Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty

Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty 

 PDF | 576 pages | 35,3 mb

"If I had this book 10 years ago, the FBI would never have found me!" -- Kevin Mitnick This book has something for everyone---from the beginner hobbyist with no electronics or coding experience to the self-proclaimed "gadget geek." Take an ordinary piece of equipment and turn it into a personal work of art. Build upon an existing idea to create something better. Have fun while voiding your warranty! Some of the hardware hacks in this book include:

* Don't toss your iPod away when the battery dies! Don't pay Apple the $99 to replace it! Install a new iPod battery yourself without Apple's "help"

* An Apple a day! Modify a standard Apple USB Mouse into a glowing UFO Mouse or build a FireWire terabyte hard drive and custom case

* Have you played Atari today? Create an arcade-style Atari 5200 paddle controller for your favorite retro videogames or transform the Atari 2600 joystick into one that can be used by left-handed players

Download Link

How to test a Hard disk | test hard disk for problem

How to test a Hard disk | test hard disk for problem

 If your computer is not starting up and you are not sure whether it is the problem of RAM or the bad sector or any other problem of hard disk, you can check your RAM problem with the software on the previous post. And now here you can check the problem of your hard disk with the below mentioning software.

This software shows up the error code and problem with a red color if there is any problem exists. And if there is no problem found and you hard is full fit, it shows a green screen with Disposition code =0×00 means that the drive is fit.

Download Software from below

Hitachi Drive Fitness Test Tool

Disk Cleanup to Solve some Computer Problems

Perform a Disk Cleanup and then Check your hard disk for errors.

You can help solve some computer problems and improve the performance of your computer by making sure that your hard disk has no errors.

Open Computer.

Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.

Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check Now. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan

detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk

check will simply report problems but not fix them.

To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Click Start.

Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don't use your computer for any other tasks while it's checking for errors.

Note:

If you select Automatically fix file system errors for a disk that is in use (for example, the partition that contains Windows), you'll be prompted you to reschedule the disk check for the next time you restart your computer.

How to Retrieve Data Off a Crashed Hard Drive

How to Retrieve Data Off a Crashed Hard Drive

The hard drive has the shortest life expectancy of all components, but when it inevitably fails it’s always when you least expect it. It’s an inevitability, and it always happens when you’re least prepared - the hard drive crash. Sure, you might notice it’s taking a bit longer to boot, or there’s an occasional click that just doesn’t sound right, but it’s still a surprise the day your computer fails to boot. How do you get your data off that hard drive once it’s no longer able to boot? Is it still possible? This depends on what exactly went wrong with your drive. It is safe to assume, however, that will the proper method, you will be able to retrieve at least part of your lost data.

Below are five different methods for getting documents, pictures, and other important files off a crashed hard drive.

1. Use an External Case

This method is the most simple available, and for many people it is also the solution they need. Simply purchase an external hard drive case that allows you to plug your hard drive into a computer with a standard USB cable. Remove the crashed hard drive from your computer and carefully insert it into the external case (make sure you ground yourself before touching it), then plug it into a different system and try to open the drive. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to navigate into your documents and other folders and copy them onto a different hard drive.

2. Use a LiveCD

Don’t have access to a second computer for doing as you please? This method will be ideal, then. You’ll need to get temporary access to a computer with Internet and a DVD burner. Download a Linux LiveCD - d**n Small Linux is the smallest, but also has issues mounting hard drives. The most simple for an average computer user would be Puppy Linux. It has a larger file size, but should recognize your drive.

Burn the Live CD ISO to a CD and insert it into your computer (the one with the crashed hard drive). Restart the computer and when it the computer logo appears, press F2 (or whatever key for your system) to enter BIOS. Change the boot sequence to CD first, Save and then Exit.

The Live CD will start, simply follow the directions on the screen–don’t worry, nothing is being done to your hard drive. The OS will start, and you should see your hard drive mounted on the desktop–something like “60GB”, etc. Plug in a second drive and copy and paste the folders over.

3. Data Recovery Software

Do the above solutions have your head spinning? If you want something a little less complicated, you may want to give recovery software a go. There are a number of different free recovery tools available, and you may be one of the lucky users who have success with the programs.

There are a large number of programs available, but the quality of each varies. A good place to start would be Data Disc Recovery–it’s free, easy to use, and works on crashed drives (it can also retrieve deleted files and others). If one doesn’t work, try a different one.

4. Freeze It

This method surprises many, but it actually does work (depending on what happened to the drive). The idea is that freezing it will constrict loose parts long enough for the drive to work properly. Make sure you have a computer ready to plug the drive into and an external case. Place the hard drive into a freezer bag, seal it tightly, and put it in the freezer overnight. The next day, remove it from the bag and put it in the external drive case. Transfer the data from the drive before it warms too much and crashes again.

5. Get a Pro

If all else fails, you either have to accept that the data is gone or, if the data is really important, take the hard drive to a professional. It will be expensive, but there’s a good chance a pro will be able to retrieve some of the data for you.