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Hard disk noise

D

diegobgr

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 22, 2009
340
0
Hi.

I have my iMac since August.

I use it a lot, and I've noticed that the hard disk makes read and write noise a lot of times, even using Safari, for example.

It looks like fragmented.

What can I do?
 
Hard drives are mechanical so they make noise (they have motors and mechanical arms inside them).

Does it sound like a "drive seek", or something else?

Abnormal hard drive noise can be one of the first signs of impending hard disc failure.

Some drives just sound a lot...
 
Your iMac's hard drive is doing work (i.e. reading AND writing) even when you, personally, are not accessing or using applications. This is normal.

It is also possible that your hard drive is failing. I would back-up if you haven't already done so.

Does your drive sound anything like these?
 
Hi.

It just sounds normal, nothing like those sounds.

The thing is it make the noise a lot of times, but as you see, it seems to be normal.

Thanks!
 
you can easy hear less noise when you sit in a appropriate distance to a 27 inch screen which is between 7 and 10 feet away depending on viewing angle , its also the distance where you get most out of the high resolution /size of display
 
I have to add my comments but I too have been hearing odd 'reading/accessing' HD sounds from my computer when I am not doing anything. Seems as it is running some process. It's been weird and have actually made my computer sluggish.

At times I would be scrolling a website and it would take a fraction to a second to scroll. This acts as if i have tons of windows open and running other apps. But I am not. Also notice a few times when I try to right click to save a file or pic it would take a few seconds or more for the window to pop up (usually it is instant).

I checked and redid hte permissions and rebooted a few times. However I've notice the strange sounds and starting to get worried.

Starting to get a little paranoid its as if someone is accessing my computer remotely. Well it sounds like it.

Any suggestions?
 
OatmealRocks said:
I have to add my comments but I too have been hearing odd 'reading/accessing' HD sounds from my computer when I am not doing anything. Seems as it is running some process. It's been weird and have actually made my computer sluggish.

At times I would be scrolling a website and it would take a fraction to a second to scroll. This acts as if i have tons of windows open and running other apps. But I am not. Also notice a few times when I try to right click to save a file or pic it would take a few seconds or more for the window to pop up (usually it is instant).

I checked and redid hte permissions and rebooted a few times. However I've notice the strange sounds and starting to get worried.

Starting to get a little paranoid its as if someone is accessing my computer remotely. Well it sounds like it.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Do you have an external hard drive that sleeps on lack of activity? If so, Finder needs to know the status of a drive before it performs certain functions, especially saving and loading, so the drive will be spun-up and this will cause a delay.

If you only have an internal, then I am at a loss.
 
mstrze,

I do have an external but after reboot it seems fine for a while. Noticed it builds up and it is as if i have a memory leak or something it taking my CPU time or something. This started to happen this week. No time machine.

nelz886,

Ok will do.

Kinda sounds like someone is remotely accessing my computer and its running processes or something and taking my resources.
 
MacHamster68 said:
you can easy hear less noise when you sit in a appropriate distance to a 27 inch screen which is between 7 and 10 feet away depending on viewing angle , its also the distance where you get most out of the high resolution /size of display
Click to expand...

7 and 10 feet away.

WOW!!!!

That far away from a 27". I'm 10 inches
 
It's normal to hear noise coming from your computer.

If it is a loud CLICK noise though, that is bad.

Always always always back up your data. The more copies the better.
 
OatmealRocks said:
Kinda sounds like someone is remotely accessing my computer and its running processes or something and taking my resources.
Click to expand...

That is so unlikely it hardly even registers on the possibility scale. Have you ever let anyone remotely access your computer in the past?

When you have an external, it needs to be accessed by the finder any time your disks (internal or external) are written to or read from...and this happens quite a bit. Like I said, if your external is set to sleep or spin-down when not in use, this is your explanation. Finder MUST spin it back up to be sure it's available since it knows it should still be connected even though it's 'powered down'.
 
After seeing a few of these kind of threads, it makes you wonder what most mac owners actually do with their machines...its like nooone actually does anything apart from try and look for defects and browse macrumors all day looking for other reporting about defects...:rolleyes:
 
smali said:
After seeing a few of these kind of threads, it makes you wonder what most mac owners actually do with their machines...its like nooone actually does anything apart from try and look for defects and browse macrumors all day looking for other reporting about defects...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

hahhaha

I can't fault my 21" not a problem . But compare 27" with a dead pixel and noise HDD ...

I'm just comparing the 2 devices side by side. Anyway I have phoned Apple care and their sending a new 27" for me tomorrow.

Fingers crossed its perfect like my 21"

Then I'll not be surfing mac-rumors and moaning, just surfing
 
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