set the drive always to be "on alert"

[zoran]

I have installed into my mid 2010 iMac an SSD drive along with the original drive it came with, so now i got two drives in my iMac. Im very happy with the speed cause the SSD really has boosted it but... i have files on the older drive as well and when i access them, it seems like that drive has already gone in sleep mode (cause i am working on the SSD mostly, OS is on it) and it takes 2-3sec to start up, this is prolly not a huge thing, but to be honest it does get on my nerves :-D simply because the rest of the computer is running at the speed of light :-D
Is there some way i can set that older drive never to go to sleep mode, so, when ever i use files from it, it will be able to react fast and not need to "wake" from that sleep/hibernation mode it goes into? Or would you say that doing something like this would downgrade the life of that drive and its better that i do not set it to be always on "alert"?

 

[macs4nw]

I have installed into my mid 2010 iMac an SSD drive along with the original drive it came with, so now i got two drives in my iMac. Im very happy with the speed cause the SSD really has boosted it but... i have files on the older drive as well and when i access them, it seems like that drive has already gone in sleep mode (cause i am working on the SSD mostly, OS is on it) and it takes 2-3sec to start up, this is prolly not a huge thing, but to be honest it does get on my nerves :-D simply because the rest of the computer is running at the speed of light :-D
Is there some way i can set that older drive never to go to sleep mode, so, when ever i use files from it, it will be able to react fast and not need to "wake" from that sleep/hibernation mode it goes into? Or would you say that doing something like this would downgrade the life of that drive and its better that i do not set it to be always on "alert"?

Just curious: Did you have to swap out the Superdrive to make room for the SSD?

I'm assuming you've checked your Energy Saver settings in System Preferences. Not sure if there's a way to prevent your HDD from sleeping when you're putting two drives in that 2010 iMac. Not sure if those two different drive types can play nice together inside the iMac.

Depending on the capacity of your SSD, why not just put that device with an OWC fan control heat sensor where your HDD is, and make it your Mac's main drive while sticking the HDD in an external enclosure for back-up purposes after having transferred your most frequently used files from the spinner to your SSD, which of course will no longer be slowed down waiting for your HDD to wake. That should solve your lag problem.

 

[Intell]

Use this: http://jon.stovell.info/software/keep-drive-spinning/ It'll keep your drives alert.

 

[zoran]

Just curious: Did you have to swap out the Superdrive to make room for the SSD?

Nope i didnt, the SSD fitted right in there along with everything else, its a 27" iMac ;-)

I'm assuming you've checked your Energy Saver settings in System Preferences.

Why check them?

Not sure if those two different drive types can play nice together inside the iMac.

Depending on the capacity of your SSD, why not just put that device with an OWC fan control heat sensor where your HDD is, and make it your Mac's main drive while sticking the HDD in an external enclosure for back-up purposes after having transferred your most frequently used files from the spinner to your SSD, which of course will no longer be slowed down waiting for your HDD to wake. That should solve your lag problem.

I have made the SSD the iMac's main drive. Regarding the lag issue, you're right, it would of been solved but the HDD is 1TB and the SSD is 500GB, isnt it faster to have it in there to be used as a Time Machine drive than put it extrernally on FW800 (that's the fastest port my iMac has)?
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Use this: http://jon.stovell.info/software/keep-drive-spinning/ It'll keep your drives alert.

Can this harm my HDD in the long run?

 

[macs4nw]

.....Why check them?

I mentioned it because there is a setting to: "Put hard disks to sleep when possible", but you really do want that checked off anyway to save energy and more importantly, your drive.

.....I have made the SSD the iMac's main drive. Regarding the lag issue, you're right, it would of been solved but the HDD is 1TB and the SSD is 500GB, isnt it faster to have it in there to be used as a Time Machine drive than put it extrernally on FW800 (that's the fastest port my iMac has)?

Well, firstly you're now running into drive sleep problems, and secondly, incremental Time Machine back-ups run quietly in the background, and typically only for a brief period of time, so that FW800 speed is really a non-issue.

If you feel that the 500GB SSD is enough to meet your day-to-day needs as your main drive, I still recommend sticking that HDD in an inexpensive external enclosure for a redundant back-up. A Time Machine drive should ideally be at least 2-3 times the capacity of your main drive, keep that in mind, so if your budget allows you may want to pick up a 2TB HDD exclusively for those Time Machine back-ups. You could partition it, but that's not recommended for such usage.

 

[zoran]

If you feel that the 500GB SSD is enough to meet your day-to-day needs as your main drive, I still recommend sticking that HDD in an inexpensive external enclosure for a redundant back-up.

The only reason you suggest to place the HDD in an exclosure to work as TM is to stop the lagging? Cause if so, why not have it inside the iMac and still use it as TMachine?

 

[macs4nw]

The only reason you suggest to place the HDD in an exclosure to work as TM is to stop the lagging? Cause if so, why not have it inside the iMac and still use it as TMachine?

That was your original concern; the start-up lag.

Also as I mentioned, a 1TB drive as a Time Machine back-up for a 500GB main drive is on the small side.

More importantly however is that having your Time Machine drive inside your Mac is a really bad idea. If something catastrophic were to happen to your Mac, your back-up could be toast as well. And if you're handing your machine over to a repair shop, you'd also be handing over your back-up. Theft could put you in the same predicament.

Having that drive integrated in your Mac may seem neat and space-saving, but trust me, it's a bad idea. And even though I myself have a triple back-up strategy in place, i.e. Time Machine, the Cloud, and several externals that are updated on a rotating basis and at least one of them is stored off-site, I still don't have my Time Capsule sitting right next to my Mac, but as far from it as that Cat5 cable allows. Of course if you went wireless for your main machine, that Time Capsule could even be in another room with your modem.

 

[zoran]

Ok i see what you mean, truth is that in the first place i wasnt gonna make that HDD as a TMbackup drive, i dunno why i stated of doing so, my mistake! The HDD is only occupying -and will continue to do so- files i use. There is an external OWC Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 connected via FW800 that is doing all the TMbackup stuff.
Anyway, my mistake for leading you up to all these explanations, im sorry

Btw, putting the HDD to an enclosure is gonna stop this lag issue that is created when accessing files?

 

[Intell]

It will not harm the hard drive. All it does is touch an invisible file on the drive every few minutes to keep it awake.

 

[zoran]

It will not harm the hard drive. All it does is touch an invisible file on the drive every few minutes to keep it awake.

Are you referring to JohnStovel's app?

 

[Intell]

Yes, it will not hard your hard drive.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"Btw, putting the HDD to an enclosure is gonna stop this lag issue that is created when accessing files?"

No. It may even be -slower- to "wake up" after you put it into an external enclosure.

I would leave the drive where it is.
Then, you have to make a decision:

Option 1 -- Move the regularly-accessed data that is now on the HDD to the SSD. Then, DISMOUNT the drive after booting. It should spin down and stay silent, until you either attempt to access a file on it, or deliberately re-mount it. But again -- data that you might use on a daily basis will require the drive to spin up and be remounted.

Option 2 -- Configure the HDD so that it -remains spinning- and does not spin down. Going to the energy saver pref pane and UNchecking "put hard disks to sleep when possible" -might- accomplish this. If not, there are small apps that I've seen that will keep a drive spinning continuously.

Option 3 -- Leave things as they are now.

I boot and run my Mac Mini from an external SSD. The internal is used for backups, and also for storage of music, photos, archived files, etc.
Even though I might access data on it only a few times daily, I let it spin all the time. Still runs fine.

 

[zoran]

Even though I might access data on it only a few times daily, I let it spin all the time. Still runs fine.

1. What app are u using to make it spin all the time?
2. how long is it spinning all the time?
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OP wrote:I boot and run my Mac Mini from an external SSD. The internal is used for backups, and also for storage of music, photos, archived files, etc.

Why not boot from and internal SSD? What are you achieving by having the fast drive externally?

 

[Intell]

The app I linked to makes the drive spin all the time. It spins as long as the computer is powered on.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"1. What app are u using to make it spin all the time?
2. how long is it spinning all the time?"

I just UNchecked the option in the energy saver pref pane to "put drives to sleep when possible".
Actually, I'm not sure whether it keeps spinning or sleeps. However, I don't seem to hear the drive "spin up" when I need to access it, and there doesn't seem to be a delay.

"Why not boot from and internal SSD? What are you achieving by having the fast drive externally?"

My 2012 Mini came with a 1tb 5400rpm internal HDD.
I didn't want to open it to install an SSD -- I've read far too many posts from others who thought they could "do the job", opened the Mini, and then... broke something inside. Not worth the risk.

Simple, fast, easy solution:
Plug in a USB3/SATA docking station with an SSD in it.
It's been running great for nearly 5 years now.