How easy can a hard disk drive get scratched?

[kyrax1213]

I picked up my laptop and moved it around before. I was just wondering how easy is it to scratch the disk? A scenario would be if I had my laptop on my lap in bed and it slides off and lands sideway on the bed. I just want a general sense of how easy it is to scratch the disk. Thanks.

 

[DonQuixoteMC]

I picked up my laptop and moved it around before. I was just wondering how easy is it to scratch the disk? A scenario would be if I had my laptop on my lap in bed and it slides off and lands sideway on the bed. I just want a general sense of how easy it is to scratch the disk. Thanks.

Generally, falls do take the largest toll on the moving parts of a hard drive. However, a comparable fall would be a laptop getting knocked off a desk and falling to a hard floor. From your lap to your bed shouldn't cause any harm.

 

[popatim]

A lot depends on the angle and if the drive was actually reading or writing to the platters at the time.