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Very sensitive Sudden Motion Sensor. Annoying me!!

Alfred.Woodden

Alfred.Woodden

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 19, 2007
145
194
Norway
I just got my new macbook pro unibody, and I noticed quite fast how sensitive the sudden motion sensor is.

If I just gently puts my right palm down on my mac to rest it, the sensor clicks.

If I lift the MBP, it clicks.

It is really annoying me. My MacBook Pro 2007 was NOT this sensitive.

Any way of desensitizing it?

Please help me, I get so frustrated every time I hear the click, I want to slam the mac in to the wall!
 
excuse my unfimiliarity with macs, but what happens when it clicks? Does it stop accessing data or shut down or what?
I would think that there is a way of disabling it completely.
 
Oh no, its working perfectly, it's just that it's annoying the crazy out of me hearing it click every time I rest my palm on it.

I know that you can disable it, but I don't want to do that. I want the Sudden Motion Sensor to be just as sensitive (or insensitive ;)) as my older MacBook Pro from 2007.

Is this possible? To adjust the sensitivity?
 
I don't think it the sudden motion sensor. Normally it does not do any sound. Your cover might be really lose, which is what would make the clicking noise everything you sit your palm on your palmrest and that you lift it.
 
no no, for sure it is the motion sensor. I'm 99% sure. It is the same clicking sound when I suddenly lift it. And it doesn't click every time I rest my palm there, since it needs 1 minute or so to "reset" it self.

I just want to desensitize it, so it doesn't go off so often.
 
I've noticed this same thing when I pick mine up quickly or even tilt it if I'm walking around with it. My old MacBook and my wife's early 2008 MacBook Pro don't do it. For some reason I was thinking it was the hard drive...
 
Not the motion sensor clicking, probably the heads on the hard drive parking. That can make a pretty loud click.
 
You're right, I'm sorry, I thought SMS and HDD heads parking were the same thing.

But yeah, that's the noise that is completely driving me crazy. It's just so ridiculously sensitive!!

What can I do about it? It's probably not a smart thing to disable it?
 
I get the same thing too. It can be annoying but i am getting used to it. It is on the right side of the laptop and the sound seems to come out of the speaker from the hard drive or SMS or whatever is causing it. Sometimes resting my palm down gently can cause a click but it is mainly when i pick up my laptop.
 
aresinferno, that's exactly what I'm talking about!

I don't know how you can get used to it. I just hope I can, unless there is a solution.

Shouldn't Apple offer a software fix for this???
 
I've been a bit worried about it messing something up. I've never heard a laptop make a sound like that before. So are we concurring that this is fine and normal?
 
I've heard it, but I know it's just the SMS doing it's job.

I'd rather hear a click every time move the computer than have bad sectors/lost data.

My vote: Try to get used to it.

If you really think it's that extraneously sensitive, take it to the Apple Store.
 
The sound you are hearing is the head of the hard disk parking itself to prevent scratching the platters upon impact. Its really nothing to worry about, but it does get a bit annoying. It's better than turning it off and promptly dropping it and losing your data though, that's for sure.

Edit: Beaten like a red-headed step child. ^^^
 
Be sure to make frequent backups of your data just in case ;)

Mine does the same thing, you can be damn sure I will have no trouble giving Apple a ring if my HD dies within the next few months :)

Could it be that in order to squeeze more out of the smaller battery Apple has utilized a power-saving feature to spin down the HD?
 
drewsof07 said:
Be sure to make frequent backups of your data just in case ;)

Mine does the same thing, you can be damn sure I will have no trouble giving Apple a ring if my HD dies within the next few months :)

Could it be that in order to squeeze more out of the smaller battery Apple has utilized a power-saving feature to spin down the HD?
Click to expand...

What do you think that "Put Hard Disks to Sleep When Possible" option in System Preferences does?
 
I guess there's no chance unchecking that option "put HDD to sleep when possible" will make the click any less frequent? *hoping it will*
 
J the Ninja said:
What do you think that "Put Hard Disks to Sleep When Possible" option in System Preferences does?
Click to expand...

That's from the software end, I was talking more about the firmware/hardware point of view. Just my personal speculation, I have no info to back that claim.

And I tried unchecking that box, mine still makes the noise. Another reason I assume it is hardware/firmware related.
 
Alfred.Woodden said:
I just got my new macbook pro unibody, and I noticed quite fast how sensitive the sudden motion sensor is.

If I just gently puts my right palm down on my mac to rest it, the sensor clicks.

If I lift the MBP, it clicks.

It is really annoying me. My MacBook Pro 2007 was NOT this sensitive.

Any way of desensitizing it?

Please help me, I get so frustrated every time I hear the click, I want to slam the mac in to the wall!
Click to expand...

Eh? The SMS is a chip, located on the logic board and it's silent.
The clicking sound your hearing is be coming from the HD.
 
Ok now I tried to move my Macbook unplugged. And I've heard a click coming from the HDD, you're right. But it's in no way as sensitive as yours.
 
UltraNEO* said:
Most HD's are silent, however the Hitachi one I have clicks once every few seconds. I can be annoying if your sitting there.. The quietest drives in my experience are Western Digital and Fujitsu.
Click to expand...

I have the Hitachi 320 GB 7200 RPM drive. It makes that noise incessantly and it bugs me to no end! Is this something I can have Apple replace?
 
UltraNEO* said:
Most HD's are silent, however the Hitachi one I have clicks once every few seconds. I can be annoying if your sitting there.. The quietest drives in my experience are Western Digital and Fujitsu.
Click to expand...

I've got a Seagate drive that clunks and clicks more than the failing drive it replaced.

May look into WD drives if they're quiet...
 
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