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DIY USB "Hard Drive"

by gmgfarrand on August 7, 2008

Table of Contents

intro: DIY USB "Hard Drive" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Find a candidate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Dismantle.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 3: Compare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 4: Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 5: Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 6: Flash Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 7: Button it up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
intro: DIY USB "Hard Drive"
Using a dead Hard Drive, a 4-port USB hub, and a few Flash Drives, we will kill some time and get a few laughs from anyone seeing you use this.

**NOTE**
You guys can see MAKE magazine's rip-off article of my project at:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/03/weekend_project_flash_memory_hard_d_1.html

Thanks for the credit MAKE, I really appreciate it....

step 1: Find a candidate.

Any Hard Drive should do..

step 2: Dismantle..
Take the Hard Drive apart...

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
step 3: Compare
Make sure your USB hub will fit, either with the plastic case on, or not...

step 4: Hub
For this purpose, I removed the plastic case.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
step 5: Install
I placed the "nekkid" USB hub into the area where the platter used to be.

Note: I was only placing this temporarily, if I was going to keep this mod permanent, I would glue the hub in either using epoxy or hot glue.

Edit: I forgot to mention, if this was going to be used permanently, I would coat the circuit board with epoxy, just like I do with Flash Drives.

step 6: Flash Me!

Now add your Flash Drives, you may have to remove the casing for some to fit well.

step 7: Button it up.

Replace the cover to the Hard Drive, and plug in!

Now you will have a "new" Flash Drive that will be sure to get some comments.

Also, there is a way, I haven't done it, but with a certain flavor of Linux, you can install Linux onto all 4 of the Flash drives in a RAID configuration, assuming you have all
the same capacities.

Have fun!

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 334 comments

cybergod says: Apr 24, 2009. 12:18 AM REPLY

Now that is funny. I am definitely going to do this to an old HDD. I reckon some friends will get a real kick out of it.

room22 says: Apr 21, 2009. 3:51 PM REPLY

cool
i really like the idea.
how much is the usb hub?

mrmouseboy2 says: Apr 18, 2009. 8:45 PM REPLY

With my usb hard drive i can't get the motor thingy that connects to the platter. So i only have 1 4gb flash drive in it.

Your usb hard drive is cool though.

jumpup_dnb_dj says: Apr 17, 2009. 7:33 AM REPLY

I have to say although creative, it seems somewhat of a pointless task and waste of construction time, that for me would be better spent on something that
has more of a point to it.

I'm sure some will find it of use though. Each to their own.

jyoung720 says: Apr 16, 2009. 6:11 AM REPLY

Oh my god. Why is it that nobody seems to get this?? Relax people it's a joke. Not every instructable has to be a life-changing solution to your problems.

i1982 says: Apr 15, 2009. 3:45 AM REPLY

Funny, but unusual. I prefer to use these pen drives without case. Anyway, It´s cool to geeks!

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
 Jupitane says: Apr 14, 2009. 4:08 PM REPLY
Sue MAKE magazine if they ripped your idea... if you have a patent for it =)

bagikun says: Apr 11, 2009. 3:41 PM REPLY

Sad. You cheat us!

droidman says: Apr 9, 2009. 6:28 AM REPLY

i like it, a lot, but i was expecting a real usb sata disk or something but when i saw the 1st picture without an exterior power source i got curious...

Oimi says: Apr 4, 2009. 5:27 AM REPLY

I was expecting this to be an instructable that allowed you to use an IDE/SATA HDD that would usually be installed inside a computer as an external storage
device without using a docking station!

Oimi says: Apr 4, 2009. 5:27 AM

(removed by author or community request)

curtlee2002 says: Apr 4, 2009. 8:23 AM REPLY

Oimi, you are rather rude. The project is very creative. Cheer Up. Have some fun.

Oimi says: Apr 4, 2009. 10:46 AM REPLY

Well, at the very least the title is misleading. At least make an instructable that states how to make this possible.

tevers94 says: Apr 8, 2009. 7:09 PM REPLY

ha

Evil Bike says: Apr 4, 2009. 3:51 PM REPLY

that is not misleading at all. it says usb. then in quotes "hard drive"

Oimi says: Apr 4, 2009. 5:40 PM REPLY

Therefore it would be right to assume that it meant an external hard drive connected via USB rather than IDE/SATA. The correct title for
this project would be 'Flash/Thumb/Memory Stick Hard Drive'.

Kasm279 says: Apr 8, 2009. 6:13 PM REPLY

get a USB drive that has an IDE to USB converter in it and swap drives. i have an old iomega CD-RW drive i did this too (the CD drive
died)

Oimi says: Apr 9, 2009. 6:55 AM REPLY

Well, that was painful but worth it.

Thank you.

curtlee2002 says: Apr 6, 2009. 7:36 AM REPLY

Oimi, you lost. Give up.

Oimi says: Apr 6, 2009. 7:38 AM REPLY

Hardly, else you wouldn't be pleading with me to give up.

curtlee2002 says: Apr 6, 2009. 8:12 AM REPLY

Ha...Ha...

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
 Evil Bike says: Apr 6, 2009. 6:47 PM REPLY
this is getting funny. i think that curtlee2002 is totally right. you may not believe that he title is right, but you don't have to be
rude about it.

Oimi says: Apr 7, 2009. 12:43 AM REPLY

I'm not the only one: check out PMSHINORAZE Jan 10, 2009. 8:38

Evil Bike says: Apr 7, 2009. 7:35 AM REPLY

shift the blame

Oimi says: Apr 9, 2009. 6:56 AM REPLY

WHat are you talking about? I'm acknowledging that I am not the only one with this opinion.

tevers94 says: Apr 8, 2009. 7:08 PM REPLY

Great job, when i first clicked on your instructable i expected some how you actually used the hard drive itself. Then i started to like the idea.

-Thanks-

mtu123s says: Apr 8, 2009. 5:58 PM REPLY

thank u nice job

mman1506 says: Apr 8, 2009. 5:05 AM REPLY

i want to bump another comment by Half-life

Nice one... Everybody who thinks this is not original- this is for the look, no t the function.

Don't expect the invisible book shelf to be invisible! etc.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Invisible-Book-Shelf/

lucek says: Feb 16, 2009. 8:05 AM REPLY

I just thought of an improvement for this. if you have a old broken case with a front panel usb port or 2, you could pull the board use it instead of the hub and
connect it strait to the mother board.

mman1506 says: Apr 8, 2009. 4:58 AM REPLY

that would be a neat way to make a flash hd when flash drives get cheap

gmgfarrand says: Apr 1, 2009. 11:27 AM REPLY

You guys can see MAKE magazine's rip-off article of my project at:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/03/weekend_project_flash_memory_hard_d_1.html

Kipkay says: Apr 7, 2009. 6:38 AM REPLY

The author who submitted the article to Make Magazine is Brian Nadel. I do the Weekend Project's for Make: Online. Unfortunately, with the thousands
of projects all over the internet, it's virtually impossible to check them all to see if something has been done before. I will be more than happy to credit
gmgfarrand and add this Instructable to the link on Make: Online.

mg0930mg says: Apr 5, 2009. 11:57 AM REPLY

I was just coming on here to tell you,too...

instructors says: Apr 1, 2009. 1:24 PM REPLY

Its sad that MAKE: of all people would do that, and that kipkay, a fellow instructables member, didnt notice. Its just sad...

mg0930mg says: Apr 5, 2009. 11:57 AM REPLY

unless you have not seen this article about kipkay, who is involved with make you would not be suprised.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
 gmgfarrand says: Apr 1, 2009. 4:33 PM REPLY
Very annoying....
It's exactly the same.

Kipkay says: Apr 7, 2009. 6:48 AM REPLY

Credit has been given. See my above comment. My apologies for not seeing this and giving credit then.

cyberraxx says: Apr 5, 2009. 9:50 AM REPLY

I've read several comments complaining about this Instructable but I like the Idea. It may be overkill and slightly tricky but having several flash drives in a
standard hub looks ugly where as this looks techy. Plus its recycling a dead Hard Drive.

I'm thinking of using a similar Idea but for a externally powered hub outside for several wireless and web cam projects I'm trying out.

JSUTHERLAND8 says: Apr 2, 2009. 7:09 AM REPLY

This is a good way to keep data safe in a old HD shell. A longer USB cord and LED window, would be nice, but this is a good way to use up those small USB
thumb drives in one spot.

soumil.1111 says: Apr 1, 2009. 3:33 AM REPLY

i thought u were using the hard drive??

vfontanela says: Mar 31, 2009. 8:21 PM REPLY

I did it, I did it!!!

varocha says: Mar 28, 2009. 4:44 PM REPLY

lolol is fun but stupid same time any way thank for give a smile!

bowmaster says: Mar 20, 2009. 9:44 PM REPLY

I would use http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/a6d9/ USB drive.

aiden120000 says: Mar 24, 2009. 2:30 PM REPLY

that's insane. i'd lose it so quickly

bowmaster says: Mar 24, 2009. 3:56 PM REPLY

But then could have 64 gigs of memory!!!

paulpropst says: Feb 25, 2009. 7:57 PM REPLY

Do the following at your own risk!
What might REALLY make people scratch their heads is this. Make this project with un-cased thumb drives that have been modified like this.
1. after the thumb drive is uncased carefully unsolder the LED
2. solder a small piezo sounder and a small polyester capacitor (around .1 uf) in series. make enough for all of the thumb drives.
3. solder one of these assemblies to the LED terminals on each thumb drive.
4. plug the thumb drives into the hub and close up the hard drive case (padded where necessary)
viola! now the drive makes "access" sounds when accessed by the computer!

aiden120000 says: Mar 24, 2009. 2:35 PM REPLY

i like, can you make it make modem noises?

N1CK4ND0 says: Mar 24, 2009. 1:44 PM REPLY

lol that is intense

kyleg001 says: Mar 24, 2009. 9:05 AM REPLY

:-)

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/
 SinAmos says: Mar 24, 2009. 12:21 AM REPLY
Silly good fun.

view all 334 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_USB_quotHard_Drivequot/