Topic: Hard Drive destroyed by acid from the mother board !

[thegallery]

Check this out: one of my clients told me he can't get emails because his computer is at the repair shop. Why? well, the repairman said, "the mother board blew up and acid has destroyed the hard drive"!

OK, I like to give benefit of the doubt to a fellow businessman, but this one sounds like a load of Codd's Wallop!

I have looked a bit and seen people commenting that if you want to permanently destroy your HD you can with acid. But I thought HD's were enclosed? I myself have never seen the actual drive, just the enclosure. I assume there is no access to it; that is is completely sealed? Therefore that would have to be some strong acid for a long time to get through.

But, the repairman also told my client, "I might be able to rebuild and repair it, or I might have to send it to California for repair".   hmmmmm ?

I've told him I have to check with my peeps at PC-Pals first but I think he ought to call in the morning and immediately ask for his computer back. Perhaps this is for real, but I've never heard of it. But then again I would have never believed that laptops could spontaneously catch fire unless I'd seen the article.

So what do you all think? Ever heard of this?   

[Sandra]

I have never heard of that either.

Are you sure he didnt mis hear him as I cant think of there being any acid produced when any part of a pc blows up and depending which acid and its concentration I would have thought it would need quite a lot of it to be capable of destroying a hard drive.

I have even seen pictures of a house fire where the house was completely destroyed and the pc inside it had actually melted and been on fire but the hard drive was sent off to a specialist firm and had the data recovered from it, there was no mention of any acid in that report 

Clive will probably know better as to which acid, if any, could be produced but I dont think hes due back for a few days yet.

[sam]

like you sandra I've never heard of anything like this - I guess a rather strong acid and a large volume might do it.. but no matter what happens that aint gonna happen naturally inside a pc

[Sandra]

If it did have that capability Sam, I think there would have to be warnings stuck all over every pc stating that it could become corrosive when damaged 

[sam]

indeed!

[Rik]

I've never seen a mobo blow up - blow, but not blow up. I've never seen one give off acid, the nearest thing would be corrosion from a battery leak. Even if it did happen, the hard drive would be above it and the acid would be eating it's way through the case.

Plus a computer shop repairing a hard drive???

This sounds like 24 carat BS. I'd get the machine back immediately.

[gmax]

Most motherboards use one 3 volt button cell battery,the chances of that leaking are pretty rare, the nearest thing to leaking acid would be from bulging capacitors which
can leak a small amount of electrolyte.The only logical explanation would be a disgruntled employee or a Russian planting a bomb inside the PC 

[Rik]

I'd ruled out the Russians in this instance. 

[davy51]

one thing you must remember
if the motherboard did blow the gasses would exit via the holes and cracks in the cabinet

if it leaked onto the hard drive case its possible it could corrode the hard drive case

but to eat through the hard drive and damage it i dont think is possible

if it were US law would require a label saying its possible for leaking a corrosive

this repairman just wants to make big bucks


tell your friend to get his computer back beforwe that idiot causes more damage

from the sound of this it might not be the mother board

[thegallery]

thanks for all the info everyone.

I told him the unanimous expert consensus was solid gold BS, (24 carat!  ). So he called the repairman and was cordial, played dumb, and basically said, "how does a HD get acid on it when it's enclosed in a metal box?". and the reply, "hmmm, you have a point there". Needless to say he's picking up the computer on Monday and will bring it to me. I'll be sure to wear my rubber gloves!

[Reno]

Simple solutions are almost always the right ones. People over complicate things. Chances are the repairman dropped or spilled something on the hd while it was being repaired. That would explain the acid excuse and why it needed to be sent off for data recovery. Most little pc companies get enough money out of you with the hourly wage. I couldn't see a real reason why they would need to make up something like that unless it was to cover up a mistake they had made.

[gmax]

I would love to see photos of the HD

[sam]

indeed, so would i... that sounds like a good idea - I bet it will be fine though!

[Mohux]

Bet 'es formatted the blokes HD by mistake!! 

 

[Simon]

Bet 'es formatted the blokes HD by mistake!! 

 

  That was a real Steptoe moment, Mo!