Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!spool2.mu.edu!news.cs.indiana.edu!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!uc!shamash!timbuk!bobo From: bobo@pecan15.cray.com (Bob Kierski) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: Quantum Spinning Its Platters Message-ID: <112155.17248@timbuk.cray.com> Date: 7 Jan 91 17:35:58 GMT References: <0.mac.hardware@pro-angmar> <1990Dec30.103450.11346@athena.mit.edu> Reply-To: bobo@pecan15.cray.com (Bob Kierski) Organization: Cray Research, Inc. Lines: 26 In article <1990Dec30.103450.11346@athena.mit.edu>, toad@athena.mit.edu (John P. Jackson) writes: |> Well, one thing that this could be, and it's specific to quantum drives, is |> a ROM routine that excercises the read/write head mechanism when the drive |> senses that the lubricant for this assembley is becoming too viscous. About |> a year and a half ago, many Apple customers began experiencing startup problems |> with their hard drives. The problem was found to be in Quantum drives that |> Apple OEM'd. The drives read/write head mechanism was lubricated with a |> grease that became too sticky when it absorbed moisture. When this happened, |> it wouldn't move after the computer had been turned off for a while. Quantum's |> solution to this was to replace the drive's ROM with one that included a |> routine that caused the heads to be moved rapidly back and forth from time to |> time to insure that the lubricant didn't begin to set. |> I would think that they would have corrected this in some other way by now, |> but you never know. I would say that you should definitely get in contact |> with whomever you bought the drive from, and ask them about it. If your |> really are hearing a GRINDING sound, then it may be something else. In any |> case, contacting who you got it from will help to CYA if the drive dies a day |> out of warranty. Good luck! That was the Q80. And I thought the solution was to increase tork at startup. -- Have a day,