RE: OT - Disk Drive(s)

Well, it ain't an AS/400, but once we had an IBM 386 luggable that weighed
about 20 pounds.  Took a lot of abuse with all the traveling we did with it.
Finally, the thing appeared to be giving up the ghost.  Just before one
critical presentation with a client, my boss couldn't get the thing to boot
and, after about 40 minutes of trying different things, my colleague finally
told him to pick it up about 6 inches off the floor and drop it.  Worked
like a charm!  This "adjustment technique" continued to work for about
another year after that.

- Dan Bale
(I am *NOT* "Dale"
http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200105/msg00281.html )
SAMSA, Inc.
989-790-0507
DBale@SAMSA.com <mailto:DBale@SAMSA.com>
  Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
  (Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-admin@midrange.com
[mailto:midrange-l-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Neil Palmer
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 9:47 PM
To: midrange-l@midrange.com
Subject: Re: OT - Disk Drive(s)


Sometimes you need to get a bit more agressive.  Had an old B10 that would
no longer startup the load source drive.  When I had a similar problem
several years ago pulling the disk and shaking it/smacking it around a bit
and putting it back in solved the problem.  With this one it would not
start, so we sat it in a corner by the window as a "sacrificial lamb" in
case some idiots broke in looking to steal anything.  It sat there for
about 3 years, then the other week someone asked me about it.  I said
"that piece of junk won't start up anymore" and I hauled off and kicked
the snot out of it several times.  Then I had a thought - wonder if it'll
work now ?  Hit the power button, and 45 minutes later (it IS a B10) the
IPL completed !  ;-)

...Neil