How should I back up my data while replacing a failing 3TB hard drive?
I'm upgrading my computer gradually, and my first priority is replacing a 3TB Seagate ST3000DM008 hard drive that may be failing. It has become extremely slow, and even…
data storage
What should I learn to turn my Wi-Fi login script into a proper tool?
I've written a basic script that makes connecting to my college's Wi-Fi semi-automatic. It uses nmcli and a keyboard shortcut to open or run the applications and scripts…
What should I learn to turn my Wi-Fi login script into a larger tool?
I've written a working script that makes connecting to my college's Wi-Fi and signing into its captive portal more convenient. It is launched with a keyboard shortcut and…
Found a 2TB SkyHawk Drive in the Trash—Can It Be Repaired?
I found what I thought was a fairly new 2TB SkyHawk internal SSD and brought it home hoping to use it for extra storage. My SSD reader works…
What’s the most reliable way to store 8TB or more of important files?
I need storage for roughly 3–4TB of personal files, with room to grow. I'm considering a commercial-grade NAS hard drive such as a Seagate IronWolf Pro, or a…
Found a 2TB SkyHawk drive in the trash—can it be repaired?
I found what I thought was a fairly new 2TB SkyHawk internal SSD and took it home because I could use the extra storage. I tested my drive…
What does Azure Premium Files cost for around 60 TB of active data?
We know we need to clean up and remove some outdated data, but we still need to host roughly 60 TB of file data in Azure. The shares…
Internal HDD in a USB Dock vs. Prebuilt External Drive: What Are the Technical Trade-offs?
I need additional storage for backups and long-term archives, and I'm comparing two setups: a bare 3.5-inch internal HDD used with a USB-to-SATA docking station, or a prebuilt…
How Can I Legitimately Recover an HPE 3PAR StoreServ 8400 Without Its Boot Drives?
I purchased a used HPE 3PAR StoreServ 8400, but the M.2 boot drives were removed from every controller node before I received it. The rest of the hardware…
How can I wipe a hard drive that freezes Windows whenever I access it?
My 500GB Western Digital Blue HDD started failing after a GTA 5 installation crashed about six months ago. CrystalDiskInfo reports 100% health, but MiniTool shows the drive as…
What’s the catch with these unusually cheap hard drives?
I found these hard disk drives being sold at a surprisingly low price, and the deal is tempting. Are they likely to be used, refurbished, or relabeled? If…
What’s the safest way to transport hard drives during a one-hour move?
I'm moving several hard disk drives about an hour away and want to avoid damaging them. Should I place each drive in an anti-static bag, wrap it in…
How should I safely transport hard drives during a move?
I'm moving several HDDs to another location about an hour away. They may be transported loose rather than installed in a computer. Should I use anti-static bags, bubble…
My SATA SSD suddenly died and now makes a buzzing noise—what happened?
My computer suddenly stopped detecting my SATA SSD. I removed it, connected it through a USB-to-SATA adapter, and tried it with a Linux laptop, but it still wasn't…
ELI5: What’s the difference between kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes?
I'm trying to understand computer storage for a piece of fanfiction, but I know almost nothing about computers, hard drives, or computer science. Could someone explain in very…
Why is badblocks barely progressing on this used 6 TB drive?
I bought a used 6 TB HGST HUS726060ALA640 drive and am testing it because the price seemed suspiciously low. The drive appears to lack SMART support, so I…
Why is badblocks advancing so slowly on this used 6 TB drive?
I bought a used 6 TB drive and am testing it with badblocks because the price seemed suspiciously low. The drive appears to be an older HGST HUS…
New SSD Disappeared During Drive Clone and Now Reports 0 Bytes
I was cloning my current smaller boot drive to a larger SSD with DiskGenius. The process appeared to be working, but then it stopped with an error saying…
How do you decide when a data storage format is final?
I keep running into the same problem whenever I need to freeze a data format for an application, engine, or other project. I start worrying about every possibility…
How do you decide when a data storage format is final?
I repeatedly get stuck when designing a storage format for an application or engine, especially for binary or otherwise rigid data. I start worrying about every feature I…