[fa.info-cpm] Cleaning disk drive heads

info-cpm (12/22/82)

>From goldfarb.ucf-cs@Udel-Relay  Wed Dec 22 04:37:34 1982
To: info-cpm@BRL
Via:  UCF-CS; 22 Dec 82 3:39-EST
Via:  Udel-Relay; 22 Dec 82 5:04-EST
Via:  Brl; 22 Dec 82 5:24-EST
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 22 Dec 82 5:32-EST

Recently, Jerry asked for info about how to load the heads on his disk
drive in order to clean them.  While I don't have a program that does
it, it got me thinking about another rumor versus fact brouhaha that
has not yet been clarified to my satisfaction:  is it necessary or
desirable to clean heads?  I have heard both sides of the story:  1)
the oxide buildup on floppy disk heads is harmful, causing excess wear
and unreliable data transfers, and 2) cleaning the heads is an
excessively abrasive procedure that shortens their life.

I'd like to get some opinions on the above, if not hard data.

					Ben Goldfarb 
					ARPA: goldfarb.ucf-cs@Udel-Relay
					uucp: ...!duke!ucf-cs!goldfarb

info-cpm (12/23/82)

>From BILLW@Sri-Kl  Thu Dec 23 00:31:45 1982
Sender: BILLW@Sri-Kl
To: goldfarb.ucf-cs@Udel-Relay
Cc: info-cpm@BRL
In-Reply-To: Your message of     22 Dec 82 02:55:00 EST  (Wed)
Via:  Sri-Kl; 22 Dec 82 12:30-EST
Via:  Brl; 22 Dec 82 13:25-EST
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 22 Dec 82 13:31-EST

There was an article on disk drive care in the latest (dec?)
issue of KILOBAUD microcomputing magazine.  It seems that:

a) It is a good idea to clean your heads and worm gears and things
   every once in a while from a preformance point fo view... This
   is why head cleaning kits exist.  Their manufacturers say heads
   should be cleaned every couple weeks.

b) About 80% of disk drives returned to xxx for repairs were broken
   by users who were atempting to clean/do other preventitive maintainance
   on them.  This is why disk manufacturers recomend against head cleaning.

Head cleaning does not usually involve any abrasives.

BillW