Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks, an actuator arm assembly comprising a voice coil motor (VCM), the VCM configured to operate in a first mode and a second, different mode, wherein the first mode corresponds to at least a first and a second setting, and a control circuitry configured to cause the VCM to seek towards a target track in the first mode using the first setting for a first duration, control transition of the VCM from the first to the second setting in the first mode, cause the VCM to seek towards the target track using the second setting for a second duration, and control transition of the VCM from the first to a second mode, wherein controlling the transitioning comprises seeking the VCM toward the target track in the second mode for a third duration.

According to an embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, and a control circuit. The magnetic disk has a plurality of first storage regions disposed in the radial direction. The recording method is changeable for each of the plurality of first storage regions. The control circuit operates such that, when having received a first command instructing to change the recording method of one first storage region out of a plurality of first storage regions, the control circuit changes the recording method of the one first storage region in accordance with the first command, and moves a magnetic head onto the second storage region before receiving a second command.

According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a rotatable magnetic disk, an actuator which supports and moves a head, a ramp which holds the head at an unloaded position, a motor which rotates the magnetic disk, and a controller which performs a load operation and a seek operation. When a radial travel speed of the head during the load operation is referred to as Vr1, a circumferential travel speed of the head is referred to as Vt1, a radial travel speed of the head during the seek operation is referred to as Vrs, and a circumferential travel speed is referred to as Vts, the controller controls at least one of the radial travel speed of the head and number of revolutions of the magnetic disk to satisfy a relationship (Vr1/Vt1)<(Vrs/Vts).

Techniques for determining a data tape read quality value are disclosed. A data tape system generates a value representing a quality of a data tape based on attributes of the data tape. The system calculates the data quality value using an algorithm based on: (a) a particular data tape error correction value, (b) data tape length value representing a length of data tape traversed during data-processing operations, and (c) a scaling factor. The scaling factor is based on a relationship between the particular data tape error correction value and a rate of degradation of the data tape. The scaling factor may be generated by applying a trained machine learning model to attributes of a data tape. The model generates a scaling factor for a particular data tape based on the attributes of the particular data tape.

A method involves determining a threshold error rate that will result on data stored on a magnetic disk surface of a disk drive being unrecoverable. The method also involves determining a seek velocity that will overwrite sufficient portions of the data such the data will exhibit at least the threshold error rate. The disk drive performs at least one traversal of the magnetic disk surface with a head of the disk drive that emits an erase field during the at least one traversal at the seek velocity. The at least one traversal sanitizes the data.

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device, comprising one or more disks; at least one actuator mechanism configured to position at least a first head proximate to a first disk surface and a second head proximate to a second disk surface; and one or more processing devices. The one or more processing devices are configured to: assign logical tracks to physical tracks of the disk surfaces such that a respective logical track comprises: at least a portion of sectors of a primary physical track, the primary physical track being on the first disk surface; and at least a portion of sectors of a donor physical track, the donor physical track being on the second disk surface. The one or more processing devices are configured to perform, using the first head and the second head, a data access operation with at least one of the logical tracks.

Provided is a tape drive reel including a damping structure for reducing position error signals in a tape during operation. The tape drive reel includes a hub including a first flange and a second flange. At least one of the first flange and the second flange includes a damping layer and a single stiffener layer positioned thereon. The damping layer is positioned between the single stiffener layer and the at least one of the first flange and the second flange. The single stiffener layer is more rigid than the damping layer.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a first head, and a control unit. The control unit includes an adjustment unit capable of adjusting k1, a counter, a determination unit, and a refresh processing unit. The adjustment unit adjusts the k1 to a numerical value within a first range during a first period, and adjusts the k1 to a numerical value within a second range during a second period. The upper limit of the numerical value within the second range is smaller than a lower limit of the numerical value within the first range.

A recording head has a magnetic write transducer having a first crosstrack width operable to write a single track of data at a time to a magnetic disk. The recording head also has a magnetic erase transducer separate from the magnetic write transducer. The magnetic erase transducer has a second crosstrack width operable to simultaneously erase multiple tracks of data from the magnetic disk.

According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a plurality of magnetic disks, a casing, a column, a rotary component, and a screw. The casing includes a base having an inner space in which the plurality of magnetic disks is accommodated, and a first cover attached to the base to close the space. The column with a screw hole, is located in the space and is attached to the base by being fitted into a recess formed in the base. The rotary component is located in the space, surrounds the column, and is configured to rotate about the column. The screw is fitted into the screw hole through the first cover.