Excessive HD noise

[wesleyh]

Ok,

I am getting HD noise like every 20 seconds.. Even with no activity.

Per the suggestions of another user, I typed this in terminal:

iostat -w 1 disk0

and the sound seems to coincide with the output whenever the first column has a value other than 0.

So it seems there is activity, it's just not user initiated..

is this some kind of energy saving feature that apple is doing or is it a logging application?..

Is anyone else having the same issues? Even if you're not, could you run the program and check for 1 or 2 minutes (without any other apps open or doing anything) to see if you also get a value other than 0 in the first column every so often and an associated sound?

Thank you,
Wesley

   KB/t tps  MB/s  us sy id   1m   5m   15m
   44.77  42  1.86   1  1 99  0.10 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 99  0.10 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.10 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.09 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.09 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.09 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.09 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.09 0.08 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
   10.00   2  0.02   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
   14.14  74  1.02   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.08 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.07 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.07 0.07 0.02
          disk0       cpu     load average
    KB/t tps  MB/s  us sy id   1m   5m   15m
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.07 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.07 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.07 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 99  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
   20.00   1  0.02   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 99  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 99  0.06 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 99  0.05 0.07 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.06 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.06 0.02
          disk0       cpu     load average
    KB/t tps  MB/s  us sy id   1m   5m   15m
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.06 0.02
   12.46  13  0.16   0  0 100  0.05 0.06 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.05 0.06 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  1 99  0.04 0.06 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   0  0 100  0.04 0.06 0.02
    0.00   0  0.00   4  1 95  0.04 0.06 0.02

 

[MacHamster68]

hmm first ..what is build around that harddrive
other thing only because you dont have a obvious program running, does not mean the harddrive has to stand still , there are a couple things which will run in the backround and are unavoidable if youwant to see something on the screen , think about it , you dont stop breathing only because you are doing noting obvious
but to stay serious it would be helpful to know what you got there
as by now my guess is as good as yours
ok i assume you got a mac there with harddrive inside ,but it could be a external too

 

[wesleyh]

It's the new 27 inch imac i7, internal HD.

 

[frenchie0101]

It's the new 27 inch imac i7, internal HD.

when i first got my base 27" the noise drove me up the wall so i took it back thinking it wasnt right, i then got my second one and that was the same i did try and put up with it but enough was enough so then got a credit note and decided to try out the quad core when it appears in the retail stores... nothings to say thats going to be any quieter but i will just have to live with it i suppose