correct me if I'm wrong, but surely Software can't corrupt hardware?
Okay, you're wrong. It can corrupt hardware. I've done it.

About 20 years ago, I got bitten by the MASM bug, and figured I could write a better FORMAT program than Microsoft could. I learned all about INT 13 and the various registers to control interrupt behaviour, and set about writing the program.

When I set my creation loose upon a spare floppy diskette (5.25", natch), the drive clunked and whirred and clicked and did its usual thing for a minute or so. Then it started grinding and clicking rapidly, as if something mechanical was being forced against the limits of its movment. It stopped a few seconds later and my program relinquished control back to the beloved C:\> prompt.

I tried to see the contents of the diskette, only to find no file system present. Not only that, I couldn't use the proper FORMAT command on the disk. It refused to recognise that there was a diskette in the drive. I tried the diskette in another computer, with the same result. At least the drive would read other diskettes, so I hadn't broken it as well.

My clumsy attempts at building a better mousetrap ended up damaging a diskette beyond repair. I was lucky they didn't damage the drive too.
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Sun 27 Sep 2009, 16:39, Reply)