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27" iMac Hard Drive Noise
- Thread starter frenchie0101
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Just a question; can you replace the hard disk yourself without loosing your warranty? Or do you have to go to a service station? If you have applecare, will they upgrade to a HD you bring yourself for free?
Btw, I started a website: http://www.listenupsteve.com/fixtheimac/
I've already added a bunch of the issues reported here, so if you want to add something, check first. (See the submission page for details).
Btw, I started a website: http://www.listenupsteve.com/fixtheimac/
I've already added a bunch of the issues reported here, so if you want to add something, check first. (See the submission page for details).Quiet Hitachi 2TB
Work in progress:
1. Spoke to Apple tech who asked me to open Time Capsule & then open iMac sparsebundle (the backup of my old iMac) & it would not open.
2. Next step was to drag it to the left side of Disk Utility & highlight and click Verify Disk-this did not work. He then suggested I would have to re-install apps, music & Word docs.
3. However, I restarted iMac & am currently repairing (hopefully!) the sparsebundle-3hrs to go (Time Capsule is 500GB).
4. Advice from Apple was, assuming I can open the old sparsebundle, manually copy & paste docs and music to those folders in Finder. Further advice was to re-install Parallels, Vista, Office & Mac Office.
I'll have to contact Microsoft if there are any problems over licenses with the re-installed programs.
So far so good & I'll update later. (Educated guess of Apple 2nd level support was that noisy HD was due to something amiss in my old iMac backup.)
Work in progress:
1. Spoke to Apple tech who asked me to open Time Capsule & then open iMac sparsebundle (the backup of my old iMac) & it would not open.
2. Next step was to drag it to the left side of Disk Utility & highlight and click Verify Disk-this did not work. He then suggested I would have to re-install apps, music & Word docs.
3. However, I restarted iMac & am currently repairing (hopefully!) the sparsebundle-3hrs to go (Time Capsule is 500GB).
4. Advice from Apple was, assuming I can open the old sparsebundle, manually copy & paste docs and music to those folders in Finder. Further advice was to re-install Parallels, Vista, Office & Mac Office.
I'll have to contact Microsoft if there are any problems over licenses with the re-installed programs.
So far so good & I'll update later. (Educated guess of Apple 2nd level support was that noisy HD was due to something amiss in my old iMac backup.)
Quiet Hitachi 2TB
Just to let you know Disk Utility completed verify & repair of my old iMac backup on Time Capsule & found no problems. I've moved the docs I need from the last backup, installed Mac Office, downloaded Parallels 5 & am currently re-installing Windows Vista. I'll then re-install MS Office Professional (costs peanuts from software4students if you're in UK).
Everything works fine (so far!!!) & iMac is 'mouse-quiet'-just the occasional whisker-twitch or snuffle! Time I went to bed after a day of hassle BUT I'm very pleased indeed with this beautiful machine.
Just to let you know Disk Utility completed verify & repair of my old iMac backup on Time Capsule & found no problems. I've moved the docs I need from the last backup, installed Mac Office, downloaded Parallels 5 & am currently re-installing Windows Vista. I'll then re-install MS Office Professional (costs peanuts from software4students if you're in UK).
Everything works fine (so far!!!) & iMac is 'mouse-quiet'-just the occasional whisker-twitch or snuffle! Time I went to bed after a day of hassle BUT I'm very pleased indeed with this beautiful machine.
Great stuff! Can you let us know whether you migrated stuff from a previous iMac or started afresh?
Just to mention that the i5 I just returned because of its rumbling was used without migrating anything to it from a previous drive. Anything added to the i5 hard drive {editing software, Toast etc) was a fresh install from original installation discs. So the noises I heard were not down to any conflicts with stuff from a previous backup or suchlike.
And even after a full erase/install, the i5 exhibited the noise immediately afterwards upon browsing.
I now have a couple of weeks to worry if my newly-ordered i7 (hopefully with Hitachi rather than Seaqgate drive) will be free of this problem...
And even after a full erase/install, the i5 exhibited the noise immediately afterwards upon browsing.
I now have a couple of weeks to worry if my newly-ordered i7 (hopefully with Hitachi rather than Seaqgate drive) will be free of this problem...
i think what roger is suffering from cecil is something completely different to what we have experinced with seagate, it looks like his noise was down to pure corruption (hopefully, for our sake) we just need to keep in contact roger about if the noise does not appear after you have repaired your sparsbundle
Just a question; can you replace the hard disk yourself without loosing your warranty? Or do you have to go to a service station? If you have applecare, will they upgrade to a HD you bring yourself for free?
Btw, I started a website: http://www.listenupsteve.com/fixtheimac/
not as such, there is heat sensors on the HDD which will only work with the manufacture of the HDD, for example if its seagate then you can only swap it for another seagate unless you of course short out the sensors
if you changed the make of hard drive and reconnected the HDD heat connectors to it your fans will run at maximum
not as such, there is heat sensors on the HDD which will only work with the manufacture of the HDD, for example if its seagate then you can only swap it for another seagate unless you of course short out the sensors
Thats not true mate. I just finished upgrading my 2008 Imac from the WD 330gb HDD to a Hitachi 1tb HDD and the fan is working as normal. The Hitachi also runs 10c cooler!
Also the Hitachi 1TB third gen drive is very quiet for the most part. Big boost in boost up time and aloding of apps ect too. Very happy with the Hitachi so far!
So, if I've followed this thread correctly, Rogerram zeroed out data on his 2GB and then clean installed Snow Leopard and suddenly it wasn't loud anymore.
Zeroing out does nothing more than write zeroes to every sector of the HD as a security measure to make sure deleted data is not recoverable. It plays no part in causing or reducing HD noise. It sounds to me like Rogerram had a badly fragmented HD. He probably could have gotten the same results from running a defragmentation with iDefrag.
When a HD becomes fragmented the read heads become noisy as they jump all over the disc looking for data. Less disk access and read head movement = less noise.
I can think of no other possible explanation as to why a noisy HD suddenly became silent after doing a clean install of the OS. Oh, and expect it to become steadily noisier again over time as file fragmentation increases.
Actually, it is true. The latest gen iMac's use a new heat sensor connector, and you can only replace the drive with one from the same manufacturer.
The late 2009 Revision iMacs are different to previous version iMacs in the way they measure the HDD temperature (think they use the HDD's internal sensor), as such you are apparently tied to the same HDD manufacturer if you upgrade the HDD.
Silent Hitachi 2TB
First the good news & there isn't any bad. I've now re installed Parallels, Vista & Microsoft Office Professional with about 35,000 updates-maybe some exageration there. I could hear some disk noise whilst all that was going on BUT afterwards mouse-quiet as it is now back in Snow Leopard. I've just transferred some large high-definition movie footage in a matter of minute & I could hear the fans but nothing annoying.
My view of what happened is as follows. The original 1TB Hitachi was definitely faulty-Apple 1st line tech said 'It shouldn't be making that noise', prior to arranging replacement. Incidentally I ordered 20th, shipped 23rd & delivered 26/27th after I cancelled Applecare with the order (that saved a week 'cos they 'merge in transit' for UK & that's a pain-paid £80 from ebay but wanted Imac asap).
With new iMac I loaded my Time Capsule backup & it was grumbling from then-I used disk utility to repair permissions but it made no difference to the noise. What did make the difference was setting up Test HD with straight install that was mouse quiet. Then getting rid of partition, 'Zeroing' the disk & making a clean install led to mouse-quiet again. I now have the backup of my old iMac on my desktop & have moved all the important stuff across with no problems.
I reckon it was the stuff on that backup that caused the problems & I'm very pleased to say that my 2TB Hitachi i7 is perfect. Apologies for the detail, but I thought it might help those waiting with 'baited-breath' for their new 2TB iMacs before Christmas.
I can also give a hearty recommendation to Apple 2nd level support for their 'hand-holding' for me as a non-techie doing some of this stuff,
All the best.
First the good news & there isn't any bad. I've now re installed Parallels, Vista & Microsoft Office Professional with about 35,000 updates-maybe some exageration there. I could hear some disk noise whilst all that was going on BUT afterwards mouse-quiet as it is now back in Snow Leopard. I've just transferred some large high-definition movie footage in a matter of minute & I could hear the fans but nothing annoying.
My view of what happened is as follows. The original 1TB Hitachi was definitely faulty-Apple 1st line tech said 'It shouldn't be making that noise', prior to arranging replacement. Incidentally I ordered 20th, shipped 23rd & delivered 26/27th after I cancelled Applecare with the order (that saved a week 'cos they 'merge in transit' for UK & that's a pain-paid £80 from ebay but wanted Imac asap).
With new iMac I loaded my Time Capsule backup & it was grumbling from then-I used disk utility to repair permissions but it made no difference to the noise. What did make the difference was setting up Test HD with straight install that was mouse quiet. Then getting rid of partition, 'Zeroing' the disk & making a clean install led to mouse-quiet again. I now have the backup of my old iMac on my desktop & have moved all the important stuff across with no problems.
I reckon it was the stuff on that backup that caused the problems & I'm very pleased to say that my 2TB Hitachi i7 is perfect. Apologies for the detail, but I thought it might help those waiting with 'baited-breath' for their new 2TB iMacs before Christmas.
I can also give a hearty recommendation to Apple 2nd level support for their 'hand-holding' for me as a non-techie doing some of this stuff,
All the best.
Our local Apple Store's Business Dept called me yesterday to ask about our C2D. I told them that I was happy with it except for the gurgling hard drive. They suggested that I come in with the machine after the holidaze so they can check it out. Absolutely!
Hey guys,
I just got my i7 and it is perfect, but i do realise, when there is absolutely no noise in the room, that it does do a permanent noise of HDD working...
I was just wondering if this is what you guys are talking about, or are you guys talking about a loud noise..
The noise i have doesn't sound like the HDD is dodgy, but i am afraid that if it is working all the time like this it will eventually prematurely die on me.
Also, could you guys help me identify the kind of hard drive that i have in my imac, where should i go to check that?
This noise is absolutely not annoying me, but i was just wondering if it was normal, given that i know that the white imacs for example are completely silent... On this one, the HDD is the only thing i hear, no fan noise or any other stuff..
Edit: seems like my hard drive is l WDC WD1001FALS-40U9B0 Media so Western Digital?
Also, would you guys recommend me to do a clean install, is there any chance a clean instal would change the noise?
I just got my i7 and it is perfect, but i do realise, when there is absolutely no noise in the room, that it does do a permanent noise of HDD working...
I was just wondering if this is what you guys are talking about, or are you guys talking about a loud noise..
The noise i have doesn't sound like the HDD is dodgy, but i am afraid that if it is working all the time like this it will eventually prematurely die on me.
Also, could you guys help me identify the kind of hard drive that i have in my imac, where should i go to check that?
This noise is absolutely not annoying me, but i was just wondering if it was normal, given that i know that the white imacs for example are completely silent... On this one, the HDD is the only thing i hear, no fan noise or any other stuff..
Edit: seems like my hard drive is l WDC WD1001FALS-40U9B0 Media so Western Digital?
Also, would you guys recommend me to do a clean install, is there any chance a clean instal would change the noise?
Thanks for your update - whilst totally not doubting you I cannot think for the life of me why this rather round-the-houses method would actually make any real difference to the majority of users HDD noise issues. What I'm trying to figure out is wether your issue was different to the majority of cases people are reporting here. I'll be interested to see how you go as I guess there's the possibility of the noise re-emerging after a few days but if not genuinely pleased for you that you now have a quiet HDD. Personally I wouldn't rush to follow these instructions until I'm sure that this is the answer but if anyone else does do it then good to hear the results.
what roger did on his hitachi i also did on the 1TB seagate when i had it.. it just made the noise worse on the seagate drive
As I already said, zeroing a hard disk has no effect whatsoever for HD noise, period. It is simply a way to ensure that "deleted" data on the disk is no longer accessible. It is extremely time consuming, especially on a 2TB HD, and is a total waste of time if your goal is to make your HD run more quietly. I went to the hassle of zeroing data on my 24" iMac's internal HD the other day since I've sold it. There is a case where it's well worth the time it consumes to complete.
As for a clean install, that might make a difference if your old install had a high level of fragmented files, as I also already explained.
But sorry to say, there is NO way that doing so should make a HD run louder. That's just not the case.
My Seagate 1TB is still next to silent.
As I already said, zeroing a hard disk has no effect whatsoever for HD noise, period. It is simply a way to ensure that "deleted" data on the disk is no longer accessible. It is extremely time consuming, especially on a 2TB HD, and is a total waste of time if your goal is to make your HD run more quietly. I went to the hassle of zeroing data on my 24" iMac's internal HD the other day since I've sold it. There is a case where it's well worth the time it consumes to complete.
As for a clean install, that might make a difference if your old install had a high level of fragmented files, as I also already explained.
But sorry to say, there is NO way that doing so should make a HD run louder. That's just not the case.
My Seagate 1TB is still next to silent.
Agree with everything you say - zeroing your HDD is all to do with securely deleting your data and should not have any effect on making your HDD louder OR quieter. Tend to think that Rogers solution may
be more to do with a clean install of the OS - although I even have my doubts on this. Also, surely restoring a Time Capsule Back-up should mean that the restored data would be written to your internal HDD in an un-fragmented fashion?
Mate i just installed a different brand drive in my 2008 I-Mac and I-stat plus the fact that i cant hear the fan tells me the HDD fan is only spinning at 1200rpm. The late 2009 I-Macs may be different, but like it stated mine is a 2008 model.
Good point on the Time Capsule restore. This is one I hadn't considered. I wonder if it is a sector for sector backup that restores the files in whatever state of fragmentation they were at the time of backup or not.
Anyway, this all sounds to me like the emperor's new clothes.