Oh yeah, that's how I fix our telly when it goes wiki-wiki-fritt! LOL

j a m e s

heh. it was a last-ditch effort, really. i didn't feel like 1) shipping the thing to the states 2) having it fixed at approx the original cost 3) having it shipped back to the UK & 4) waiting in the meantime.

is it a HD based ipod? if so, you could try the freezer trick.

I've used the blunt force method to resurrect several Macs and hard discs over the years (used to run a university lab full of 'em). When all else fails, the right amount of force applied to just the right spot can work wonders... or at least get you to a point where you can copy the files off.

My question is this: what do you think is the best/most creative use for a dead hard drive mechinism? I've toyed with the idea of explosives, and toilet bricks, but I'm looking for more interesting ways to destroy them (excuse me... "recycle" them).

What about testing a trebuchet?

Paul,
consumer goods, especially high tech goodies like cell phones and iPods, the unit price is so cheap, and by comparison the cost of labor so high---having them serviced doesn't make much sense.

Scott,
the bearing of a hard drive collapses if the disk has done enough revolutions. A collapsed hard drive bearing makes a distinctive loud whining noise. When that happens it's time to get all the data off before it stops for good. Or if you hear that whining noise begin to develop it indicates a bearing on its way out. Hard drives also sometimes develop a condition known as "stiction"---a portemanteau word for static + friction. The simple cure for stiction is to pull the drive out, grasp it horizontally and give it an abrupt twist (in the horizontal plane) of your hand.

Tiffany,
(much laughter) test load for a trebuchet, perfick! A mate of mine who makes computers calls a superseded computer a "boat anchor".

j a m e s