Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsj!davet
From: davet@cbnewsj.att.com (Dave Tutelman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Disk Parking
Message-ID: <1991Jan29.125017.6977@cbnewsj.att.com>
Date: 29 Jan 91 12:50:17 GMT
References: <26544@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <1991Jan28.180400.27887@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs - Lincroft, NJ
Lines: 33

In article <1991Jan28.180400.27887@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu> smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) writes:
>In article <26544@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) writes:
>>... I don't want the hard drive spinning all of the time
>>when it isn't in use....is their a way to have the hard drive shut down
>>when no activity has been present for a while?
>
>I *think* there is a software application which can do this...

This would be pretty hard to do in software, since in most computers the
disk axis power goes straight to the motor.  I frankly doubt that such
software exists.  Probably Mr. Smith is thinking of something like TIMEPARK,
which parks the heads after some minutes of inactivity.  This is useful,
but it doesn't turn off the "spinning".

>--but no harm is done to the hard drive when it's left spinning. 
>In fact, there
>is more wear and tear on the drive to power it down then power it
>back up again.

Quite true from all I've read in this newsgroup over the years.  This
is definitely a FAQ; we have the debate at least once a year.
The consensus always comes out: let it spin if you'll be using it
again within 24 hours (also good for the electronics and the board,
for thermal effects).  The break-even time suggested by the net-experts
is between one and a few days.

Dave
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|    Dave Tutelman						|
|    Physical - AT&T Bell Labs  -  Lincroft, NJ			|
|    Logical -  ...att!pegasus!dmt == dmt@pegasus.att.com	|
|    Audible -  (201) 576 2194					|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+