Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!thad
From: thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Seagate drive occasionally goes God knows where
Message-ID: <39095@cup.portal.com>
Date: 10 Feb 91 13:52:57 GMT
References: <44076@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 31

tjhayko@thunder.lakeheadu.ca in <44076@nigel.ee.udel.edu> writes:

	I've just purchased an ...
	... and  a  Seagate  ST125N hard drive.
	...When  it
	doesn't  come up, I can hear the head seeking back and forth very
	rapidly and then the drive light  flashes  eight  short  flashes.
	Does  this  mean anything to anyone?  And please, no flames about
	Seagate drives, I'm going to replace it with something better  as
	soon as I have the cash (I'm a poor undergraduate :( ).

Welcome to the Seagate "Bend Over and Grab Your Ankles (BOGYA)" club.  :-(

From Seagate's "ST125N, ST138N, ST157N Product Manual", page 18 (regarding
Diagnostics: At power-on the ST125N will execute a series of diagnostic tests.
Any failure will be indicated by a series of LED flashes....):

	READ OPERATING SYSTEM MICROCODE FROM DRIVE: If the controller is
	unable to read the operating system from the drive, eight flashes
	are returned with an additional sense code of 88H.  If the controller
	reads the operating system records, but determines that they are
	invalid, nine flashes are returned with an additional sense code of 88H.

Naw, no flames about Seagate drives.  Seagate flames itself by producing the
worst garbage money can buy.  And it appears that because they're a big (read:
$$$) advertiser, the PC-type magazines who accept Seagate's advertising give
Seagate the highest ratings thus confounding others.  WHERE IS THE FTC when we
really need them (I simply haven't the time or $$$ to initiate the much-needed
class-action lawsuit against Seagate).

Thad Floryan [ thad@btr.com (OR) {decwrl, mips, fernwood}!btr!thad ]