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Date:      Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:45:40 -0400
From:      Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@msu.edu>
To:        Roland Smith <rsmith@xs4all.nl>
Cc:        George Davidovich <freebsd@optimis.net>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: hard disk failure - now what?
Message-ID:  <20090826204539.GC24590@gizmo.acns.msu.edu>
In-Reply-To: <20090826202347.GA27093@slackbox.xs4all.nl>
References:  <1338880b0908241129p75b6845cg26d21804e118364@mail.gmail.com> <20090824223247.GD43410@slackbox.xs4all.nl> <1338880b0908252246s21191e83k7c251366b706532@mail.gmail.com> <20090826180741.GA23120@slackbox.xs4all.nl> <20090826191348.GA85581@marvin.optimis.net> <20090826202347.GA27093@slackbox.xs4all.nl>

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On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 10:23:47PM +0200, Roland Smith wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 12:13:48PM -0700, George Davidovich wrote:
> <snip>
> > > If the drive is that bad, it is doubtfull if dd or ddrescue will be
> > > able to get a good copy.
> > 
> > Probably true.  I hesitate to suggest this, but sticking the drive in a
> > freezer (preferrably in a ziplock bag) for a few hours or overnight
> > might help.  Stories from people claiming "I swear it works!" go back
> > years.  
> 
> Interesting.
> 
> > To the exent it does work, it might give Kelly enough time to attempt
> > recovery.  If more time is required, he can try and find a creative
> > workaround for the 5 meter max length for USB cables.  Also,
> > experimenting with dry ice or acetone baths might prove to be
> > interesting, or at least educational. ;-)
> 
> 
> I remember this special non-condictive 3M fluid that can be used to cool
> electronics. A group of hackers dunked a complete PC minus the case and power
> supply in this stuff. The fluid itself was cooled with liquid nitrogen. They
> everclocked it something wicked. Not very practical though. :-)

A number of supercomputers from Cray and Control Data and maybe some
other places used this sort of thing on some experimental systems.  I
don't know if any ever were put in to commercial production.  They submerged
who boards in to it and then supercooled the fluid.   I don't remember
the chemical names.  

The fluid was a relative of Freon and held sufficient levels of oxygen 
to support lung breathers.  They used to have a tank with a live mouse 
submerged in it bouncing around and seeming to have no trouble not 
choking or drowning.  A variation of it was also researched as a blood 
substitute for some special medical needs.  I don't know how far that 
went.    I know it is not all fantasy because I saw the live mouse.   
I didn't try the blood substitute.

////jerry


> 
> Roland
> -- 
> R.F.Smith                                   http://www.xs4all.nl/~rsmith/
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