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CLICKING sound on new MacBook Pro :/

L

ladnaania

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 1, 2011
5
0
Hey guys,

I just got a new MacBook Pro last week and had to return it do to a clicking sound every time I picked up or moved my laptop off my lap. The click is only once and occurs when I move it off my lap or desk. I knew it was really defective when I put a CD in the drive and heard a terrible grinding. I returned it...

So I just got my new MacBook Pro in the mail today and there is still that clicking sound! I put a CD in and everything sounds normal but this clicking sound is still annoying. Am I missing something? Is this normal? I've done some "googling" and a lot of people have posted about the clicking. Seems like it is related to the sudden motion sensor? Can anyone confirm this? I am just worried that my computer will malfunction after my 14 day return period ends :/ I've paid a lot for this computer so to hear a clicking everytime I move the damn thing is kinda frustrating.. well it doesn't happen every since time but almost..

I had a macbook prior to this and never had a problem once! I also never had a clicking sound when I moved it...please let me know what you guys think!


Anna
 
GGJstudios said:
It's the SMS: Apple Portables: About the Sudden Motion Sensor
Apple Portables: Hard drives and noise
Click to expand...

Hey thanks for that! I kinda stumbled upon that earlier today but it seems like when I ask people with the macbook pro they don't notice? I just wanted to make sure it was not just me. I guess as long as my CD runs smooth when I put it in, then I am good to go! I've missed my computer all week so I'd love to keep this one and not have any problems. :)

Anyone else with a MacBook Pro experience the clicking too?
 
ladnaania said:
Hey thanks for that! I kinda stumbled upon that earlier today but it seems like when I ask people with the macbook pro they don't notice? I just wanted to make sure it was not just me. I guess as long as my CD runs smooth when I put it in, then I am good to go! I've missed my computer all week so I'd love to keep this one and not have any problems. :)

Anyone else with a MacBook Pro experience the clicking too?
Click to expand...
It's quite common. If you search the forum with Google, you'll find dozens of threads on this issue. It's working as designed, to protect your hard drive from damage.
 
Last edited:
I found that taking an old hard drive apart and examining it really helps to understand what is goin on with the whirring/clicks and noises. Mind you only do this to a hard drive you want to destroy.

Anyways when you see the drive head and see how strong those magnets really are you get a good sense of where that click comes from when the Mac instantly parks the head to prevent a head crash.
 
ladnaania said:
Even with no CD it's normal? Just at all times that it's on and moves? What about when I put my laptop to sleep and put it in my carrying case? Thanks for the response!
Click to expand...
It has nothing to do with your optical drive or CDs or DVDs. It's your hard drive. When you MBP is in sleep mode, the drive isn't in use and the heads are parked, so there's no risk and no noise.
 
ladnaania said:
Even with no CD it's normal? Just at all times that it's on and moves? What about when I put my laptop to sleep and put it in my carrying case? Thanks for the response!
Click to expand...

Having a CD makes no difference. The Sudden Motion Sensor is part of the Hard Drive. It will do that anytime the computer is on and you are using it.

Spike
 
Actually, i'm not so sure whether it's the sudden motion sensor or not. I had an issue where i was hearing a clicking/creaking sound inside right in the middle of the trackpad area and it actually had to do with the inside of the case making contact with some small metal contact points inside the case (it would happen when i moved the macbook, lifted it up, and sometimes just at random even without doing anything with the macbook), but i was able to completely fix it and i no longer hear the annoying sound (i also knew it wasn't the sudden motion sensor when I installed a solid state drive and turned off the sudden motion sensor and it was still making the sound). I opened up my macbook pro case and put a small piece of tape on the inside of the case in this region and it fixed it. so it depends what ur hearing; if it's a creaking sound or a clicking sound. the way to tell for sure is to shut down your macbook pro and then press on the top part of the casing just above the trackpad in the midline below the spacebar and also over the bottom middle part of the back of the case; if that replicates the sound when the computer is off (i.e., it's not the sudden motion sensor), then this "tape fix" will work, and stop the annoying sound; worked fine for me. if this is the issue you can go to the apple store and ask them if they can give you a piece of "Kapton tape" or just buy it yourself online (i just asked them for some at the genius bar and they just gave it to me); that tape is rated up to around 400 C temperatures so probably would be better than using electrical tape or scotch tape, plus it's really thin and it works. It stopped the annoying sound completely.

see this youtube video for a video tutorial on the tape fix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uuhLyxKjRo&feature=related
 
Last edited:
i have an OEM SSD, so does my MBP even have a sudden motion sensor? this may sound stupid but i was thinking about doing the whole optibay deal and i dont know how that will pan out for me
 
iMackPro said:
i have an OEM SSD, so does my MBP even have a sudden motion sensor? this may sound stupid but i was thinking about doing the whole optibay deal and i dont know how that will pan out for me
Click to expand...

You would still have the SMS, but with the drive you have, there are no heads to park, and no clicking sound to hear. Just fast silence. :cool:

Spike

Edit: You can install LiquidMac to see. If the app does what it's supposed to, you have an SMS.
 
Last edited:
Medravi said:
Actually, i'm not so sure whether it's the sudden motion sensor or not. I had an issue where i was hearing a clicking/creaking sound inside right in the middle of the trackpad area and it actually had to do with the inside of the case making contact with some small metal contact points inside the case (it would happen when i moved the macbook, lifted it up, and sometimes just at random even without doing anything with the macbook), but i was able to completely fix it and i no longer hear the annoying sound (i also knew it wasn't the sudden motion sensor when I installed a solid state drive and turned off the sudden motion sensor and it was still making the sound). I opened up my macbook pro case and put a small piece of tape on the inside of the case in this region and it fixed it. so it depends what ur hearing; if it's a creaking sound or a clicking sound. the way to tell for sure is to shut down your macbook pro and then press on the top part of the casing just above the trackpad in the midline below the spacebar and also over the bottom middle part of the back of the case; if that replicates the sound when the computer is off (i.e., it's not the sudden motion sensor), then this "tape fix" will work, and stop the annoying sound; worked fine for me. if this is the issue you can go to the apple store and ask them if they can give you a piece of "Kapton tape" or just buy it yourself online (i just asked them for some at the genius bar and they just gave it to me); that tape is rated up to around 400 C temperatures so probably would be better than using electrical tape or scotch tape, plus it's really thin and it works. It stopped the annoying sound completely.

see this youtube video for a video tutorial on the tape fix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uuhLyxKjRo&feature=related
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure this is the solution. I had the same "issue" with my MBP 2011. I just put an electrical tape piece on the bottom case over the affected area. Solved everything. If the clicking is there when the machine is turned off, I bet this will fix your problems too.
 
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