An engineer has recreated virtual hard drive defragmentation with authentic sounds, allowing users to experience a nostalgic the atmosphere of 1998 right in your browser.
Nostalgia for HDD
Evolution of storage devices
These days, most computers and laptops are equipped with quiet SSD drives. Hard disk drives (HDD) have become a rarity in modern devices. Together with them, the process of defragmentation, accompanied by characteristic noise, became a thing of the past. However, for those who miss this “crackling” and want to remember the old days, an unusual solution has appeared.
Virtual defragmentation
There is no need to find an old HDD and connect it to the system. Engineer Dennis Morello has recreated the experience of defragmenting the C drive in Windows 98, now available online. Anyone can run this process in their browser right now.
Technical nuances
According to Morello, one of the main challenges was to develop a defragmentation algorithm that looked authentic. The mechanism he created randomly determines the number of simultaneously processed clusters and adjusts the speed depending on the selected virtual disk (from C to F). Each drive has a different capacity, and the longest process takes about 17 minutes.
Audio
To create a realistic background sound, Morello recorded a real hard drive "crack" and edited it. Sound effects are synchronized with the visualization and change according to the selected disk speed. The result turned out to be very accurate and is able to transport users into the atmosphere of 1998.
Glossary
- HDD - Hard Disk Drive, hard drive, magnetic data storage device plates.
- SSD - Solid State Drive, solid-state drive, flash memory-based storage device.
- Windows 98 is an operating system from Microsoft released in 1998.
- Dennis Morello is an engineer who created a virtual HDD defragmentation simulation.
- Defragmentation is the process of optimizing the file system of a hard drive.
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Answers to questions
What is virtual Disk defragmentation and who created it?
How does the defragmentation simulator work?
How long does virtual defragmentation take?
How were the sound effects created for the simulator?
Why is the creation of this simulator relevant today?
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Discussion of the topic – Nostalgia for HDD: Virtual defragmentation with sound in the browser
The article talks about a browser-based project that recreates the sounds and visualization of the process of defragmenting hard drives, evoking nostalgia for old computers with HDDs.
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Eleonora
Wow, what nostalgia! 😊 I remember sitting at the computer for hours and listening to this “crackling” noise during defragmentation. Who would have thought that someone would think of recreating this experience in a browser.
Hans
Yes, Eleonora, this is really funny! I just tried it myself - the sound is almost like the real thing. I wonder how long it took Morello to develop this simulator? 🤔
Sophie
Guys, have you noticed that you can choose different disks? I tried the F drive and the process took a whopping 17 minutes! 😅 Just like the good old days when you had to wait forever.
Giovanni
Sophie, did you seriously sit there for 17 minutes? 😂 I couldn’t stand it! Although I must admit that the sound is very realistic. Morello is great for recording the real “crack” of the HDD.
Oleksandr
I don't understand why you waste time on such nonsense. Defragmentation is a thing of the past, thank God. Now we have SSDs that are much faster and quieter. There is no point in being nostalgic about backward technologies.
Isabella
Oleksandr, don't be such a grump! 😄 Sometimes it’s nice to remember the past. By the way, has anyone noticed how the speed changes depending on the selected disk? Very detailed!
Pierre
Isabella is right, this is just a fun project! 🙌 Personally, I like how Morello synchronized the sound with the visuals. The attention to detail is very impressive. Do you remember how often you had to defragment disks before?
Eleonora
Pierre, I did this once a week! 😅 I also remember how at school they explained to us why defragmentation is needed. Who would have thought that after so many years we would be launching her simulator for the sake of nostalgia. Technologies do not stand still! 🚀