Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!uwvax!titanic.cs.wisc.edu!tonyrich From: tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu (Anthony Rich) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: it's the little things that annoy me (disks) Summary: Maybe it's dirty drives Message-ID: <10133@spool.cs.wisc.edu> Date: 11 Apr 90 20:17:18 GMT References: <52048@coherent.coherent.com> <90097.131238CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu> <23448.261e6cc4@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> Sender: news@spool.cs.wisc.edu Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 32 Here's another data point to add to this discussion of floppy disk problems. I've noticed on my Mac II that I sometimes get "bad sector" errors on the *first* diskette that I insert and use if I haven't used the floppy drive for a long time (often more than a week). This strongly suggests that dust builds up on the heads or other parts of the drive over time, and the first diskette I put in after that is acting as a cleaning diskette, whether it wants to or not! Of course, it might be that the *diskette* has gone bad over time, but I've noticed that the errors seem to correlate with the "first disk used after a long time" event. I don't normally have problems with other diskettes after I replace that first one. That might partly explain why some people have fewer problems than others; if they use their floppy drives more heavily, there may be less diskette damage due to dirt buildup (although oxide from the floppies can build up on the heads with heavy use, too). Anyway, it seems like a wise strategy would be to run a commercial head cleaning diskette through the drive after each long period of *disuse* (not just after heavy use). BTW, why hasn't anyone designed a self-cleaning floppy drive? Tony -- ----------------------------------------- | EMAIL: tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu | | Disclaimer: I speak only for myself. | -----------------------------------------