Will this break my computer?

Nitro192 · Nov 16, 2013

So I have an Old hard drive that I took out because one day it just stopped working, Wouldnt load windows and wouldn't install a fresh copy either. Couldn't even format it.

On my old computer I plugged it back in a couple months after replacing it and it worked as a secondary HD, Let me access files, transfer files for awhile before I got my new computer.

My new computer I put alot of money into, To see the specs look Below. Now I plan to plug this HD into my new rig to use as a secondary again, Is there anyway that using a faulty hard drive can damage my CPU or any of my other equipment? Like my GTX 760 or Z77 chip.

I'm wondering if any of the experts here have any knowledge about this. I normally wouldn't but i am in such desperate need of extra HD storage right now so i just need some extra space to keep all my MKV's

thor220 · Nov 16, 2013

Not unless your power supply can't handle the extra 20w of load. Basicly what would happen is if the power supply has inadequate wattage, it could cause the capacitors to overdraw and this can lead to some serious damages.

rolli59 · Nov 16, 2013

Does not cost anything to try it will either work or not and should not break anything!

Deuce65 · Nov 16, 2013

Nitro192 :

Seriously? You're listed as a CPU and Motherboard Expert and you're asking if plugging in a possibly bad HDD could damage your CPU, MB, or GPU?

k1114 · Nov 16, 2013

Deuce65 :

Nitro192 :

Seriously? You're listed as a CPU and Motherboard Expert and you're asking if plugging in a possibly bad HDD could damage your CPU, MB, or GPU?

You can get those "expert" badges in less than an hour.

Alpha-Black · Nov 16, 2013

Nitro192 :

Its up to fault. if your hard drive is short circuit then it many damage your motherboard's header and a surge created by short circuit may damage any part connected to the mobo(its about power option)
if this a a problem with Head(read/write part) and i think this is the problem then NO! no worries it will not hurt any of your parts in the system. this problem usually starts after a shock or a jerk sustained by the HDD. head goes slightly of ground (leaves the platter) for a while coz of lose mounting of Actuator(head arm assembly)
If your hearing sounds like (Grrrrrrr,tak tak tak grrrrr LOL) during data transfer then this is the problem
but bro this drive it self will die suddenly one day without any prior notice.hahahahahaahahah...So save your MKV's backup too.
if someday platters moves little faster then normal and head goes out of the that will break it and your done.lol
Head is microscopic part of HDD.

remember to click "pick as a solution" tab at the bottom of the post you think is a best suggestion.That will help others to make quick selection.

iceclock · Nov 16, 2013

well u could try using it as a secondary but a faulty drive i wouldnt mess around with tbh. id just buy a new or used good condition hard-drive to replace it.

Alpha-Black · Nov 16, 2013

k1114 :

Deuce65 :

You can get those "expert" badges in less than an hour.

hahhahahahahahahahahahhhahahahahaha

Alpha-Black · Nov 16, 2013

thor220 :

yes yes and yes this may be a problem ..Thanks man for poking on this side.i totally forgot that.

iceclock · Nov 16, 2013

best bet dont used damaged electronics could always damage the rest of the components, happened to me before.

rolli59 · Nov 16, 2013

He was still using it in his old computer when he got the new one! Nowhere there is mentioned it was shorted, only that he did not have access prior to re installing it and using it again!
OP it was working last time you used it so why would it not work again? Try it.

iceclock · Nov 16, 2013

well sounds like somethings wrong with his hard-drive. its his choice to use or not too. id advise against it but its always a choice to use it rolli

rolli59 · Nov 16, 2013

iceclock :

Stopped working (access and formatting) then OP wrote this "On my old computer I plugged it back in a couple months after replacing it and it worked as a secondary HD, Let me access files, transfer files for awhile before I got my new computer." To me that is a working drive!

Nitro192 · Nov 16, 2013

Alpha-Black :

Thanks for the Response, That was my biggest concern was short circuiting and what components are known to cause shorts in other components. Specifically Hard drive>Mobo, Mobo>GFX Card etc.

Something not alot of people have researched, or have knowledge of because it seems to come from raw experience that we find these things out.

Just to reiterate though, The hard drive wouldn't allow a windows installation or a format but when hooked up as a second hard drive and windows on another, It allowed file transferring and storage.

But like Alpha said it's on its way out despite whether it will still allow me to store files or not so i'm just gonna run with a new HD, It did work by the way. It's in now but i don't plan to have it in for long.

I am amazed at how many laughed at the question though without answering it with any specifics.

Obviously a faulty hard drive can cause issues in a computer, that's a given. But, there's a very big difference between a "faulty" hard drive and a "dead" hard drive. A dead drive would be the more likely to cause issues obviously, where as one with a minor fault or bad sector can be just as safe as a healthy one when it comes to the risk to other components. The question was more so to see (on the off chance) if anyone specific has had a hard drive with the same issues and if it ended up causing additional problems.

iceclock · Nov 16, 2013

coolio

rolli59 · Nov 16, 2013

I have had hard drive slowly die, bad sectors. I had a relatively new drive stop appearing and preventing startup on the next try, basically short and PSU short protection preventing power on. With a quality PSU not even shorted drive will damage other components because of the protection built into the PSU.

Alpha-Black · Nov 17, 2013

Nitro192 :

installation of an OS and formatting initialized by a sector call Zero Zero (00) sector on hard drive when head of hard drive goes off course during shut down of your computer that stays on wrong place.when you start you rig again and head tries to go back to primary position to initiate OS uplink that damages the Zero Zero sector of hard drive.information about formatting and installation corrupted and unreadable mean your drive don't know this actions anymore. then you move head to other parts of platter (Still readable sectors) its works normal but when it comes to formatting of installation of new OS the hardd drive get confused coz of unreadable info.
i'm 100% sure now the Zero zero sector of your hard drive is damaged and head is also lose.
its not a short circuit

i was 18 years old when first i'd put my head in to casing and started checking hardware of a computer professionally back then and now i'm 30 years old and my head is till in there.LOL. benckmark making and testing of software and games on most computer systems is also included in my mind Fu.. Now.... i was one of the 14 engineer's team who build and finalized the (Kepler) Architecture of Nvidia GPUs

Nitro192 · Nov 17, 2013

See, In my head. I knew there had to be some sort of area on the drive responsible for storing those initial installation files as a cache and that it can (like any part) be corrupted. It always threw me off how it would work plain as day when it's just a backup but when trying to install windows it acts like it's completely broken.

I never heard of the sector 00 but that does fit perfectly, and it's funny you said "during shut down of your computer" that makes it stay on wrong place because it was a forced shutdown that caused the issue to begin with. I used the power button to do a manual turn off while windows was in the process of shutting down and you're right that's exactly when the issue started.

Thanks for all the help, I honestly didn't think anyone here would have such a vast knowledge to be able to tell me specifically what the issue was, you know your stuff.

Alpha-Black · Nov 17, 2013

Nitro192 :

your welcome buddy and thanks bro ...i'm still a student not a expert at all computer is a Ocean every second increasing its depth and wideness

iceclock · Nov 17, 2013

When u think u know it all something else comes along and shatters ur theory of mastery of the pc

Alpha-Black · Nov 17, 2013

iceclock :

In the field of computer science your not able to say that i'm master of even a development language.
When you think i know everything of anything in this field that is the start of your downfall .Always learn.

k1114 · Nov 17, 2013

If all you know is from the internet like most diyers on these types of forums then that will happen all the time. Although to say you mastered anything, not just pcs, means you failed to be even remotely close.

iceclock · Nov 17, 2013

well said k1

Will this break my computer?

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