Comments on: Quantum hard drives https://dfarq.homeip.net/quantum-hard-drives/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=quantum-hard-drives David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:50:17 +0000 hourly 1 By: Dave Farquhar https://dfarq.homeip.net/quantum-hard-drives/#comment-57617 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:50:17 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=33475#comment-57617 In reply to Martin Everard.

It’s worth doing something with. If you don’t want to mess with a vintage drive, someone’s willing to buy it and use it. If fixing it up and using it in a retro rig sounds fun to you, then by all means give it a whirl.

]]> By: Martin Everard https://dfarq.homeip.net/quantum-hard-drives/#comment-57616 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:50:04 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=33475#comment-57616 I have a Quantum 15GB AT FireballLCT 15 and I do not know if it is worth keeping/installing/selling. ANy advice?

]]> By: James https://dfarq.homeip.net/quantum-hard-drives/#comment-57597 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:34:15 +0000 https://dfarq.homeip.net/?p=33475#comment-57597 I’ve had generally good experience with Quantum drives. They were used in a LOT of Macs in the 80s-90s and they were very quiet, offered reasonable performance and were generally reliable. The deteriorating rubber problem is widespread now but I don’t think anyone at the time thought it would matter if the drives still worked 25 years later. For what it’s worth I have opened many drives over the years and as long as you don’t try to run the drive with the cover off it usually won’t cause any problems. If a few dust specks do get on the platters they will be quickly flung off as the drive spins up and are captured by the filter that is inside most drives. I found out the hard way when I was a teenager that running a drive with the cover off usually causes it to fail. I suspect turbulence caused by ambient air causes the heads to flutter and crash and a steady supply of dust and particles can get sucked into the works.

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