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hard drive spinning

P

PrePressAcrobat

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 2, 2010
64
1
Does anyone know what I might do about my drive spinning and spinning no matter what I do? It seems if I restart the machine - it acts properly for a very short time
but soon, it starts spinning all the time and will not stop even if I put the machine to sleep. It is all up to date.
It, obviously, gets very hot - and spins loudly.
If I restart or shut down - the drive will stop.

MSD
 
PrePressAcrobat said:
Does anyone know what I might do about my drive spinning and spinning no matter what I do? It seems if I restart the machine - it acts properly for a very short time
but soon, it starts spinning all the time and will not stop even if I put the machine to sleep. It is all up to date.
It, obviously, gets very hot - and spins loudly.
If I restart or shut down - the drive will stop.

MSD
Click to expand...

Hard drives are always supposed to spin (if it doesn't you're in trouble or your computer went to sleep).

Are you talking just spinning? Or are you talking accessing the disk? If you are getting constant disk access it *could* (but not always) signal that you need more ram.
 
chrono1081 said:
Hard drives are always supposed to spin (if it doesn't you're in trouble or your computer went to sleep).

Are you talking just spinning? Or are you talking accessing the disk? If you are getting constant disk access it *could* (but not always) signal that you need more ram.
Click to expand...

-------

No - it always spins even when put to sleep.
Sometimes - even asleep - it spins in some sort of "super turbo" mode
like it is about to fly out of the machine.

MSD
 
That means you sleep isn't working. You have something like insomniax running?
A drive has no turbo mode it can spin on one speed and one only. I think you have a Notebook that just doesn't enter sleep correctly and when you close the lid the fans spin faster because they have poor access to fresh air.

What you hear as some sort of turbo must be the fans. A hdd can never keep spinning when a notebook is in standby because it gets no power. If something spins your notebook doesn't sleep.
 
chrono1081 said:
Are your power save settings off maybe?
Click to expand...

---------

The Power Settings are set up just fine.
Maybe it is the fans running hard
but
why after the thing has been asleep for 20 or more minutes
would it be to hot to place on my lap
without burning my leg?

MSD
 
PrePressAcrobat said:
---------

The Power Settings are set up just fine.
Maybe it is the fans running hard
but
why after the thing has been asleep for 20 or more minutes
would it be to hot to place on my lap
without burning my leg?

MSD
Click to expand...

This is why. It is not going to sleep. If it were going to sleep (correctly), there would not be any noise.
dusk007 said:
That means you sleep isn't working. You have something like insomniax running?
A drive has no turbo mode it can spin on one speed and one only. I think you have a Notebook that just doesn't enter sleep correctly and when you close the lid the fans spin faster because they have poor access to fresh air.

What you hear as some sort of turbo must be the fans. A hdd can never keep spinning when a notebook is in standby because it gets no power. If something spins your notebook doesn't sleep.
Click to expand...
 
Is the light in the front right of your computer pulsing? If it is, then it is asleep, and you shouldn't hear any noise. If it is off, and the computer is powered on, it is not asleep. If it is constant on, it is not asleep.
 
frank.deale said:
Is the light in the front right of your computer pulsing? If it is, then it is asleep, and you shouldn't hear any noise. If it is off, and the computer is powered on, it is not asleep. If it is constant on, it is not asleep.
Click to expand...

-----

Most times I notice the light pulsing - especially at night when it is bright enough to notice.
But, like this morning it should have been asleep, it was a solid light
and the case was hot - after overnight.

In any case - what would one do about their MBP not properly going to sleep on occasion?
 
If you don't have any software that keeps it form entering sleep there must be something that wakes it.
If an external display is a attached just about anything will make it enter clamshell mode. The display may be turned off but the notebook doesn't know it a display port is a one way street.

Bluetooth devices or network wake over LAN may also be the cause.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1776
 
Go to power setting options and see if you have enabled "wake for LAN access". Is your hard drive the factory hard drive or something else?
 
NickZac said:
Go to power setting options and see if you have enabled "wake for LAN access". Is your hard drive the factory hard drive or something else?
Click to expand...
-----
Wake for LAN is off
Not the original drive - but this would happen before I swapped it out.
I reset the "System Management Controller" (SMC) last night.
This morning the light was NOT pulsing but it was on solid "dim" - not "bright" as before. The drive was spinning. I read about the PRAM reset - but it does not seem like that should address this issue.
Since the SMC reset - I have not heard the fans spin wildly out of control.
I am happier now - but I know I will get to the bottom of it sooner or later.
 
PrePressAcrobat said:
-----
Wake for LAN is off
Not the original drive - but this would happen before I swapped it out.
I reset the "System Management Controller" (SMC) last night.
This morning the light was NOT pulsing but it was on solid "dim" - not "bright" as before. The drive was spinning. I read about the PRAM reset - but it does not seem like that should address this issue.
Since the SMC reset - I have not heard the fans spin wildly out of control.
I am happier now - but I know I will get to the bottom of it sooner or later.
Click to expand...

Some aftermarket hard drives had sleep issues but they were different than the one you seem to have. I figured I'd ask in case of was possibly that. I was under the impression that when the computer is asleep, the LED on the side will dim up and down as if it was actually animating breathing/snoring. Is the light dimming or is it actually at one fixed brightness level that is just dimmer than normal?
 
NickZac said:
Some aftermarket hard drives had sleep issues but they were different than the one you seem to have. I figured I'd ask in case of was possibly that. I was under the impression that when the computer is asleep, the LED on the side will dim up and down as if it was actually animating breathing/snoring. Is the light dimming or is it actually at one fixed brightness level that is just dimmer than normal?
Click to expand...
--
It is either:
on...solid bright
on...solid dim
pulsating dim to bright to dim

I never can anticipate what it will be when I put it to sleep OR shut the lid

But the fans seem to be operating properly now
 
PrePressAcrobat said:
--
It is either:
on...solid bright
on...solid dim
pulsating dim to bright to dim

I never can anticipate what it will be when I put it to sleep OR shut the lid

But the fans seem to be operating properly now
Click to expand...

It should be pulsating from bright to dim when the top lid is closed. If it is staying bright, that means it is not going to sleep. Someone else here who knows more than me may be able to explain why.
 
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