BeachBall with Intel SSD as Boot Drive and WD as Data Drive

[Desmo1098]

Can someone tell me why the following happens:

Sometimes I will go for a while without using my computer. For example, if I step out for a meeting or lunch. Other times I will just be using an application that does not need to access the data drive which is a WD. When I come back to my computer or try to access the data drive I get the spinning BeachBall.

For example, I just came back from being out for a couple hours. I came back to my computer which was not sleeping, only the monitor was. I launched Safari and after going to a few web sites everything was fine. Then I went to macrumors.com and the spinning BeachBall came up and then I heard the WD drive kick in (like a jet firing up if you will). Then the website loaded and the spinning BeachBall was gone. Here is what I have in System Preferences:

Energy

• Computer Sleep: Never
• Display Sleep: 1 hr
• Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible: CHECKED
• Wake for network access: UNCHECKED

Does this have anything to do with having Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible: CHECKED?

If so, does this mean if I UNCHECK it, the drive will continue to spin until I either a) shut the computer down or b) put the computer to sleep? And, this will remedy the spinning BeachBall?

I am using WD RE3 drives so if the above is true, do I need to worry about the drive spinning 24x7 if unattended and the computer never sleeps?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Vylen]

Yep, pretty much.. The beachball is the datadrive waking and spinning up again.

 

[philipma1957]

wd has great a rma program those drives have a 5 year warranty


http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/AAG/ENG/2178-701099.pdf

so as long as you back them up and the fans work in your MP you should be good to go. A little known fact is if your model no longer exists and you are under warranty they will often give you a better hdd for a rma. Also just got to this part of the site to see if they are under warranty


http://websupport.wdc.com/warranty/...710&custtype=end&requesttype=warranty&lang=en


this is the warranty check you only need the drive no receipts are needed to get the rma. just find your hdd's serial number and see how long the warranty is.


I have used lots of drives hundreds.* they fail , repeat, they fail ,repeat, they fail*. Most fail after warranty ,but some fail a lot ( the seagate 500gb 2.5 inch 7200rpm momentus had 8 failures out of 14 in under 6 months ) in mac mini mods I did last year. I put 70 hdds in mac minis last year other then the seagates only one 500gb samsung was bad. I have used a lot of 3.5 inch drives. The biggest dog was a 1.5tb seagate came out in 08 had a few failures.

As for ssd's I am 20 for 20 good with intel ssd's.. I have a pair of patriot inferno's 200gb ssd's right now that are clones of owc's 200gb mercury extreme pro re ssd's. They are wonderful but one came doa. I got an rma and now they work great in a 400 gb raid0 they fully saturate my mac mini's esata hack. this is because mac mini's are 1.5 gb sata not 3.0 gb sata. still my 2009 2.66ghz mini has the some of the highest xbench scores for a mini well over 230. here is a score for today


http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc1=462258&doc2=1&setCookie=true came to 228