SSD/HDD Combo...HDD very poor access time/performance

[TahoeDust]

I have recently installed a SSD/HDD setup in my Mid-2009 MBP. I installed a Samsung 840 in the original HDD location, my 500gb 7200rpm HDD into the optical bay, and did a brand new install on the SSD, moved over my files, reinstalled apps, and formatted the HDD that I was planning on using for media files.

The problem is the HDD in the optical bay is SO SLOW. It takes 10-15 second just for a movie to start and if you try to jump to a different part of the video it will take 5-10 seconds just for it to start playing. This was the drive I was using as my primary disk previously and it was always adequate for playing the same files. The only theory I have could thing of is the problem being that the player is on a separate drive? When I run a disk speed test on the drive it is pretty normal for a 7200rpm drive, but real world access time is unbearable.

Any help?

 

[Dalton63841]

I have the exact same setup basically. I used THIS to move my Users folder over to the hard drive. I have a 1TB 5400rpm drive in the optical bay, and it works perfectly. No lagging for anything.

Is the drive SATA1, 2, or 3?

 

[dusk007]

That is definitely not normal. Even if it wakes from sleep it should only have a 1-2 seconds delay.
In a 2009 MBP I see no reason to put the HDD into the optical bay. In the HDD bay you have SMS and rubber mounting. You only have Sata 2 in any case.
I would try switching them.

An app and the data on different drives should never pose a problem.

I would continue using the HDD only for media files and not like Dalton63841 suggested move the entire Users folder. That would also move many preference plist files, cache directories and lots of small stuff apps need at startup or run time and really should be on the SSD. Only Movie, Music, Picture folders should end up on the HDD.

Also try a repair permissions. That often solves the strangest OSX errors.

 

[TahoeDust]

That is definitely not normal. Even if it wakes from sleep it should only have a 1-2 seconds delay.
In a 2009 MBP I see no reason to put the HDD into the optical bay. In the HDD bay you have SMS and rubber mounting. You only have Sata 2 in any case.
I would try switching them.

An app and the data on different drives should never pose a problem.

I would continue using the HDD only for media files and not like Dalton63841 suggested move the entire Users folder. That would also move many preference plist files, cache directories and lots of small stuff apps need at startup or run time and really should be on the SSD. Only Movie, Music, Picture folders should end up on the HDD.

Also try a repair permissions. That often solves the strangest OSX errors.

I was thinking about switching them to see if there will be a difference. I know that both the HDD bay and optical bay are both Sata II so I figured it wouldn't really matter which one was where. I am definitely willing to give it a try.

I'll give the repair permissions on the HDD right now and see if it does anything.

Thanks for the help. Having movies/videos on the HDD is great for keeping my SSD space available, but with the access time/speed I am seeing off it, it is virtually unusable. The odd thing is the speed tests don't look that bad..

 

[TahoeDust]

Well, after some more research I found someone that had a simular sounding issue. He resolved it by setting the "Storage"/HDD to "Ignore ownership" at the bottom of the "Get Info" window associated with the drive. Sure enough, this seems to have resolved the issue.

Weird.

 

[TahoeDust]

Does this look normal for a Mid-2009 MBP. HDD is a 7200rpm 500gb, SSD is a Samsung 840 250GB...

SSD:

HDD:

 

[TahoeDust]

Looks OK? Yes, no, kinda?

 

[dannylillhtc]

Looks OK? Yes, no, kinda?

those speeds for the mechanical disk dont look to bad, im not familiar with the ssd you have so cannot comment.