Computer randomly spinning up..help!

[lionheartednyhc]

So I can't quite figure this out.

I have a 27in with the SSD option. I have an external HDD plugged in.
Anyways, the external randomly spins up in the middle of the night for a second or two then goes back to sleep. Sometimes it happens multiple times. Its close to my bed so its kind of annoying. The weird thing is, it happens sometimes even if its unmounted.

Any idea what could cause it? Any way to see what is accessing the disk at what times?

Thanks

 

[Detrius]

The machine wakes up every hour or so in order to update stuff necessary for Wireless Wake-on-LAN to work. Turn off "Wake for network access" in the Energy Saver, and it shouldn't do that anymore.

 

[dwarnecke11]

The machine wakes up every hour or so in order to update stuff necessary for Wireless Wake-on-LAN to work. Turn off "Wake for network access" in the Energy Saver, and it shouldn't do that anymore.

+1. I too would hear my iMac HD spinning up at night, clicking for a few seconds, then spinning back down. Turned off Wake On LAN and it no longer does this.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

The machine wakes up every hour or so in order to update stuff necessary for Wireless Wake-on-LAN to work. Turn off "Wake for network access" in the Energy Saver, and it shouldn't do that anymore.

Hm..Ill try that. Thanks. But why would it be spinning up my external HDD (even when its unmounted, but plugged in?)

 

[tom vilsack]

why not turn off mac at night? ive been doing so on 2006 imac and no worse for it....

 

[lionheartednyhc]

why not turn off mac at night? ive been doing so on 2006 imac and no worse for it....

I prefer to keep it on for a variety of reasons. This isn't a big deal, its just baffling to me so I wanted to find the answer.