Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!vector!egsner!mic!cms2!tomf
From: tomf@cms2.UUCP (Tom Fortner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: HD will not spin up (sometimes), banging it helps; Suggestions?
Message-ID: <356@cms2.UUCP>
Date: 5 Nov 90 23:58:53 GMT
References: <1447@pedsga.UUCP# <124554@linus.mitre.org> <1990Oct30.204817.10657@polyof.poly.edu>
Organization: Christian Medical & Dental Society
Lines: 46

In article <1990Oct30.204817.10657@polyof.poly.edu# ted@polyof.poly.edu (Theodore S. Kapela, Staff) writes:
#In article <124554@linus.mitre.org> jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) writes:
#>In a recent article mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman) writes:
#> 
#>>  Well, like the subject line says, I seem to have a masacistic HD. It's
#>>a Seagate ST125 (20 Meg, 3.5 format), and every once in a while when I
#>>turn on my computer it refuses to spin up. The solution seems to be to
#>>take it out and bang it hard a few times. Then re-install it, and it
#                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^
#  You do WHAT with your hard drive?  You should *NEVER* bang a hard drive!
#You may try to turn the platters (actually the drum on top on some drives
#if you can get to it.).  The last thing you want is to have the heads 
#crash into the platters.  Banging the drive hard is definitely one way
#to do this.
#
#>
#>Have you talked to Seagate about this?  I don't have any experience
#>with their drive as such, but last year IBM replaced a slew of drives
#>(primarily in the PS/2-70 series) which showed this symptom.   The problem
#
#I have never had any trouble either.  I currently own two Seagate ST238R's,
#One is five years old, the other is four years old.  They are 32M RLL format
#drives.  When I first got the drives, I did a low level format once.
#Never again did I even think about having to low-level format the drives
#again.  I have never gotten "sector not found" or "general failure" errors
#which could indicate this would be needed.  I have also NEVER had a problem
#with the drives "Sticking".  The drives would get random use.  Very heavy
#use for a few days, then no use at all for a few days.  They have (un-
#fortunately) gone through some pretty severe temperature and humidy extremes.
#Still, I have never had a problem.
#
#-- 
#...............................................................................

I agree. I have installed several ST-225s and ST-238s in the last few years
and have found them to be very reliable. I had one in my XT at home for 3 years
before I filled it up and had to replace it. 

I replaced it with an ST-277R. I like Seagate drives.
Tom

-- 
    Tom Fortner                        ** The greatest gift a man can offer 
    Christian Medical & Dental Society ** his Maker is a repentant committed 
    UUCP: cms2!tomf                    ** life and a disciplined, diligent 
    INTERNET: tomf@cms2.lonestar.org   ** mind.