Idle time spin-down-spin-up for disks? How often is too often?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Al Dykes
  • Start date Start date
A

Al Dykes

I've recently set the PC I use on and off for 12 hours/day to spin the
disk down after 30 minutes of idle time and spin it up when
necessary. This works fine under w2k. The PC never gets turned off.

I know that disk lifetime is lots of tradeoffs and a case can be made
that spinup does more damage to the bearings than non-stop operation
and that cool is good. My disks are all below 110F when operationg
fill time.

How many different opinions can we get here about the what the timers
should be for disk spin down. I can't imagine less than 30 minutes
idle, and 3 hours idle would mean that it would run all day, anyway.

Is idle powerdown done as a disk command or is the power switched
off after the OS does all the right things?

Comments ?
 
Al Dykes said:
I've recently set the PC I use on and off for 12 hours/day to spin the
disk down after 30 minutes of idle time and spin it up when
necessary. This works fine under w2k. The PC never gets turned off.

I know that disk lifetime is lots of tradeoffs and a case can be made
that spinup does more damage to the bearings than non-stop operation
and that cool is good. My disks are all below 110F when operationg
fill time.

How many different opinions can we get here about the what the timers
should be for disk spin down. I can't imagine less than 30 minutes
idle, and 3 hours idle would mean that it would run all day, anyway.

Is idle powerdown done as a disk command or is the power switched
off after the OS does all the right things?

Comments ?
Click to expand...

Thanks! you are just scoring "green" points. Keep doing it so that the
rest of us wasters have enough energy to runs ours 24/7. I have got a
sister in san francisco that is proud she conserves water by flushing the
commode only once it awhile. But HEY! she is doing her thing.
=============^^^^^^^^^^^^^ where you one of the lucky few that got to vote
for him 2 or 3 times? ...Lest we forget:
http://stateson.net/Tips4ComputingImpaired/gorevote.htm


--
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Beemer Biker (e-mail address removed)
http://ResearchRiders.org Ask about my 99'R1100RT
http://TipsForTheComputingImpaired.com
=======================================================================
 
Al Dykes said:
I've recently set the PC I use on and off for 12 hours/day to spin the
disk down after 30 minutes of idle time and spin it up when necessary.
Click to expand...

I dont set the drive to spin down on anything
except laptops etc that run on batterys.
This works fine under w2k. The PC never gets turned off.
Click to expand...
I know that disk lifetime is lots of tradeoffs and a case can be made
that spinup does more damage to the bearings than non-stop operation
and that cool is good. My disks are all below 110F when operationg fill
time.
Click to expand...
How many different opinions can we get here about the what the timers
should be for disk spin down. I can't imagine less than 30 minutes
idle, and 3 hours idle would mean that it would run all day, anyway.
Click to expand...
Is idle powerdown done as a disk command or is the
power switched off after the OS does all the right things?
Click to expand...

That last is what happens when the spindown time is set in the OS.
Comments ?
Click to expand...

Wouldnt dream of that.
 
Previously Al Dykes said:
I've recently set the PC I use on and off for 12 hours/day to spin the
disk down after 30 minutes of idle time and spin it up when
necessary. This works fine under w2k. The PC never gets turned off.
Click to expand...
I know that disk lifetime is lots of tradeoffs and a case can be made
that spinup does more damage to the bearings than non-stop operation
and that cool is good. My disks are all below 110F when operationg
fill time.
Click to expand...
How many different opinions can we get here about the what the timers
should be for disk spin down. I can't imagine less than 30 minutes
idle, and 3 hours idle would mean that it would run all day, anyway.
Click to expand...
Is idle powerdown done as a disk command or is the power switched
off after the OS does all the right things?
Click to expand...
Comments ?
Click to expand...

The datasheet of you disk will state a lifetime limit on spin-up /
spin-down cycles. The last 3.5" disks I bought had 40.000 such cycles
as limit. with 30 minutes that gives a worst case of 833 days, until
this number is reached. Adddind in that the PC is only used half of
the time, it gives you twive that, i.e. 5 years or so. Should be o.k.

Arno
 
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