The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for limiting movement of an actuator assembly (134) in a data storage/retrieval system (100). In one embodiment of the apparatus, a base (104) is provided on which first (154) and second (220) devices are mounted. The first device (154) is rotatably mounted to the base (104) and reads or writes data to a data storage disk (126). The second device (220) operates between first and second states. In the first state, the first device (154) is capable of movement with respect to the base (104). In the second state, the second device (220) operates to inhibit movement of the first device (154) with respect to the base (104). The second device (220) may operate in the first state when the first device (154) is reading or writing data to the data storage disk (126), and the second device (220) may operate in the second state when the first device (154) is not reading or writing data to the data storage disk (126). In one embodiment, second device (220) is rotatably mounted to the base (104) between first and second positions. The second device (220) operates in the first state when the second device (220) is in the first position, and the second device (220) operates in the second state when the second device (220) is in the second position. The second device (220) engages the first device (154) to inhibit movement thereof when the second device (220) is in the second position.