What is this noise?

[hauck.josh]

Hello,

each time my iMac shuts down, I hear this noise coming from the speakers or fan. I hear it louder when plugged into a speaker set. The person on the Apple Care Support call said that there might be an issue with the fan, but I think it could be something else. Any ideas what it is? I have attached a link to a recorded video:


https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rj5gfy1qK4KxtTpU2



Please help me out.

 

[WilliamG]

Hello,

each time my iMac shuts down, I hear this noise coming from the speakers or fan. I hear it louder when plugged into a speaker set. The person on the Apple Care Support call said that there might be an issue with the fan, but I think it could be something else. Any ideas what it is? I have attached a link to a recorded video:


https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rj5gfy1qK4KxtTpU2



Please help me out.

Sounds like a hard drive shutting off.

 

[hauck.josh]

Sounds like a hard drive shutting off.

Okay. It never made that noise beforehand. I am taking it to the apple genius bar to see why it is audible.

 

[DeltaMac]

Is there a difference when you do a normal shutdown (and not the hard, emergency shutdown that you do when you press and hold the power button)
Anyway, what I hear sounds like a hard drive noise. Probably something completely ordinary when you get your ear quite close to the back of your iMac - not where you would usually monitor anything, anyway.

 

[hauck.josh]

Is there a difference when you do a normal shutdown (and not the hard, emergency shutdown that you do when you press and hold the power button)
Anyway, what I hear sounds like a hard drive noise. Probably something completely ordinary when you get your ear quite close to the back of your iMac - not where you would usually monitor anything, anyway.

It only happens when I do an emergency shut down, if the Mac has a crash, and when the iMac gets updated.
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It only happens when I do an emergency shut down, if the Mac has a crash, and when the iMac gets updated.

I did it again and I can clearly hear the noise coming from my rugged LaCie External HD right near where the fan is! Problem solved. How can I tell if my External HD is damaged as it never made that noise before?

 

[DeltaMac]

Damaged? Not likely that faint noise indicates anything at all.
Or, just a spinning hard drive that is showing a bit of age.
But, you can run Disk Utility/First Aid on that external, or something more capable, like Disk Warrior.
LaCie support might even have a suggestion for something that can reassure you, I don't know.

 

[WilliamG]

Okay. It never made that noise beforehand. I am taking it to the apple genius bar to see why it is audible.

If I hard shut down my iMac, any hard drives attached or inside make that noise.

Heck, I'd tell you not to worry just because I TOLD YOU it was the hard drive.

I believe that noise is because the drive doesn't get a chance to park its heads because you're essentially pulling the plug on the power. Feel free to run a drive check, but I doubt anything is wrong.

 

[Fishrrman]

Agree with William G above.
Nothing is wrong.
Taking it to an Apple Store will prove to be an exercise in futility.