Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!rochester!rutgers!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!dcdwest!dcdwest1!schmoldt
From: schmoldt@dcdwest1.UUCP (Daryl Schmoldt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Have you checked your backups lately?
Message-ID: <492@dcdwest1.UUCP>
Date: 27 Apr 89 20:50:04 GMT
References: <28718@apple.Apple.COM> <19510@genrad.UUCP> <39434@think.UUCP> <524@sys.uea.ac.uk> <39638@think.UUCP> <24679@etlcom.etl.JUNET>
Sender: news@dcdwest.UUCP
Reply-To: schmoldt@dcdwest1.UUCP (Daryl Schmoldt)
Organization: ITT Defense Communications, San Diego
Lines: 34

In article <24679@etlcom.etl.JUNET> michel@etlcom.etl.JUNET (JoKeR) writes:
> It seems that recently we had a lot of various discussions about the usage
> and reliability of magnetic storage devices, the result of which could be
> summarized as  (one line per topic - majority opinion only) :

> 2- hard disks had better *not* be switched on and off everytime

I have been following the "to-turn-off or not-to-turn-off" discussion
for awhile and I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has
bothered to look at their opeartors manual to find out the manufacturer's
recommendation is as to how long a specific hard drive should, or should 
not be left running.  I have a Mac SE with an internal 20M HD and the
operators manual (you know, the one that comes with the computer and that you
don't bother to read until something explodes) says that as a general
rule of thumb, if you are not going to use the machine for a period of 
about 8 hours then it is just as well to power down the system.  As I
said, that is the recommendation for my machine, your recommendation 
may vary.  :-)

Assuming that the manufacturer is not trying to lead you astray so
that they can sell more disk drives by making you wear yours out via.
unnecessary power cycling IMHO looking in the manual that came with your
disk drive would probably be a safe bet.  (Gosh that's a long
sentence)

The proverbial moral of the story, "When in doubt, RTFM."

Daryl

	Daryl Schmoldt
	ITT Defense Communications   
	San Diego, CA

	schmoldt@dcdwest.UCSD.EDU