Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!sjsca4!molehill!poffen
From: poffen@molehill (Russ Poffenberger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PS/2 30 Hard Disk Failure, Need Help(Urgent)!
Message-ID: <1990Jan8.160829.15997@sj.ate.slb.com>
Date: 8 Jan 90 16:08:29 GMT
References: <1563@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> <1564@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> <801@pmday_2.Dayton.NCR.COM>
Reply-To: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Schlumberger ATE, San Jose, CA
Lines: 46

In article <801@pmday_2.Dayton.NCR.COM> steve@pmday_2.Dayton.NCR.COM (Steve Bridges) writes:
>In article <1564@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> li@utkux1.cs.utk.edu (li) writes:
>>
>>	A follow up of my previous article.  I checked hard disk(opened cover)
>>and it is seated tightly.  
>>	It seems that the hard disk is not even powered up to me.  Isn't there
>>supposed to be a fan for the hard disk?  
>>
>>Hai Li
>
>I've never seen a disk that has a fan built in.  It is possible that the
>power supply in the PC is shot (I missed your original posting).
>
>To see if the disk is spinning, take the cover off of the PC, make sure
>all the disk cables are plugged in (including the power connection), and
>turn on the PC.  Put your hand against the disk cabinet.  If you feel a
>VERY SLIGHT vibration, the disk is spinning.
>
>NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take the disk apart.  If you do, you will probably 
>contaminate the disk.
>
>My own feeling is that the power supply is shot.  I have seen power supplies
>that when completely disconnected from any load meter properly.  But when an
>led is connected to one of the power leads coming out of the power supply,
>the power supply does not meter properly.
>
>If you know of a good repair place (perhaps where you bought the system),
>take it in to them.  They should have the equipment to check the system out.

I doubt if the power supply is out (at least not completely dead) because he
said that some lights and stuff still work, that indicates it is supplying
power. Some power supplies MAY have different circuits for each of its power
cables coming out, perhaps the one to the disk is bad.

If the power cable to the disk is currently plugged in securely, then perhaps
switching that power lead with a spare one (assuming there is a spare, usually
there is), or with the floppy drive just to see if the disk powers up.

If this is still a no-go, then it IS possibble the disk died. A good repair
shop may be the only alternative to a non-technical person.

Russ Poffenberger               DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies       UUCP:   {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
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