Method and apparatus for generating the optimum read timing for read and write offset of a magneto resistive head

1. Field of the Invention A method for writing and reading data in a hard disk drive and compensating for an offset between a write element and a read element of a head. The method determines an offset time by determining the difference between a desired sync byte position and an actual sync byte position located between a preamble and a data sector of the disk. The difference corresponds to the offset between the read and write elements. The offset time is subtracted from the normal time for enabling the read gate of a disk drive pre-amplifier.