Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!bloom-beacon!news!mlbarrow
From: mlbarrow@athena.mit.edu (Michael L Barrow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: HD will not spin up (sometimes), banging it helps; Suggestions?
Message-ID: <1990Oct30.235324.10138@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 31 Oct 90 02:53:00 GMT
References: <1447@pedsga.UUCP> <124554@linus.mitre.org>
	<1990Oct30.204817.10657@polyof.poly.edu>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 25
In-Reply-To: ted@polyof.poly.edu's message of 30 Oct 90 20:48:17 GMT


The temporary solution to your problem is to not turn off the hard disk
once you get it spinning. It is suffering from something called
"sticktion" -- a pseudo-professional term that describes the hard disk
platters refusing to spin up.

Usually, tapping a disk while it is trying to spin up will solve the
problem (at least for that power-up session). I am _not_ saying to
"bang" on the disk -- this is not smart!!!

Also, I don't suggest opening the drive. It is air-tight for a specific
purpose, right? I have never tried the hard drive repair places, since
the last time I checked, they cost a few hundred bucks. I preferred to
purchase a brand new drive with a warranty, instead. I hung the old one
from the ceiling as part of my mini computer museum.

Hope this all helps!!!

--
--Michael L Barrow
mlbarrow@athena.mit.edu
o MIT Information Systems/Information Services MCR Consultant
o Project Athena Volunteer User Consultant
o Member, Student Information Processing Board (SIPB)
o Oh, yeah.....I'm a student too! (MIT '93)