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Should I be worried - Hard drive keeps spinning

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  • 25-12-2010 1:46pm
    #1
    lordgoat
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 11,360 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Model Name: MacBook
    Model Identifier: MacBook5,2
    Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
    Processor Speed: 2.13 GHz
    Number Of Processors: 1
    Total Number Of Cores: 2
    L2 Cache: 3 MB
    Memory: 2 GB
    Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
    Boot ROM Version: MB52.0088.B05
    SMC Version (system): 1.38f5
    Serial Number (system): W8919N659GU
    Hardware UUID: 6C0D8053-EA97-5EBF-9FA7-D0BD9B530BE1
    Sudden Motion Sensor:
    State: Enabled


    Haven't done anything new with it in a few weeks, just noticed the drive pretty much spins the whole time when i'm using it. Stops normally about 20-30 seconds after i close the lid.

    Paranoia?

    Oh and i have no disk so i can't sun the diagnostic on it...


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    #2
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Is "Put the hard disks to sleep when possible" checked in Preferences > Energy Saver? If so and it still keep spinning it might just mean there's an application or background process that keeps accessing the hard disk.

    Continuing to spin for 20 seconds after closing the lid is normal though. The computer isn't asleep until the light starts to pulsate and shouldn't be moved before then. It's Apple hibernation mode which saves the system's last state incase the battery dies. They added it a couple of years ago. SmartSleep can disable it if you want.

    You can use Disk Utility in the Utilities folder to verify the disk. Check the SMART status while you're there. You won't be able to repair any problems without the install disc. What happened to it btw?


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    #3
    lordgoat
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 11,360 Mod ✭✭✭✭lordgoat


    Did all that and it's still spinning away, saying the HD is running fine. Smart status is verified too.

    No idea what happened it? Unless it got a bit of a knock when i was bringing it home but i don't think i did.

    It's not very noticable but it's there...


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    #4
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Tbh you are better off with it spinning all the time. As long as the machine is on there's always gong to be something accesing the drive. Even when it does spin down it won't be for long. All that spinning up and down just wears out the drive and slows down the system. I always turn it off.


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    #5
    lordgoat
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 11,360 Mod ✭✭✭✭lordgoat


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    Tbh you are better off with it spinning all the time. As long as the machine is on there's always gong to be something accesing the drive. Even when it does spin down it won't be for long. All that spinning up and down just wears out the drive and slows down the system. I always turn it off.

    Thanks for the replies. It's not a loud clicking or whirring, just a really low spin, i can hear it if i go up close to it and feel it when i rest my wrists on the bottom.

    What settings would you recommend?

    Thanks again!


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    #6
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Just leave it as it is. It is normal for the hard disk to spin.


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    #7
    ZENER
    Registered Users Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭ZENER


    You could have a look at the Activity Monitor and see if it's really the hard disk being accessed ? On first reading I thought it might be the fans you were hearing.

    Ken


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    #8
    lordgoat
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 11,360 Mod ✭✭✭✭lordgoat


    ZENER wrote: »
    You could have a look at the Activity Monitor and see if it's really the hard disk being accessed ? On first reading I thought it might be the fans you were hearing.

    Ken

    Have istats running and readings are normal, don't think it's the fan from the location of where it's coming from.and the slight noise is not like the spinning of a fan...


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