Date   : Mon, 08 Nov 1999 09:35:16 +0000
From   : Tim Fardell <timf@...>
Subject: Re: Cleaning disk drive heads

Mark Usher wrote:
> 
> Hi
> 
> Angus mentioned about the cleaning of the heads. Something that occurred to
> me this evening is demagnetizing.
> I remember there used to be cassettes available for stereo's to do this.
> 
> Has anyone done this with a disc drive. Would it have a noticable effect on
> a well used drive ?
> 
> Mark

I always understood that the way cassette tape heads got magnetized was
by the use of tapes recorded with 'DC Erase', whereby a DC voltage is
supplied to the erase head of the recorder, or a simple permanent magnet
is used to effect erase. As the tape then strokes the replay head, it
gradually magnetizes it. Using AC Erase recordings doesn't cause
magnetization (or it is so gradual a process that it never becomes a
problem during the life of the head). I think I read this in
'Electronics' (the Maplin magazine) some years ago. I'm not sure how
this relates to disk drives, but I thought I'd mention it. 

Tim. 


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