Dock and external drive

[Mac Head]

Hi guys,

I have a 1TB external drive that I use to back up and leave plugged into my macbook pro all the time.
The problem is, the external drive is quite noisy, especially when it starts up.
Luckily, the drive goes to sleep after several minutes after routine backups.

Anyway, every time I used to go into spotlight, the external drive would whir up (because spotlight had indexed it). I have taken put it on the privacy list and I think that problem is over.

However, strangely enough, whenever I click on the dock to start an application, the dock freezes and my external drive wakes up again!
This is hugely frustrating.

I would be incredibly grateful if anyone had a resolution to this issue.


Thanks

 

[GoCubsGo]

My firewire will do this, I presume it's in the event data is needed from that drive. I thought it was apps like photoshop looking for it's scratch disc, but it happens with other apps as well.

 

[Mac Head]

I'm not sure what event data is, but that drive has nothing on it but back ups!!

There must be a way to manage how the system accesses this drive.
Just now, I went to a file, clicked open with, starting typing an application in the search section in the finder and the external drive whirs up again!!

 

[GoCubsGo]

I am not sure why it happens but I just found this. I have the "issue" but never cared to look into it. I'm going to try it when I return to my desktop tomorrow.