[comp.sys.mac.hardware] SE/30 HD problem

stanger@otago.ac.nz (Nigel Stanger) (03/07/91)

Now here's an interesting problem for all you hardware experts
out there. I have this SE/30 sitting on my desk. Every now and
then, the hard drive (standard Apple 40 meg) throws a fit and
makes a rather distressing continuous rattling noise. It sounds
very much as if the heads on the drive are moving back and forth
continuously, but the activity light flashes not. 

We have had it looked at twice now, the first time we were told
that there had been a bug in the ROM (which part I don't know),
and so we told them to replace it. This done, the problem went
away for quite a while, but has resurfaced again recently This
time, when looked at, nothing wrong could be found. The problem
is intermittent, and there seems to be no real pattern to
occurrences, except that it always hapens after a disk access.
Forcing another disk access usually stops it. It even happens
sometimes *after* shutting down, i.e. after it says "You may now
switch off you Macintosh safely."

Has anyone else had this problem, or know what might be causing
it? The data in the drive is intact, and always has been. What we
are really worried about is that the drive might wear itself out
with all this incessant activity. Is that possible? Help!

BTW, an interesting aside: one of our IIci's had the same problem
for about 2 months after we got it, then it stopped doing it and
has never done it since (at least, not that I know of). I have no
idea why...

                                Nigel.

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pevans@umd5.umd.edu (Peter Evans) (03/07/91)

In article <1991Mar7.144304.130@otago.ac.nz> stanger@otago.ac.nz (Nigel Stanger) writes:
>
>Now here's an interesting problem for all you hardware experts
>out there. I have this SE/30 sitting on my desk. Every now and
>then, the hard drive (standard Apple 40 meg) throws a fit and
>makes a rather distressing continuous rattling noise. It sounds
>very much as if the heads on the drive are moving back and forth
>continuously, but the activity light flashes not. 

Yepe, it is VERY discouraging to hear this and not know what is
happening!!  Symptoms are as you describe and I have noticed no loss
of data (I have not gained any either ;-)

I am VERY interested in knowing what this is and what I can do about
it.

Peter

calvin@portia.stanford.edu (Peter Chang) (03/14/91)

In article <1991Mar7.144304.130@otago.ac.nz> stanger@otago.ac.nz (Nigel
Stanger) writes:
>
>Now here's an interesting problem for all you hardware experts
>out there. I have this SE/30 sitting on my desk. Every now and
>then, the hard drive (standard Apple 40 meg) throws a fit and
>makes a rather distressing continuous rattling noise. It sounds
>very much as if the heads on the drive are moving back and forth
>continuously, but the activity light flashes not. 

	I too have had this problem, and in fact I still have it. The ROM
fix that you mentioned did not fix this, and in fact I think that it
started after I got this ROM upgrade because my Mac refused to 
recognize the SCSI devices. I hope somebody out there knows what is
going on because the noise does not sound at all healthy.

Peter