[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Hard Drive that Wouldn't spin--reprieved

stevena@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Steven Alexander) (01/13/91)

My Seagate 251-1 froze on me: I could tell that the reason for the error
on boot-up was that it wasn't spinning.  I took it to a seemingly competent
repair place--but then again how would I know.  They told me that
indeed, it was dead.

While shopping for a new one, I tried to see if I could make it spin.  After
reseating the cables (on the theory that the repair people didn't know what
they were doing, even a little bit) without positive result, I decided to
invade the clean environment of inside the case and see if I could get it
spinning.

It's spinning now.  I just gave it a push with some gratuitous application
of finger oils to the outer edge, and closed it up.  It's now held closed
by a rubber band, since I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the effort to
close it carefully, and booted (successfully) with it just resting closed.
I'm now on my first session with the revived disk, sitting on top of the
open case.

Of course, the drive was well out of warranty when I did this.

Is there any way I can increase the chance of lengthening its life, now
that I've broken the seal.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steven Alexander
Comp Sci grad student                         stevena@cory.berkeley.edu
& non-practicing lawyer extraordinaire
{I'm really wonderful at not practicing}

richi@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Richard Jennings) (01/15/91)

OR...

Pick up the drive assembly with both hands, and shake it alternately clockwise and counter-clockwise, about the position of the spindle.

(This is not a statement of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation!)

richi.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -
 Richard Jennings, Software Development Engineer
 Pinewood Information Systems Division,           the home of HP's Advanced
                                          Image Management System (HP AIMS),
                       AdvanceLink, OpenMail and Multi-media communications
 Hewlett-Packard
 Nine Mile Ride      Voice: (+44)/(0) 344 763738      ADMD=GOLD 400    C=GB
 Wokingham           Fax:   (+44)/(0) 344 763526       OU1=Pinewood  ORG=hp
 Berkshire RG11 3LL  E-mail: richi@hpopd.pwd.hp.com     GN=Richard  PRMD=hp
 England             or:     richi@hpopd.pwd.hp.co.uk   SN=Jennings

pete@Octopus.COM (Pete Holzmann) (01/16/91)

One more suggestion:

    If you look at the drive carefully, you should see a small exposed
    area near the center of the spindle that can be pushed at via 
    judicious use of a pencil with eraser. That works every time, since
    it can be done while the power is on.

    Note that once your drive begins to have this problem on a regular
    basis, the problem can NOT be permanently solved. Might as well
    get it refurbished or replaced.

Pete
-- 
Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises   |(if you're a techie Christian & are
19611 La Mar Ct., Cupertino, CA 95014 |interested in helping w/ the Great
UUCP: {hpda,pyramid}!octopus!pete     |Commission, email dsa-contact@octopus)
Voice: 408/996-7746;FAX=408/985-0859

mauro@simm.sublink.org (Mauro Mozzarelli) (01/17/91)

in article <1991Jan16.070819.8070@Octopus.COM>, pete@Octopus.COM (Pete Holzmann) says:
>     Note that once your drive begins to have this problem on a regular
>     basis, the problem can NOT be permanently solved. Might as well
>     get it refurbished or replaced.

I have the same problem with a Seagate ST-4096, after one year of 
normal use (just a few days out of one year warranty), it started to
refuse to spin-up, without shake it.
It's a pain; every time I need to switch on the system after a stop,
to restard the drive I need to extract it from the box and do this work.
My drive now is no more utilized. This was the end for 1200$ (price
for this drive in Italy in the 1989).
What's the cause for this problem ?
Bye
-- 
//////////////  | Sistemi Informativi Mauro Mozzarelli | MU-BBS 24h!
// S.I.M.M. //  | INTERNET: mauro@simm.SUBLINK.ORG     | mubbs.sublink.org
//////////////  | +39.2.3538184 (Telebit  T-2500)      | (02) 3538184