Hard drive click + beep

[jedijoe]

I just got my new MBP in today, haven't fired it up yet. Is there any way to check right away if I have the issue? Like some firmware version for the SMS or hard drive?

Also, some people are saying that brand new ones (ones shipped within the last few weeks) have a fix implemented. Is this true?

Of course, Apple and Seagate have been quiet as hell with this issue. No details as to exactly why or what is causing the problem. So there i no known "good" firmware/serial #s, but like I stated above, both my replacement drives haven't clicked+beeped once, and previously it was a daily occurrence. And both replacements had higher serial #s then the click+beep ones... Here is what S.M.A.R.T. reports for my internal drive model/serial/firmware #s

Device Model:     ST9500420ASG
Serial Number:    5VJ0BEXX
Firmware Version: 0006APM2

 

[etoiles]

I have the same model/firmware and I get the click-beep multiple times a day (sometimes a few times in a row)...

Model: ST9500420ASG
Revision: 0006APM2
Serial Number: 5VJ0F0LE

 

[jedijoe]

well, i ruined it for myself. I just plugged in an USB external drive (Macally USB2 + 320GB WD Blue). Its my Time Machine drive. As soon as Time Machine starting backing up, I heard the click+beep, beach-balled for about 5-8 seconds, then normal again.

This Seagate is really, really garbage. This really makes me scared of my drive failing again at any moment again..

Well newegg estimates Intel 2nd generation 160GB arrival of 08/28/2009. I will be refreshing that page often around those days and I've pretty much settled now on replacing this Seagate crap with the 2nd gen Intel SSD

Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to buy a $440 SSD. I could easily drop $80 on a 500GB Western Digital Blue drive and be worry free... I dunno.

 

[t3heford]

I have click, but no beep whenever I move my 13 mbp even the slightest bit.

 

[Peter-]

Hi Everybody-

I just ordered a MBP 15 with the 500gb 7200rpm drive. Unfortunately I didn't find this thread before I placed my order. After reading page after page of problems with this drive I'm having second thoughts.. What would you guys recommend as far as avoiding this problem out of the box? Should I contact Apple to go with the 5400rpm drive instead of the 7200rpm? Downgrade to a 320gb?

Thanks in advance!

-Peter

 

[tommyGB]

To SSD or not?

Hi Guys

I am thinking of ordering my new MBP with an SSD (256GB). As I am a student the price will of course be a quite a bit cheaper.

The thing is I don't want to purchase an SSD from apple if there isn't a noticeable performance increase. I have seen utube videos of ssd's in macs and i am happy with the performance. However, these may or may not be the stock apple ssd's.

I could just buy a 7200 and upgrade later. I just don't have any experience upgrading computer components etc. So would prefer to have it preinstalled from the get go. I just dont want a rubbish SSD.

Basically should I buy now or wait with a bad 7200 and upgrade later?

Tom

 

[jedijoe]

Hi Guys

I am thinking of ordering my new MBP with an SSD (256GB). As I am a student the price will of course be a quite a bit cheaper.

The thing is I don't want to purchase an SSD from apple if there isn't a noticeable performance increase. I have seen utube videos of ssd's in macs and i am happy with the performance. However, these may or may not be the stock apple ssd's.

I could just buy a 7200 and upgrade later. I just don't have any experience upgrading computer components etc. So would prefer to have it preinstalled from the get go. I just dont want a rubbish SSD.

Basically should I buy now or wait with a bad 7200 and upgrade later?

Tom

My advice, get the 5400RPM, which isn't that far off from the 7200 in performance and get some other SSD. The Apple SSD is OLD anyway. Two nice SSDs are the new Intel G2 (which won't be available until the end of the month) and the Corsair P256.

If I was doing it over again, I'd get the 5400 without question. Now I have to hope that this 7200 drive doesn't fail on me before I get that Intel SSD.

 

[jedijoe]

Should I contact Apple to go with the 5400rpm drive instead of the 7200rpm? Downgrade to a 320gb

Personally, I would. I've been through 4 of these drives. Pain in the A$$. I'd rather have 100GB and piece of mind. Then wondering if today is the day my drive stops working..

 

[Peter-]

Personally, I would. I've been through 4 of these drives. Pain in the A$$. I'd rather have 100GB and piece of mind. Then wondering if today is the day my drive stops working..

So which drive would you go with? I assume it's not TOO LATE since I did order after hours and its the weekend.

320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm

Getting a SSD is not a option for me THIS very moment so which of the three is the lesser of the evils? Does upgrading it to a aftermarket SSD later void my warranty?

 

[Eshyn]

Hi Everybody-

I just ordered a MBP 15 with the 500gb 7200rpm drive. Unfortunately I didn't find this thread before I placed my order. After reading page after page of problems with this drive I'm having second thoughts.. What would you guys recommend as far as avoiding this problem out of the box? Should I contact Apple to go with the 5400rpm drive instead of the 7200rpm? Downgrade to a 320gb?

Thanks in advance!

-Peter

I too just ordered the same machine (500 / 7200) without being aware of this issue. Is this still as rampant as it was in June? And if so, am I essentially guaranteed to face this problem?

 

[eVolcre]

FWIW, I've had the 5400 rpm 500GB drive in my 17" since day one and have heard no clicks, beeps, meow's or woof's. Works fine.

I did a lot of research on the 5400 vs 7200 drive speeds. Consensus was that in the larger drives - 500GB+ - the platters are stacked closer to each other making performance close to the faster drive speeds. One of the 5400 RPM drives actually performed BETTER than a 7200.

My machine was a replacement for a dead 2006 MBP. I did have the option of getting the faster drive but chose to go with the base model. This gives me the flexibility of in store exchanges since it isn't a BTO.

You *might* notice the speed of the faster drive, but if you don't have it to begin with .. there's nothing to compare to.

My 6 month plan is to use a expresscard SSD (64GB) for the OS, Apps and documents I access the most while keeping the internal 500GB drive for everything else. There's a very interesting thread in the MBP forum about someone who did this. Prices are down to USD 140 for the SSD.

It's your choice but my recommendation is to go with the base 500GB 5400 RPM drive.

eV

 

[Peter-]

Personally, I would. I've been through 4 of these drives. Pain in the A$$. I'd rather have 100GB and piece of mind. Then wondering if today is the day my drive stops working..

I called Apple on Saturday and they changed it from 7200 to 5400.

I too just ordered the same machine (500 / 7200) without being aware of this issue. Is this still as rampant as it was in June? And if so, am I essentially guaranteed to face this problem?

I have seen posts from people who purchased their laptops in August with the same problem. I rather not play this hit or miss game with the hard drive. It's like waiting for it die.. it will drive you crazy eventually.

I personally went with my MBP because my HP laptop is giving me signs that it won't be around much longer.. and I keep hearing about how "Mac's just work". I don't want a defective hard drive to ruin my first Apple purchase.

 

[jedijoe]

Probably all saw this by now...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/768601/

Going to install it now. Hopefully it works without issue.

 

[kashkha]

Probably all saw this by now...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/768601/

Going to install it now. Hopefully it works without issue.

The replacement MBP I got two weeks ago had this new firmware out of the box, as I said earlier. I can tell you it works great! Not a single beep or click.

 

[isoplex]

Same issues with Seagate Momentus 5400.6

So I have a non-apple provided Seagate Momentus 5400.6 with:
Modelo: ST9500325AS
Revisión: 0001SDM1
Número de serie: 5VE1Z978
...and failing every 2 hours.

I have tried disabling SMS as a workaround with no luck so far, and after reading many many threads regarding this issue I still do not have a clear idea on what is causing this headache.

Sorry I am completelly new to MAC but I really cannot believe that there is not a place with a bug id, bug description, workaround and devices affected. This is not professional at all.

Without such information I am stuck. Should I replace my HDD with a different model? Same model? Just live with system that should be reloaded every 2 hours?

Again, not professional at all!

Just my 2 cents.

 

[jedijoe]

So I have a non-apple provided Seagate Momentus 5400.6 with:
Modelo: ST9500325AS
Revisión: 0001SDM1
Número de serie: 5VE1Z978
...and failing every 2 hours.

I have tried disabling SMS as a workaround with no luck so far, and after reading many many threads regarding this issue I still do not have a clear idea on what is causing this headache.

Sorry I am completelly new to MAC but I really cannot believe that there is not a place with a bug id, bug description, workaround and devices affected. This is not professional at all.

Without such information I am stuck. Should I replace my HDD with a different model? Same model? Just live with system that should be reloaded every 2 hours?

Again, not professional at all!

Just my 2 cents.

http://bugreport.apple.com

And the release notes clearly state its for the 500GB 7200RPM model, not your model, so you don't need a bugzilla to tell you that.

Your HDD is probably just plain old broken. HDDs, even new HDDs fail, all the time. Some more than others recently, hint-hint *seagate*.

You can download a S.M.A.R.T. utility (their are plenty, use google), see if the drive passes the short and long S.M.A.R.T. tests ... if you have AppleCare (3 yr warranty) you download the Tech Tool Deluxe from support.apple.com and run HDD surface scan test.

 

[Xapphire13]

Those with the Seagate 7200.4 ST9500420ASG... why dont you disable the sudden motion sensor in the mac? This should fix the conflict and beeps etc... to disable sms open terminal and type:

sudo pmset -a sms 0

then check it worked by typing:

pmset -g

sms should have a zero next to it..

 

[si77hay]

Great! My new MBP has just developed this "beeping" noise.

Had it for two weeks and either didn't notice it, or, it's literally just started. I was browsing the internet (this forum I think!) at the time.

Model: ST9320423ASG
Revision: 0007APM2

Yes, it's a 7200RPM 320GB.

No computer freezes thank God, just the beep now and again. However, after spending about £1,500 on a laptop (which I consider a premium), I'd expect the HD to make no beeps at all!!!

 

[Xapphire13]

Great! My new MBP has just developed this "beeping" noise.

Had it for two weeks and either didn't notice it, or, it's literally just started. I was browsing the internet (this forum I think!) at the time.

Model: ST9320423ASG
Revision: 0007APM2

Yes, it's a 7200RPM 320GB.

No computer freezes thank God, just the beep now and again. However, after spending about £1,500 on a laptop (which I consider a premium), I'd expect the HD to make no beeps at all!!!

Have you tried what I put in the previous post?

 

[si77hay]

Have you tried what I put in the previous post?

No I haven't. As mentioned there are no computers freezes so it doesn't really affect me. Should the computer start to freeze though, I will try your suggestion. Thank you!

But my point is after spending about £1,500 on a laptop, which I consider to be way over the top, I don't expect to hear beeps, endure computer freezes, or employ updates to disable safety precautions that come as part of the package which I paid for.

 

[Xapphire13]

No I haven't. As mentioned there are no computers freezes so it doesn't really affect me. Should the computer start to freeze though, I will try your suggestion. Thank you!

But my point is after spending about £1,500 on a laptop, which I consider to be way over the top, I don't expect to hear beeps, endure computer freezes, or employ updates to disable safety precautions that come as part of the package which I paid for.

In all fairness its neither Apple or Seagate's fault, they both decide to put shock protection in their product.... if both are used, conflicts arise. Fix, disable one of them.

 

[si77hay]

...they both decide to put shock protection in their product.... if both are used, conflicts arise. Fix, disable one of them.

Oh I see, I never knew that, thanks.

Are you saying that I can disable one of the shock protections (ie Apple's I assume going by your instructions), I'd still be covered by the other (ie Seagate's).

If so, I don't mind so much.

Still though....if Apple are selling me a product, surely they'd test to ensure there aren't any "annoying beeps", or scary computer freezes? If you bought a Maybach, would you be annoyed if the wheel squeaked now and again?

YIKES!!! I just followed your instructions and they appear to have made it worse. The way I could guarantee generating a beep, was to wake the MBP from sleep. Before the change it would beep. After the change, it beeps and then makes several continuous clicking noises.

 

[t0mat0]

The Performance update 1.0 just released through the software update system - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3901 may help those with HD issues beyond what was a click beep issue if they're still getting momentary pauses or longer freezes, beachballing.

 

[si77hay]

The Performance update 1.0 just released through the software update system - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3901 may help those with HD issues beyond what was a click beep issue if they're still getting momentary pauses or longer freezes, beachballing.

hmmm...early indications are that I can't make my MBP beep anymore. This used to me guaranteed when waking it from sleep. Anybody else?

Thanks for the heads up !