Softpaq Solution:  SP1010
File Name:  IDLEOFF.EXE
Title:  Corrects Presario 420MB Hard Drive Delay and Clicking
Version:  N/A

CATEGORY:  Drivers/Miscellaneous

EFFECTIVE DATE:  29 June 1995

PRODUCTS AFFECTED:  Presario Desktops/Minitower with 420MB Seagate hard drives

OPERATING SYSTEM:  N/A

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION:  N/A

SUPERSEDES:  N/A

DESCRIPTION:  Certain Seagate ST3491A 420 MB hard drives may exhibit a response delay of 3-4 seconds, accompanied by extensive hard drive head movement (a 'clicking' sound) when accessed after an idle period.  The drives may also produce a single, audible 'click' after a 25 second idle period.

The problem is caused by drive firmware that instructs the drive to move the heads to the landing zone after 25 seconds of disk inactivity.  At the next disk access, the drive may encounter a servo error which forces the drive to recalibrate prior to servicing the disk access request.  This recalibration is the cause of the delay and the drive access noise the customer may observe.

This mode of operation is referred to as 'Idle Mode 1.'  IDLEOFF.EXE disables Idle Mode 1, eliminating the response delay and the clicking noise associated with recalibration.

HOW TO USE:

1.  Download the SoftPaq to a directory on your hard drive and change to that directory.  The file that is downloaded is SP1010.EXE.

2.  From that drive and directory, execute the SoftPaq file:
    SP1010 [ENTER]
The following files will be created:
       SP1010.DOC
       IDLEOFF.EXE

4.   After the files are created, you may delete the downloaded file SP1010.EXE if you wish.

5.   From a DOS prompt, run IDLEOFF.

6.   IDLEOFF will report one of the following:
            Everything is OK
            An error occurred
            Non-Seagate hard drive

7.   After IDLEOFF has been run, the clicking noise will no longer be heard from the hard drive.  IDLEOFF only needs to run one time on each machine with a Seagate 420MB hard drive.

Copyright 1995, Compaq Computer Corporation.  All rights reserved.

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