Xref: utzoo comp.periphs:881 comp.sys.ibm.pc:14412
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!linus!mbunix!jcmorris
From: jcmorris@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Joseph C. Morris)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: hard drive powerup problems
Message-ID: <29051@linus.UUCP>
Date: 13 Apr 88 13:40:59 GMT
References: <839@spdcc.COM>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: jcmorris@mbunix (Morris)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA.
Lines: 21

In article <839@spdcc.COM> dyer@spdcc.UUCP (Steve Dyer) writes:
>I've got a Priam 60mb disk which is behaving a little strangely these days
>upon power-up.

I don't know if it's the same problem as yours, but a few years ago I got
a new 20 meg HD (Miniscribe, I think...I don't recall for sure) which 
worked fine on the dealer's system but wouldn't spin on my machine
although the original 10 meg IBM unit worked fine.  (The disks are in 
an expansion chassis on a verrry low serial PC-1.)

A few hours on my workbench disclosed that the true-blue power supply was
putting out a small but noticable spike when it was turned on, which was
causing the disk drive to fail to start.  Delaying the application of
either +5 or +12 to the drive would result in a good start.  A "temporary"
bypass was to install a small 12v relay to delay application of +12 to
the drive by a few msec.

The problem was apparently in the drive, since I've since replaced the 10 meg
drive and had no problems with power.

Hope this helps...good luck.