Went to the Apple Store and their test confirms that my hard disk is failing, however strange why the Apple Hardware test says its fine. Regardless the drive is under warranty and is from Western Digital. Anyone ever experienced such a discrepancy with the Apple Hardware Test and the test the techs run at the Apple Store?
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Failing Hard drive or not?
- Thread starter jwolf6589
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Apple Hardware Test, especially when you only runs the quick test, is a crude test that only essentially checks basic communication with the part. The Apple Store does more advanced testing which could show results otherwise not seen by the basic Apple Hardware Test.
A good thing to know is if the SMART status of a hard drive is failing, then you know it is dying. It is a basic warning of impending failure or corruption.
Disk Description : WDC WD5000BEVT-22A0RT0 Media Total Capacity : 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 Bytes)
Connection Bus : SATA Write Status : Read/Write
Connection Type : Internal S.M.A.R.T. Status : Verified
Partition Map Scheme : GUID Partition Table
According to Disk Utility it is okay, however the hard drive may be failing. When it will completely fail could be a day or 10 years from today. Regardless I placed a RMA to WD and will install the new drive. Will I easily be able to restore from backup from the SL boot CD's and from my Time Machine backups?
Yes... just pop in the SL DVD then hold the C key to boot to it then follow the instructions under section b. (To use an install disk) of this page to format the new disk and restore from the TM disk.
Thanks will give it a go. Hope I can figure out how to take the hard drive out. Am using a Macbook White mid 2009 model.
It is pretty easy on that model. Here is a step by step.
You will need a size #00 Phillips screwdriver and a T8 Torx driver.
I use Scannerz myself (http://scsc-online.com/Scannerz.html) because it can distinguish between HD, cable, and system problems. I don't think Apple has any provisions in any of their consumer grade software to test drives...I don't know why. I would speculate that as a system integrator Apple may see the drive as a third party disposable commodity and if problems are suspected, even if they're not confirmed, out goes the old drive and in goes a new one at manufacturers expense with the cost charged against a return account set up between Apple and the manufacturer.
I've never heard of cable problems on a MacBook, but they seem somewhat rampant on MacBook Pros. On the MacBooks I've seen, replacing a drive is so easy it makes me wonder why Apple didn't extend this type of replacement policy to all other systems.
I've never heard of cable problems on a MacBook, but they seem somewhat rampant on MacBook Pros. On the MacBooks I've seen, replacing a drive is so easy it makes me wonder why Apple didn't extend this type of replacement policy to all other systems.