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Odd Macbook pro problem..

ranviper

ranviper

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 10, 2010
676
84
Adirondacks, NY
Hey all, I have a late 2010 Macbook Pro, and up until recently it has run totally silently, even under major stress running high graphics games. However, now, randomly, I can hear it. Sounds like the old blueberry iMac when it would load stuff, except its doing it all the time. Not really loud, but with no background noise its rather annoying and I am trying to figure out what it is? Harddrive perhaps? I just don't know why it started, and what it means, and then what I can do to get it to stop... Any input is appreciated.
 
Have you checked the fan speed(s) via iStat Pro yet?
Then have a look at Activity Monitor ( Applications / Utilities /) and select All Processes and sort by CPU to see what the culprit may be.

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example
4745264042_9c23afdbc9_b.jpg


Could it be the Sudden Motion Sensor?
 
What does it sound like? Scratching? Hissing? HD's make sounds all the time, and it doesnt mean that theres anything wrong. Run the hardware test just to be sure.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
Have you checked the fan speed(s) via iStat Pro yet?
Then have a look at Activity Monitor ( Applications / Utilities /) and select All Processes and sort by CPU to see what the culprit may be.

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example
4745264042_9c23afdbc9_b.jpg


Could it be the Sudden Motion Sensor?
Click to expand...


Highest Fanspeed right now is 1999 rpms. Most everything in the activity monitor seems as it should be. I'm no pro though, what should I be really looking for?
 
ECUpirate44 said:
What does it sound like? Scratching? Hissing? HD's make sounds all the time, and it doesnt mean that theres anything wrong. Run the hardware test just to be sure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it sounds like a typical harddrive making noises, but I have had it for 6 months and it hasn't made a sound until like, 2 days ago.
 
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I had a very similar issue happen with my Unibody 15". I took it to the genius bar and they replaced the fan. This fixed the problem for me.
 
Jman14 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

I had a very similar issue happen with my Unibody 15". I took it to the genius bar and they replaced the fan. This fixed the problem for me.
Click to expand...

See I think it's the hard drive. I mean I could easily be mistaken, but the sound is coming specifically from the top left hand corner of the machine by the esc key, and I think that's where the HDD is. =/ Hmm. I just don't know why it never did this before, even if it is the fan..:(
 
The sound is, well...getting a little louder. I am in terror that suddenly the hard drive is going to fail, and I need this thing for school..
 
Yep, take it in.
I suspect it may not be fan related. Your fan speeds are normal, the MBP fan normally runs around 2000 rpm, ramping up when the heat goes up.
 
Backed up my important stuff, and I need to get back to school tomorrow. I need it to last me 2 weeks, then I am home again for a week break and can take it to Apple. Come on baby last me 2 more weeks!
 
I also think it's quite possible it's the fans. Although the speeds aren't up, it sounds like they might just be dislodged, or like something is in them. The longer the laptop is working the louder it gets, when the fan speeds go up a little. This thing has always gotten pretty hott, and it's been on a cloth mat, and I think the dust and dirt may be really getting up there. None of the processes have been affected, nor the performance, though I have ceased gaming for a while. Still gonna take a video at some point today.
 
Ok, lets note this isn't my video or my macbook. But the sound is essentially the same. Mine isn't quite as loud, but I did note on mine that when the fan speeds crank up, so does the sound, so I am almost positive its the fans, and thus I am no longer scared for my life that my HD isn't failing. LoL. Anyways, it sounds somewhat like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee_Olp3YgfM
 
ranviper said:
...but the sound is coming specifically from the top left hand corner of the machine by the esc key, and I think that's where the HDD is...
Click to expand...

Your HDD is nowhere near the ESC key. It's located on your lower right hand corner, next to the optical drive (DVD player). You know that blinking light when your MBP is sleeping? The HDD is right there.
 
Took it to the apple store today, and they cleaned out the fan. I rebooted it and the noise was still there. Turns out it was the hard drive. Thanks to apple care it's being replaced as we speak and will be done tomorrow morning. My moms macbook also needed a new screen, which they happily replaced. awesome. Thanks for all the help though, helped me get a lot of insight on some features of my Mac :D
 
Well here is a bad experience. They replaced my Hard Drive, I got it back, and the problem was not fixed. Still have the sound. It was my fan all along, and now I need to wait 2 weeks until I can make it to the Apple Store again to get a stupid new fan. Got a new HD for free which is cool, but had no need for it!
 
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