Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan!amichiel
From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PS/2 formatting woes
Message-ID: <2125@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Date: 19 Feb 90 14:34:22 GMT
References: <3980@rouge.usl.edu> <11361@nigel.udel.EDU>
Reply-To: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Lines: 24

In article <11361@nigel.udel.EDU> gray@freezer.it.udel.edu (Scott Gray) writes:
>Yes, I have had the same trouble with my 3.5" DSHD disks on my PS/2 30-286.
>
>I have heard rumor that IBM's 3.5 drives have been having this problem ever
>since they were introduced, but I don't have anything to substantiate that
>claim.
>
    According to Central Point Software,  makers of the deluxe option board
pc disk controller, disk copy card & software.  IBM has used about a 50-50
mix of 2 manufacturers of 3.5 disk drives.  The mix crosses over the 720k-1.4M
boundry (same for both densities).  As I recall the 2 manufacturers were 
ALP & Tosh.  One of these, probably the ALP has been a problem for IBM since
it was first placed in the field.  IBM has quietly been replacing these this
the other type for cronic complainers.  The down side, the 'pulls' have been
used for repairs of the unsuspecting.  Reports of this also has been in small 
print in several of the computer mags, (not all public distribution).
     For some reason, several reports have the SONY disks causing more problems
with the bad drive, but it isn't clear why.  A internal memo suggests that
removing the disk during a ac power change (turning it on or off), is a first
step (as the drive can splat a write even if write protected during a power
change) and not using any ram disks or disk caches is a second (but what a
hard disk cache has to do with a floppy is a mystery yet unexplained...).

al