Method and apparatus for controlling access to disk upon detection of condensation

A method of controlling access to a disk medium when a condensation sensor provided in a disk drive has detected condensation, information recorded on the disk medium being read by a head in the disk drive, the method comprising:

• determining whether condensation has occurred in the disk drive, from a detection result of the condensation sensor after a power of the disk drive is turned on;
• waiting for a first period of time if it is determined that condensation occurs in the disk drive;
• executing a first test reading operation on the disk medium after the first period of time;
• executing normal access to the disk medium if the first test reading operation succeeds, when a host using the disk drive issues a request for the normal access to the disk medium;
• determining, after the normal access to the disk medium, whether the condensation sensor detects condensation, and whether an elapsed period of time starting at a point in time, at which occurrence of condensation was most recently determined, exceeds a predetermined reference period of time sufficiently longer than a period of time required to dry the condensation sensor;
• waiting for a second period of time shorter than the first period of time, assuming that new condensation occurs, if the condensation sensor detects condensation and it is determined that the elapsed period of time exceeds the predetermined reference period of time;
• executing a second test reading operation on the disk medium after the second period of time;
• and
• waiting for a third period of time shorter than the second period of time if one of the first and second test reading operations fails,
• and wherein:
• the second test reading operation is also executed after the third period of time;
• and
• the normal access to the disk medium is executed in any one of a case where the condensation sensor does not detect condensation, a case where the elapsed period of time does not exceed the predetermined reference period of time although the condensation sensor detects condensation, and a case where the second test reading operation succeeds.

A disk drive in which information recorded on a disk medium is read by a head, comprising:

• an actuator which supports the head such that the head can radially move on the disk medium;
• a condensation sensor which detects condensation in the disk drive;
• means for determining, from a detection result of the condensation sensor, whether condensation occurs in the disk drive;
• means for waiting for a predetermined period of time if the determining means determines that condensation occurs in the disk drive;
• means for executing a test reading operation on the disk medium after the predetermined period of time;
• and
• means for executing normal access to the disk medium if the test reading operation by the executing means succeeds, when a host using the disk drive issues a request for the normal access to the disk medium.