Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!sjsca4!poffen From: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: HD noise Keywords: Hard disk Message-ID: <1990Jul2.150052.20185@sj.ate.slb.com> Date: 2 Jul 90 15:00:52 GMT References: Reply-To: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) Distribution: comp Organization: Schlumberger Technologies, San Jose, CA. Lines: 32 In article <294@cms2.UUCP> tomf@cms2.UUCP (Tom Fortner) writes: >In article #I am using an old Compaq Plus. Whenever I turn it off there is a noise >#coming from the hard disk as it is stopped. It sound the same as my old >#car brakes. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Thanks for any help. >Yea! >Back it up now! >A squeeling noise usually indicates a head rubbing on a platter. If parking >the heads changes the noise then there's little doubt. >As a drive becomes older, the bearings on the spindle shaft loosen, the pivot >on the head actuators wears, and sometimes things get too close for comfort. >This shows up best at wind up and wind down because the air being propelled >off the disk is diminished and the clearance between head and platter becomes >unstable, as a toy top when it is turning too slow wobbles before falling. >A good disk overhaul shop can salvage a disk in this shape usually for half >the price of a new one. I doubt if it is a head rubbing the platter. If that were happening, the disk would be completely unuseable by now. Once a head contacts a platter, you will surely know it. It is probably a noisy bearing, or more likely, a vibrating static dissipator, the latter not being serious and may be able to be fixed by moving (carefully) the little metal (usually copper) brush that rides on the spindle. If this doesn't do it, sometime a drop of silicone rubber (SMALL drop) on it will change its resonant frequency. Russ Poffenberger DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com Schlumberger Technologies UUCP: {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen 1601 Technology Drive CIS: 72401,276 San Jose, Ca. 95110 (408)437-5254