SUMMARY: How to "reformat" failed disk before repair

From: Greg Jumper (jumper@spf.trw.com)
Date: Sun Aug 16 1992 - 21:03:04 CDT


[Oops! I apologize for mangling the subject line on my first attempt --
can't forget those quotes... :-)]

Recently, I asked if I could use a degaussing coil to "reformat" a Seagate
Wren 7 disk which had failed of internal controller malfunction without
voiding the warranty before I returned it for repair.

The majority of respondents suggested simply swapping the integral controller
card with one from another Wren 7 or returning only the controller card. This
is the approach I plan to take if the vendor agrees.

Two people suggested degaussing or using a large magnet; one said vendors had
never complained about this procedure in the past.

Two people said one should *not* degauss, as bulk erasure might also scramble
the internal "servo information" the disk uses to maintain head positioning
and that the repair service would require special equipment to restore this
information.

Much thanks to the following people for their replies:

     neilb@orpington.sgp.slb.com
     lokkur!scs (Steve Simmons)
     Chip Christian <chip@allegra.att.com>
     cyrix!vixen!brian@texsun.Central.Sun.COM (Brian Holgate)
     pld@ulam.math.luc.edu (Peter Dordal)
     lia!ws22lia!glenn@sfsun.West.Sun.COM (Glenn Herteg)
     delphys@ocean.cc.mcgill.ca (David Holmes)
     stanley@oce.orst.edu (John Stanley)
     wartburg!hugo@snowhit.att.com
     hugo (Hugo K. Becker (816-995-3515))
     Peter Shipley <shipley@tfs.COM>
     birger@vest.sdata.no (Birger A. Wathne)
     wwtz@ciba-geigy.ch (Wolfgang Wetz)

--

Greg Jumper TRW DSC Signal Processing Facility jumper@spf.trw.com



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