old bike tubes, deflated baby balls, or a piece of silicone car mat. We fasten the ribbons to the hard drive and fasten it to a new place just below the DVD-ROM or even instead.

In general, an excellent result is obtained, since all vibrations are absorbed by the rubber bands. Also, this device can be called anti-shock. If you accidentally kick your PC, the hard drive will not be affected.