Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!uwmacc!uwspan!root From: root@uwspan.UUCP (John Plocher) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit,comp.misc Subject: Re: Disk R/W problem - causes? Message-ID: <188@uwspan.UUCP> Date: Sun, 15-Nov-87 22:24:57 EST Article-I.D.: uwspan.188 Posted: Sun Nov 15 22:24:57 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 17-Nov-87 05:52:21 EST References: <1448@bsu-cs.UUCP> <147@tic.UUCP> Sender: root@uwspan.UUCP Reply-To: root@uwspan.UUCP (John Plocher) Followup-To: comp.sys.atari.8bit Organization: UW-Madison Spanish Dept Lines: 38 Xref: mnetor comp.sys.atari.8bit:1007 comp.misc:1650 +---- ruiu@tic.UUCP (Dragos Ruiu) writes in <147@tic.UUCP> ---- | > 3) I use a Q-Tip saturated in rubbing alcohol to clean the heads of my | > audio equipment; would this be satisfactory for the disk head, or is | > it more delicate? Would like to know before just TRYING it. | | I was once told that rubbing alcohol had compounds that did not evaporate. | I clean my stereo with floppy disk cleaner (:-) because it is the same thing | as those horrendously expensive bottles they sell in stereo stores, but a lot | cheaper... (a big bottle costs as much as a little stereo bottle) +---- Use Isopropyl alcohol, 91% by volume or better. Do NOT use the 75% shit - it does leave crud on your heads! Qtips leave fibers stuck to things, it is better to use a special cleaning disk - saturate it with isopropyl, stick it in the drive, and "format" it :-) Works wonders! (the isopropyl is also good for the audio stuff) The better sterio stores have flat, foam tipped swabs with long handles which are made for cleaning tape drives - they work OK on floppies in a pinch. Some of the cleaning kits recomend cleaning as often as weekly (shudder)! I clean the heads about once every 6 months or 6000 miles :-) as needed. If someone smokes near the drive then you might want to a) Shoot the smoker -or- b) Help him/her quit the habit (at least while near the computer) -or- c) Clean the drive more often (monthly?). -John PS. Just a wild guess on the floppy problem, try moving the color monitor away from the floppy drive - the monitor screws up the electronic signals on the floppy drive. -- Email to unix-at-request@uwspan with questions about the newsgroup unix-at, otherwise mail to unix-at@uwspan with a Subject containing one of: 386 286 Bug Source Merge or "Send Buglist" (Bangpath: rutgers!uwvax!uwspan!unix-at & rutgers!uwvax!uwspan!unix-at-request)