Replacement hard drive left out in cold. Still good?


  1. Snakefist
    Posts : 125
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Full Retail Version
       New #1

    Replacement hard drive left out in cold. Still good?


    I had a replacement hard drive sent to me from newegg. It was delivered on 2/11/2021 i was away yesterday day tending to my mother who is sick. I didn't get home till 2 am this morning it is now 2:22am on 2/12/2021. The temps here was in the 20's Fahrenheit is the drive still good if i leave it to warm up for a few days? I never left one in the cold so i really have no clue. I have built alot of pc's for me and my family but i never left parts outside that long before.

    Windows 10 Build 19041.450.
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 43,166
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    Condensation is the thing to watch for. If your drive was delivered in a sealed bag, you may well be fine.

    Bring it slowly to room temp in a dry environment.

    Is It Normal for a Computer to Get So Hot You Can't Touch It? | Your Business
    Extreme Cold

    When a hard drive gets below freezing, the metal pieces contract -- creating more space in the drive and creating the risk of misalignment in the drive. If the platters and heads are misaligned in a hard drive, running it could cause the drive to fail. If your hard drive has been stored at freezing temperatures, Western Digital recommends giving it 18 to 22 hours to come to room temperature before use to avoid causing any permanent damage to the drive. Freezing also increases the risk of condensation and water damage, especially when run in a hot computer.
    You can of course check rated storage temp range for your drive as well.
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  4. Winuser
    Posts : 7,128
    Windows 10 Pro Insider
       New #3

    I agree with dalchina, Let it slowly warm up. I would wait at least one day before trying to use it. It may be packed with silicone packets which will help with moisture.
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  6. Snakefist
    Posts : 125
    Windows 10 Pro x64 Full Retail Version
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    It came in that silver sealed electrostatic bag. It lacked the silica packet though. Then it was in a bubble pack shaped for the hard drive inside a cardboard box.

    It's the Seagate BarraCuda ST2000DM008. If i'm reading this stat page right it has a -40C non-operating temp. Which would be -40F.

    https://www.seagate.com/www-content/...06US-en_US.pdf
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  7. sdowney717
    Posts : 1,257
    win10 PRO on 5 PC's and Linux mint
       New #5

    Snakefist said:
    It came in that silver sealed electrostatic bag. It lacked the silica packet though. Then it was in a bubble pack shaped for the hard drive inside a cardboard box.

    It's the Seagate BarraCuda ST2000DM008. If i'm reading this stat page right it has a -40C non-operating temp. Which would be -40F.

    https://www.seagate.com/www-content/...06US-en_US.pdf
    It is fine, there is very little air space and exposure to the outside air (air exchange is minimal) if it is tightly sitting in a plastic bag. And if it is sitting in a cardboard paper box, that paper tends to absorb any small moisture in the air. so the inside of the box is going to be drier than the outside. If the box was thrown in a lake or soaked thru with rain of course that's much worse.

    Some boxes when it is a rainy day, the delivery service has put the box in a plastic bag before leaving by the door.
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  8. Ghot
    Posts : 23,422
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4412 (x64) [22H2]
       New #6

    As @dalchina has said... let it warm up (naturally) for a day. You'll be fine after that.
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