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External hard drives spin up for no reason
- Thread starter adiosjefe
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Yes!
I've posted a few threads about this around different boards (including here) and haven't really gotten any responses.
I've noticed that opening Mail causes my external drive(s) to spin up.
I've got two, one connected via USB the other firewire. I know the firewire drive spins up, it's loud enough to hear. I don't know if the USB drive spins up or not.
I've posted a few threads about this around different boards (including here) and haven't really gotten any responses.
I've noticed that opening Mail causes my external drive(s) to spin up.
I've got two, one connected via USB the other firewire. I know the firewire drive spins up, it's loud enough to hear. I don't know if the USB drive spins up or not.
Well, I believe that it's probably the computer checking in with the external. It is likely that mail checks for file on the external HD, as well as other applications. If you're using time machine, that could also be an explanation with it copying data or just saying "hi."
Ditto...I turned off TM because I need to "relocate" stuff before erasing the drive as is apparently req'd. My WD MyBook external drive just spins up at odd times now...hmmmm. I was guessing it might be getting indexed for something, but I'm too much of a Mac newbie to know whether that guess to totally asinine or not.
I've noticed the same behavior. I have my computer set to go to only put the monitor sleep but stay running, and even with no applications running the drive will spin up at random. I do not use Time machine either. It's nothing that I'm concerned about, but my Simpletech has lights on it that flash, so in the middle of the night it can be rather annoying.
Experienced the same thing
I have 4 externals, one from lacie that always stays on, one from OWC that always stays on, but then a western digital mybook that spins up and down and a seagate that does the same. Post Leopard, the seagate and western digital would only spin up if I was accessing them or if I went to a save file dialogue. Now they spin up and down constantly, throughout the night, and for no reason I can clearly see. Quite annoying, as the western digi is very loud. Also, from what I understand, it is better for any hard drive to just stay in the "on" position and keep the platter spinning, as it is the spinning up and down over and over that could cause it to fail prematurely. For the record, I have not yet used time machine. I hope Apple fixes this, for it is certainly a bug.
I have 4 externals, one from lacie that always stays on, one from OWC that always stays on, but then a western digital mybook that spins up and down and a seagate that does the same. Post Leopard, the seagate and western digital would only spin up if I was accessing them or if I went to a save file dialogue. Now they spin up and down constantly, throughout the night, and for no reason I can clearly see. Quite annoying, as the western digi is very loud. Also, from what I understand, it is better for any hard drive to just stay in the "on" position and keep the platter spinning, as it is the spinning up and down over and over that could cause it to fail prematurely. For the record, I have not yet used time machine. I hope Apple fixes this, for it is certainly a bug.
maybe its checking its still there. Network drives were a PITA in tiger, so maybe when they fixed that, they made leopard check drives were still present to stop finder hangs. just a possibility.
I've asked around at every forum I could think of and haven't found an answer. I've noticed that opening Mail.app causes the externals to spin up, but other than that it's totally random from what I can tell.
Hopefully 10.5.1 will take care of it.
Hopefully 10.5.1 will take care of it.
I'm not sure you'll find an answer - my external drives have always done it in Tiger, and I don't give them the chance on Leopard.
I just turn the things right off if I'm not actually needing them.
It's a pain but when I'm working quietly, there's nothing more annoying than the damn things spinning up and down.
I just turn the things right off if I'm not actually needing them.
It's a pain but when I'm working quietly, there's nothing more annoying than the damn things spinning up and down.
YES!!
what the hell is the deal with that!
made me back up my whole external cuz i was convinced it was dying
what the hell is the deal with that!
made me back up my whole external cuz i was convinced it was dying
I Knew I Wasn't Hallucinating.
Alright, so this happens to me too and we need to go through the facts, because, as you all know spinning up your hard drive more than it needs to WILL reduce its life.
I first blamed time machine, but now see that it isn't that. And I can say that I really don't think it is spotlight indexing, as mine will do it out of nowhere, sometimes in the middle of the night, and I haven't been changing many files on my computer recently.
I have an odd feeling that it may be network activity, of some sort, and that does kind of worry me.. but I suppose i'm more worried about having to spend another 400$ on a tb of storage just because leopard made the drives die faster.
I'm going to kill almost all processes and not touch the computer today and try to watch and listen for it to spin up, and see which processes are working. I'm not sure how else to figure it out.. but i don't like it.
Alright, so this happens to me too and we need to go through the facts, because, as you all know spinning up your hard drive more than it needs to WILL reduce its life.
I first blamed time machine, but now see that it isn't that. And I can say that I really don't think it is spotlight indexing, as mine will do it out of nowhere, sometimes in the middle of the night, and I haven't been changing many files on my computer recently.
I have an odd feeling that it may be network activity, of some sort, and that does kind of worry me.. but I suppose i'm more worried about having to spend another 400$ on a tb of storage just because leopard made the drives die faster.
I'm going to kill almost all processes and not touch the computer today and try to watch and listen for it to spin up, and see which processes are working. I'm not sure how else to figure it out.. but i don't like it.
How does everyone have theirs connected?
could this be a firewire issue. I'm using firewire800. and it just did it again... honestly.. I really don't know why it's spinning down.. i usually keep my external spinning all the time, just because it's easier on it. this is kind of confusing, and no it didn't do this on tiger.
could this be a firewire issue. I'm using firewire800. and it just did it again... honestly.. I really don't know why it's spinning down.. i usually keep my external spinning all the time, just because it's easier on it. this is kind of confusing, and no it didn't do this on tiger.
Welp I know I am late to the discussion but yes, I have noticed this same thing and it is yet another thing that is annoying the *crocker* out of me!!!
I click on a news link and BAM!!! I get a spinning beach ball in Safari while the drive spins up. As soon as its done, the page loads. I decide to check the mail, POW, spinning ball until the drive is finished spinning up.
I click on a news link and BAM!!! I get a spinning beach ball in Safari while the drive spins up. As soon as its done, the page loads. I decide to check the mail, POW, spinning ball until the drive is finished spinning up.