Abstract: The disclosure is related to monitoring a portable electronic device to detect an occurrence of a power event. A command can be sent to a data storage device to initiate a maintenance procedure on the data storage device. In a particular embodiment, a method includes monitoring a portable electronic device to detect an occurrence of a power event. The method also includes selectively sending a command to a data storage device to initiate a maintenance procedure on the data storage device when the occurrence of the power event is detected.

Abstract: A method of handling a write error is provided. A write error is detected during a write operation on at least one data storage segment. A reassignment mode is selected from a plurality of different reassignment modes.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to monitoring a portable electronic device to detect an occurrence of a power event. A command can be sent to a data storage device to initiate a maintenance procedure on the data storage device. In a particular embodiment, a method includes monitoring a portable electronic device to detect an occurrence of a power event. The method also includes selectively sending a command to a data storage device to initiate a maintenance procedure on the data storage device when the occurrence of the power event is detected.

Abstract: A storage medium format is provided having a first band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having user data stored thereto, a second band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having other user data stored thereto, and a guard track medially disposed therebetween the first band and the second band and having system data stored thereto.

Abstract: A data storage medium and data storage system with improved efficiency of formatting are provided. One illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a data storage medium. The data storage medium includes a first zone having servo information written with a first frequency, a second zone having servo information written with a second frequency, and a guard band disposed between the first zone and the second zone. The use of different frequencies in different zones contributes to optimizing the properties of the data storage medium, and the guard band contributes to optimizing the usage of the different zones.

Abstract: A method of handling a write error is provided. A write error is detected during a write operation on at least one data storage segment. A reassignment mode is selected from a plurality of different reassignment modes.

Abstract: Minimal and maximal numbers are established defining two levels of retry attempts to read system information from a storage medium. Multiple copies of the system information are stored on the storage medium. Attempts are made to successively read the copies until either the system information is successfully read or the system information is not successfully read from any copy of the system information after the minimal number of attempts on each copy. If the system information is not successfully read, attempts are made to successively read the copies until either the system information is successfully read or the system information is not successfully read from any copy of the system information after the maximal number of attempts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selecting physical cylinders (cylinders accessible for read/write operations) in a disc drive is provided. The disc drive includes at least one rotatable disc. The disc drive also includes a first head, which is positionable adjacent a first disc surface, and a second head, which is positionable adjacent a second disc surface. The first disc surface has a first plurality of greycode tracks and the second disc surface has a second plurality of greycode tracks. Each greycode track of the second plurality of greycode tracks corresponds to a different greycode track of the first plurality of greycode tracks, thereby forming a plurality of greycode cylinders, with each greycode cylinder of the plurality of greycode cylinders including a pair of corresponding greycode tracks. The physical cylinders are a subset (less than all) of the plurality of the greycode cylinders.

Abstract: Minimal and maximal numbers are established defining two levels of retry attempts to read system information from a storage medium. Multiple copies of the system information are stored on the storage medium. Attempts are made to successively read the copies until either the system information is successfully read or the system information is not successfully read from any copy of the system information after the minimal number of attempts on each copy. If the system information is not successfully read, attempts are made to successively read the copies until either the system information is successfully read or the system information is not successfully read from any copy of the system information after the maximal number of attempts.