Advisable to warm up HDD before formatting?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sandee
  • Start date Start date
Please explain why.
Click to expand...

Because of normal psychical behavior of different materials.
Temperature change make it expand or crimp.
The drive would be in normal temperature span when
formatting for minimizing the chance of fault.
 
Because of normal psychical behavior of different materials.
Click to expand...

I didn't know disks were psychic! (actually, S.M.A.R.T. comes near...)!
Temperature change make it expand or crimp.
The drive would be in normal temperature span when
formatting for minimizing the chance of fault.
Click to expand...

See my other reply.
 
budgie said:
If the VC/servo mechanism tracks the ACTUAL track alignment as placed
during the
LLF, then all reading/writing is correctly aligned always. Then why is
there any need for drives do this thermal recal?
Click to expand...

At one time there was a separate platter with the servo tracks, so it was
possible for temperature changes to alter the head positions slightly
relative to the data tracks. That is no longer the case, each platter has
its own servo information stored.
 
Because of normal psychical behavior of different materials.
Temperature change make it expand or crimp.
The drive would be in normal temperature span when
formatting for minimizing the chance of fault.
Click to expand...


Except that every time the system is turned on (assuming
climate controlled environment) the HDD must then start out
"cold", boot and run system.
 
Howdy!

Sandee said:
If I get a new hard drive then is it good practise to boot the PC and let
the drive spin for 30 minutes or so in order that it warms up before I
format it?
Click to expand...

Man, talk about a "blast from the past" B)

We used to have to do this back in the 80's. But right around 1986,
when closed loop head positioners (first with a separate servo surface, then
with servo bursts mixed with the data), that pretty much went out the door.

To answer your question - as long as it comes from short-sleeve
comfortable, then no.

(Ask me when it's been in -40 weather, and I'll tell you a different
tale B) )

RwP
 
kony said:
Except that every time the system is turned on (assuming
climate controlled environment) the HDD must then start out
"cold", boot and run system.
Click to expand...

Yep, but then each and every time you turn it on you aren't doing a format.
And a format of a new drive also portends the probability that the drive was
also just brought into the room from an external environment at a much
larger temperature difference.
 
Ralph Wade Phillips said:
Howdy!



Man, talk about a "blast from the past" B)

We used to have to do this back in the 80's. But right around 1986,
when closed loop head positioners (first with a separate servo surface, then
with servo bursts mixed with the data), that pretty much went out the door.

To answer your question - as long as it comes from short-sleeve
comfortable, then no.

(Ask me when it's been in -40 weather, and I'll tell you a different
tale B) )
Click to expand...

Not everyone is clueless.
 
CBFalconer said:
When you could still do a low level format, it was advisable.
Click to expand...

Because it was 'advisable', *that* is why it could do it.

There is a reason why it was called "Format Track" (and not Format
Unit, the SCSI equivalent that is still supported, unlike the ATA form).
 
J. Clarke said:
At one time there was a separate platter with the servo
tracks, so it was possible for temperature changes to
alter the head positions slightly relative to the data
tracks. That is no longer the case, each platter has
its own servo information stored.
Click to expand...

Can the servo writer access all the platters through the
small hole on the side of the drive?

I have problems understanding how thermal calibration
is a bigger benefit when only one platter has a servo
because if each platter expands slightly differently,
how does thermally calibrating against that one servo
improve the calibration of the other platters?
 
Manny said:
Can the servo writer access all the platters through the
small hole on the side of the drive?
Click to expand...

Since there is a large hole in the top of the drive until such time as the
factory decides to put the lid on that is not an issue. Regardless, there
is really no separate "servo-writer" that is inserted into the drive--the
heads that are shipped with it are used for servo writing, but positioned
by an external device at the factory.
I have problems understanding how thermal calibration
is a bigger benefit when only one platter has a servo
because if each platter expands slightly differently,
how does thermally calibrating against that one servo
improve the calibration of the other platters?
Click to expand...

You don't "calibrate against that one servo". You calibrate against the
data tracks and then use the calculated offset.
 
Manny said:
Can the servo writer access all the platters through the
small hole on the side of the drive?

I have problems understanding how thermal calibration
is a bigger benefit when only one platter has a servo
because if each platter expands slightly differently,
how does thermally calibrating against that one servo
improve the calibration of the other platters?
Click to expand...

The calibration process is to update parameters for all
the platters (surfaces) individually.
 
I have problems understanding how thermal calibration
is a bigger benefit when only one platter has a servo
because if each platter expands slightly differently,
how does thermally calibrating against that one servo
improve the calibration of the other platters?
Click to expand...

No such process at a [single] platter level is in use these days.
 
Back
Top