Re: [tlug] Rejuvenating Dead Hard Drives by Freezing Them

["Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon" <ronfaxon@example.com>]

Jim wrote:

> I don't know why it works, but I can imagine to ways: 
>
>   1. Generally, most semiconductors work better at cooler 
>      temperatures, so that when something has become 
>      marginal, the cold brings it back over a threshold.  
>
>   2. Mechanical stuff. I recall hearing that dying bearings 
>      worked better when cold, but this doesn't make sense since 
>      lubricants typically become more vicous and harder to 
>      move when cold.  The resistance of the motor windings 
>      would also decrease, allowing the motor to produce 
>      more useful power instead of heat.  I don't know that 
>      the extra motor power would over come the extra friction 
>      from cold lubricants.  
>  

3. Parts expand and contract with temperature changes.  Freezing would 
make some parts marginally smaller, so if it were a mechanical problem 
of something sticking, the slight downsizing through shrinking could 
free something up....  Naturally that wouldn't last long back in the 
computer, where heat would expand it again, but it could last long 
enough to grab some data.....

Lyle