Actually I've stating this because of two things. That particular model and series of Maxtor had NOTORIOUS problems with unexpected failure. That was mainly because the drives are only 1/2 height and this is insufficient housing to properly cool the drive. This leads to abnormally short service life. I've seen on average lifespans of 14 to 20 months of service in a normal non-commercial setting. Installing one near another hard drive raises internal temperatures and can dramatically increase failure rates. The slowness you have experienced in that case is typically due to error recovery. The drive may be constantly trying to recover from errors which causes the drive to 'pause' momentarily, for even several seconds or down to milliseconds.
As for the dust cover, that's a 100% chance of overheating even a low-end computer or older one. The system MUST have airflow to operate. Failure to do so will increase temperatures and: 1. Cause the CPU to overheat which will lead to a crash within minutes. 2. As above, heat shortens all electronic component lifespans significantly. Factory computers use specially designed chasses that have dust filters, but must still move air through them. --- In [email protected], "Janet" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I would only speak from personal experience, because I am no techie. This year I have had two Maxtor hard drives fail and both times, I remembered the PC slowing. I now have two Western Digital and am crossing my fingers. A technician at my preferred supplier suggested that Seagate also had bad press for a while. > After that experience I'm probably listening to my PC too much, but that's the effect it has had on me. > > As an aside to this, I would like to ask a question. It is, do the plastic protective covers one can buy to protect the tower from dust cause over heating? Can they be used permanently in a dusty environment, say in a factory? > > Janet > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "N. Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Okay here's some issues I see here: > > 1) The CPU FSB should be 9 x 200 MHz. Your mainboard requires a BIOS > > flash to correctly use this CPU. > > http://216.158.218.35/edoc/bios_uploads/6741v37.zip [direct link] > > Please read the instructions before flashing! > > BIOS Version 3.7 allows for support of 3000D and 3100D Sempron CPUs, > > but this may correct your issue. (BIOS Date 3/9/2005) > > 2) Some VIA chipsets and MSI mainboard have issues with slow or > > abnormal performance. A mainboard fault could cause a sudden loss in > > performance. Inspect the board for swollen capacitors or damaged > > components. Inspect the hard drive ribbon cables for tight bends or > > exposed wire. > > 3) Maxtor 6E040L0 has know problems with overheating and unexpected > > short life span. Consider moving your drives to one larger drive. > > * WD and Seagate are recommended manufacturers. * > > 4) A faulty power supply could cause a performance issue with the > > mainboard, try a different one, observing the minimum requirements of > > your system. > > 5) An overheating system may run abnormally or slow, make sure the > > inside of your system is clean and all fans are running. Make sure > > the system isn't too close to a wall. > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get Bzzzy! (real tools to help you find a job). Welcome to the Sweet Life. http://us.click.yahoo.com/KIlPFB/vlQLAA/TtwFAA/67folB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please feel free to contact me directly [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please do not post personal issues directly to the group. To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you for using A-1 Computer Tech Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A-1-Computer_Tech/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
