Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 11:41:40 -0500 (CDT) From: Rob Snow <rsnow@lgc.com> To: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> Cc: dg@root.com, gfoster@gfoster.com, freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: sticky drives (was: your mail) Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.95.961015113316.16875A-100000@dympna> In-Reply-To: <199610150009.JAA16893@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
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On Tue, 15 Oct 1996, Michael Smith wrote: > David Greenman stands accused of saying: > > > > >In all this talk of "twisting" drives (which has never worked for me) > > >has anybody mentioned sticking the thing in the freezer overnight? I > > >have resurrected a couple of stiction'd drives this way (but it > > >doesn't always work). > > > > This is extremely dangerous, BTW. When you take the drive out of the > > freezer, condensation may form on the platters as the drive heats up. > > Conversely, frost may form on the platters as the drive drops below freezing. > > Yup. It's actually a moderately popular solution around here in the > summer months (very dry), but you have to make sure you seal the drive > airtight before freezing it. I'd be inclined to rate it at about the > same level of risk as opening the unit. > > > David Greenman Our solution around here is somewhat Draconian and effective. Earlier this year the SGI stiction drives started dropping like flies so we started using the following treatment: 1. Take it out and sling it around like a discus at arms length with quick stops at the end of the swing. Two varietys of this approach became prevelant. The first was slinging the drive in the horizontal plane and the other in the vertical plane. They seem about equally effective. 2. If (1) above didn't work, turn the drive on it side and DROP it from 3 inches. Try drive; Work? Yes: Great, back it up. No: Drop from 3 inches higher until either it works of something important looking falls off. BTW, this isn't quite as effective on whole computers... :-) Rob Snow Sr Sys Admin Landmark Graphics Corporation > -- > ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ > ]] Genesis Software genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ > ]] High-speed data acquisition and (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496 [[ > ]] realtime instrument control (ph/fax) +61-8-267-3039 [[ > ]] Collector of old Unix hardware. "Where are your PEZ?" The Tick [[ >
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