🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1k3u2qINNp5@coral.bucknell.edu>, jraup@coral.bucknell.edu (Raup II James R) writes:
> In article <C1GHnF.DGL@dcs.ed.ac.uk> gst@dcs.ed.ac.uk (George Taylor) writes:
>>Could anyone tell me if running a hard disk vertically instead of horizontally
>>(e.g.using a desktop machine on it's side like a 'tower' system)
>>is likely to decrease it's lifetime?
> 
>  I'd check the manufacturer's specs. The manual I got with my Seagate(tm)
> (157n SCSI) states that any orientation is acceptable EXCEPT Circuit
> board up (Daughterboard up). I'm not sure if this is applicable to other
> manufacturers, though. This is an older drive (3 1/2 yrs), but new
> enough to have auto-park (heads) on power-down..

The manuals I've gotten with several Wren drives (formerly CDC, now Seagate)
gives a couple of recommended orientations.  Nothing that precludes "using a
desktop machine on its side like a 'tower'".  (Either side.)

However, they also state that the drive should be used in the same orientation
in which it was formatted.  This appeals to my common sense.  

otoh a friend of mine who does system integration (and probably deals with more
drives in a week than most of us do in a year) says that he's never found that
this matters. 

Nevertheless, it can't hurt to follow this rule, especially with an older drive
whose positioner tolerances may not be as tight as they used to be. 

	--- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com, or hanrahan@eisner.decus.org  Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh