[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Can noisy power supply kill disks?

xtdn@levels.sait.edu.au (05/21/91)

All,

I've heard that physical damage can be done to the heads and/or servo
tracks of voice coil drives if the +12V power rail is noisy.  I think
the problem has to do with the heads incorrectly loading or unloading.
How could the heads crash (or the servo tracks get damaged) through
incorrect loading or unloading of the heads; and how could a noisy +12V
power rail cause the heads to load or unload incorrectly?

Thanks all.

David Newall, 16:32:56.04, Tuesday, 1991     Phone:  +61 8 344 2008
"Life is uncertain: Eat dessert first"       E-mail: xtdn@lux.sait.edu.au

chao@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Chia-Chi Chao) (05/23/91)

In article <16379.2839b83d@levels.sait.edu.au> xtdn@levels.sait.edu.au writes:
>I've heard that physical damage can be done to the heads and/or servo
>tracks of voice coil drives if the +12V power rail is noisy.  I think
>the problem has to do with the heads incorrectly loading or unloading.
>How could the heads crash (or the servo tracks get damaged) through
>incorrect loading or unloading of the heads; and how could a noisy +12V
>power rail cause the heads to load or unload incorrectly?

Hmm, this may explain why I have heard my two hard drives unload and load again
at the same time.  I may buy the Silencer 200 from PC Power & Cooling.  Does
anyone have experience with that model, or PCP&C in general?  The fan is
supposed to be very quiet.  Anybody using one?  Thanks.
-- 

Chia-Chi Chao     chao@cs.ucla.edu    ..!ucbvax!cs.ucla.edu!chao