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From: hazen@puff.wisc.edu (Tim Hazen)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: DataFrame 20 (actually, shutting down Mac)
Message-ID: <204@puff.wisc.edu>
Date: Fri, 26-Sep-86 12:26:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: puff.204
Posted: Fri Sep 26 12:26:48 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Sep-86 05:06:38 EDT
References: <2275@psuvax1.UUCP> <202@zen.BERKELEY.EDU> <432@inuxm.UUCP> <337@yabbie.rmit.oz>
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 71
Summary: Why is everyone turning off their hard disks?

In article <337@yabbie.rmit.oz>, rcopm@yabbie.rmit.oz (Paul Menon) types:
> > Mine never takes more than 10 seconds or so to go from flashing question mark
> > to smiling Mac, unless I power down or reboot without going through shut down
> > (in the Finder's Special menu).  When I shut down, I turn the DataFrame off
> > AFTER the Mac beeps and BEFORE the disk-with-flashing-question-mark appears.
> > If you turn it off after the smiling Mac appears, then you'll have to wait
> > next time you boot up while some data structures are rebuilt on the disk
> > (the volume allocation bitmap maybe?).
> 
>     I have been amused as to how people shutdown their Dataframes for some 
> time now, and can offer may own humorous, yet possibly sane method.  This is
> how I interpreted SuperMac's instructions, and it seems the safest.
>     *	Select the "ShutDown" option as per normal.
>     *	WAIT FOR THE THING TO REBOOT COMPLETELY!!! ie, wait for the desktop
> 	to appear and the system has subsided into a state of tranquility.
>     *	Switch the DataFrame off.
>     *	Switch the Mac off.
> 	(The order of the last two actions is unimportant)

First of all, I think it has been pointed out that you DO NOT want to turn off
your Hard disk when the Mac has not been shut down (the next time you boot, it
will take longer because the system was not shut down properly).
But why are you people always shutting off your drives?  General advice from
every drive manufacturer are to keep your drive on always unless you are going
to move your system or are going to be not using your Mac for 3-5 days. 
The stress of spinning up to 3600+ rpm's daily is far worse than leaving it
on (My Apple ProFile I leave on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have never
had a problem.  The same for the disk drives on the microvax I'm typing this
on).  I am also told that Apple doesn't recommend turning off the HD20 unless
it won't be used for a week or you're moving it.
	Here is my shutdown procedure:
      1) From the Finder, MiniFinder, WayStation, select 'Shut Down'
      2) When the Mac beeps and as long as the screen is still black, shut off
      the Mac
      3) Then, if you must, shut off the hard disk.

>     
>   For your further amusement, here are the reasons why I think this method is
> 	safe/fast/obvious.
> 
>     *	Nobody in their right mind would suggest an action that is only 
> 	possible within a two or 3 second time window.
Oh yeah?
>     *	The consequences of missing this window are possibly horrendous.
> 	Imagine switching the hard disk off halfway through a write as the
> 	Mac is coming up to air. 
This is why you shut off the Mac first, not the hard disk.
>    				I have not heard of any manufacturer 
> 	suggesting this procedure, ie switching a hard disk off while it is
> 	possibly doing something.  This includes SuperMac.  Maybe I didn't
> 	read their instructions as closely as others have.
The instructions for my drive (a Relax Technologies SCSI Hard 20 Plus) say to
ALWAYS shut down, because, when this drive does a shutdown, it moves the heads
to a 'parked' position.  Another reason you don't want to wait until you get to
the Finder again to shut down (the heads are no longer parked).
>     *	Using my interpretation, the Dataframe ALWAYS boots up in a matter of 
> 	seconds.  ALWAYS!
>     *	Now for what I think happens.
> 	    *	If someone doesn't use the SHUTDOWN procedure, then the
> 		Dataframe will possibly be in an UNUPDATED state,
But if you reboot to the Finder, even if you do nothing, and shut off the 
disk/drive, then the disk WILL be in an unupdated state the next time you want
to boot (and it will take longer).

Forgive me if I repeat myself.  This is not intended to be a flame to the 
original poster of this article. I just wanted to point out the correct way
to Shut Down.

Tim Hazen 	   {seismo,ihnp4,allegra,topaz,harvard}!uwvax!puff!hazen
U. of Wisc. Plasma Physics Dept.		     hazen@puff.wisc.edu
PLASMAHACKER@WISCPSL.BITNET {@wiscvm.wisc.edu}