Sure. It is hard to say how it will last “in storage”. Which is why I do not have any drives “in storage”. When the old system is retired, There is only one drive in that computer–which I take out. It would be an OLD drive, out of warranty, and it was replaced with the new drive(s) that came with the new system. I connect the USB hubs to the new system and the backup (etc) is no big deal–because nothing really changes.
All the other drives run 24 hrs/day connected via USB 3.x hubs to the computer. My 4TB Seagate GO Drive is maybe 7-8 yrs old. It is in the original Seagate external USB 3.1 enclosure. It gets run once per month for about 10 minutes (?) saving the next backup. Then it sits on the shelf (power connected through UPS “just in case”) until I plug the USB cord into the hub the next month to make another backup. I have 3 data backups on 3 different drives (two of which are disconnected from the main system for most of the month) plus the main system. Of course, everything is on a UPS. I have 2 UPSes for the computer–one is 1kVA for the main system and monitor. A separate UPS for the external hard drives. A third UPS for the Internet gateway on the network. And a fourth UPS for the big screen TV and electronics. The building (high rise) took a direct lightning hit some years ago. None of my gear was damaged and the UPSes were all fine. A significant number of electrical stacks were knocked out and had to be looked at by the electricians who take care of the electrical systems in the buildings.
Remove the hard drive and find someone who will use the computer (or donate it). I find my old systems really are obsolete when I replace them.
iirc, formating does not really obliterate the data on the HD. When I found that the stack of IDE drives I pulled from old computers were not usable in my new machines, which had SATA interfaces, I used a drive wiping program, which writes gibberish over every sector of the drive, to obliterate any other data, before I offered them on eBay.
Ever seen the inside of an Amazon Firestick? One of our older ones was getting cranky so we replaced it. I never throw that stuff away whole. I always smash the heck out of them. Here’s what the inside looks like. There’s certainly LOTS of circuitry in which to store little bits of personal information about you and your Amazon account, and your viewing habits, too I bet!!! Sorry that I couldn’t find a picture editor that would put them side-by-side.
How much money if you don’t mind me asking? I’ll then compare the cash you made selling them (and the hassle that goes with it) to the fun that I have smashing the heck out of them.
'38Packard
==> sledgehammers on disk drives is fun - do in your driveway with sufficient eye protection!
That was several years ago, probably around 2008, which is when I sent the Pentium II machines to scrap and moved to two new machines, the ones with SATA interfaces. I made enough to cover all my costs, plus a profit.
First thing to keep in mind, I hate waste. I hated to send those Pentium IIs to scrap, but no-one was paying anything for them, and they were bog slow with XP. If I can sell something for enough to cover my cost, plus a bit, and keep something functional out of the landfill, I am happy.
Fortunately, my neighbors are not so concerned about waste. I was taking my walk one summer day, and found a Canon printer and HP computer laying in the pile at the curb, waiting for the trash man. The Canon printer worked fine, just out of ink. Literally days later, my 12 year old HP printer died, so I headed over to Office Depot for ink for the Canon, and I am still using that printer, to this day. Isn’t that better than it going to the landfill?
I also dragged the HP computer home. Powered it on, and it started beeping. Looked up the beep codes on HP Support, and found the computer was telling me it had a memory error. Looked inside. Found one of the memory sticks was in the socket crooked. Pulled out both sticks, inspected, then reinserted them, correctly. Computer fired up and ran perfectly. Deleted as much of the previous owner’s data as I could, without wiping the drive, as I don’t have a Win 7 disc to reinstall the OS. Sold on eBay for enough to cover my costs, and a small profit. I am happy that I kept that perfectly functional computer out of the landfill.
@steve203 - Good on you! I recall now that you had posted earlier of the successes you have had with the printer and resurrected computer. It’s great that you value recycling / up cycling.
I hope I haven’t given the impression that I am anti-green just because I yank the hard drive out of my computers and slam the heck out of them with a sledge.
I proudly recycle 99.9% of my electronics either by returning them to the various manufacturer (Apple, HP cartridges, Best Buy) but I’d say that the remaining .1% does end up in the dump. (Smashed hard drives).
But have no fear!! I’ve contributed to this massive pile of stuff that now is home to a solar farm!!
My hobby involves learning C# and developing a video game. The graphic card is a 3070. The processor is a 12th generation Intel. Lenovo from Costco about $1300 some $300 off.
If I sell the old machine in Oct or Nov 2023 for more money I’d love it.
I have to say that this is hugely admirable. I am about the same age as you (nearing 60) and I don’t feel much drive to do anything particularly productive anymore. I worked in tech (EE and SW) for 40 years, and was forcibly retired a few months ago after working for the company for 23 years, and working with many of my co-workers for 29 years. In fact I hired more than half those co-workers over the years!
I suspect that I am a little depressed, and destroying my shoulder in October didn’t help. Just had surgery to reattach my rotator cuff tendon/muscle a few days ago, and recovery time will total close to a year. I’ve been typing with one hand the last few days, heh!
The lack of heavy physical activity is killing me. I swam 3-4x week vigorously, I did other cardio exercise 3-4/wk, and I lifted 3/wk. Now all I can do is walk, and not vigorous walks at that. Though I do make sure to “close my circles” each day (except obviously the day of surgery), my cardio fitness is still clearly dropping.
Sorry to hear that you are no longer working and recovering from surgery. It sucks that you’re feeling a bit depressed - especially around the holidays.
Something you may want to consider is taking up volunteering? I retired early and have LOTS of energy, so I knew that the yard work that I love to do (and allows me to close all of my rings most days) would not be sufficient to keep me as busy as I need to be in order to stay out of trouble
I have been volunteering with an organization called score.org which is a resource partner of the SBA. SCORE counselors are assigned clients that are generally small business owners that need help with logistics, technology, financing, etc. I find it to be very rewarding and it keeps my skill level up where I feel like I’m using my brain and helping people at the same time.
If small business is not your thing, then I know that Wendy does volunteering to help older folks with their taxes. Maybe you would find that to be helpful.
Whatever you do, I hope that you recover quickly and get back to living a healthy, happy life!
@MarkR, I’m sorry to hear about your troubles in 2022. I’m 10 years older than you and have similar relevant experience.
After injury and/ or surgery, it’s essential to maintain fitness. At any age, but especially after age 50, atrophy sets in quickly. I have learned to exercise around the injure/ surgery site. Yes, it’s a drag and not much fun. When I tore my ankle tendon, I did Zumba seated in a chair (with hand weights) for a year. You can’t use your shoulder, so I would recommend that you buy adjustable ankle weights. Doing calisthenics with ankle weights is a good cardio workout. (Many videos on YouTube and also www.zumba.net for live classes.) Also be sure to keep your core (back and abdominals) strong with weighted exercises. Stretch your entire core area every day or you will end up with lower back pain. (Research the psoas and quadratus lumborum exercises – these are key to preventing lower back pain.)
Do what @38Packard and I do – volunteer! You’re a smart guy. Your experience and skills are precious resources. I mentor a young man (now 11 years old) over Zoom. I volunteer for AARP Tax Aide. I volunteer with the Pacific Northwest Bumblebee Atlas. There are many, many organizations for volunteering, including arts, sciences, social assistance, etc. I guarantee that you will feel better when you are helping someone and/or participating in citizen science.
Set up a schedule for yourself with activities. After a lifetime of working, free-form retirement isn’t motivating. You need something to look forward to scheduled every day.
12th gen intel and 3070 is absolutely a sweet spot of performance, (noise/heat/energy costs) and financial cost at the moment. I think you’ll have a lot of fun with it.
Try PC-based VR, if you haven’t already. An old HTC vive from ebay costs practically nothing but will dazzle you (as will a modern Oculus system with PC connector).
A pro-tip, if you have any problems with noise at all, or running it in the summer time, ‘undervolting’ the GPU and CPU can often significantly lower heat output while not affecting performance at all. It also helps the machine last longer.
The lack of heavy physical activity is killing me. I swam 3-4x week vigorously, I did other cardio exercise 3-4/wk, and I lifted 3/wk. Now all I can do is walk, and not vigorous walks at that. Though I do make sure to “close my circles” each day (except obviously the day of surgery), my cardio fitness is still clearly dropping.
I recommend a sturdy, good quality exercise bike placed in front of the TV and DVD player (or some good audiobooks, at your preference). You can absolutely get a good workout on your legs, lots of cardio, and have a nice excuse to catch up on the film catalogue or favourite books, without risking moving your arm around. Of course, check with your surgeon/GP that it will be ok!
I have electric heat that costs a fortune. In the summer the air conditioning is very cheap. The machine wont be run in a hot room. It will be roughly 70 F all year round. Maybe a bit cooler outside of summer in the winter, late fall and early spring.
Lux, I am being careful about VR for now. First the game. I have a second game in mind that would really be mind blowing for VR. If I turn a buck on my first game I will try to buy my nephew out of his stock options for the second game development. He is an MIT computer scientist.
My edge is as an artist. I can construct and destruct images faster than most people in my mind.
I had a friend who was a graphic artist who once he shutdown his computer could not see what he had been working on. He had no memory for visuals. He was so miserable. It was impossible to talk shop with him.
