Patent ID: 7616394

Claim:
A storage apparatus comprising: a head having a write head element which records data onto a disk medium and a read head element which reproduces data from said disk medium, said disk medium configured for perpendicular magnetic recording; a write amplifier which outputs write data signals to said write head element; a monitored band detecting unit which sets a frequency band between a signal band of said write data signals and an error rate worsening band in which the error rate worsens as a monitored band, said error rate worsening band being lower in frequency than said signal band of said write data signal, and detects signals falling within said monitored band from among write data signals entered into said write amplifier; and a determining unit which determines whether or not a signal detected in the monitored band by said monitored band detecting unit is larger than a prescribed threshold value and outputs a determination signal, wherein said determining unit discontinues recording operation of said write amplifier and causes generation of a fault event by outputting said determination signal.