USB external drive always spinning on macmini

[jata1]

Hi all,

I have a 2012 macmini running Yosemite that I use as a plex media server but also use as a computer in my bedroom.

Plex doesn't really do wake on lan so I don't let the Mac go to sleep. All my data/media is on a 2.5 inch external usb drive and everything works great.

My only concern is that the external drive is always spinning. If I eject the drive it stops but I need it mounted all the time for data access.

So, is there any way I can get the drive to spin down when not in use but without having to eject?

I guess the alternative solution is to get WOL to work with plex but I have not found a solution to this either.

Any tips appreciated.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

In my experience this is controlled by the drive itself. I have 5 WD disks connected to our Mac mini and all of them stop spinning after a while (about 30 minutes after last activity).

Would be nice to have some more control over it though. The noise of 5 spinning disks is not a pleasant one.

 

[jata1]

I see. Thanks for that.

Anyone have a view on the do nothing option? What I mean is is it an issue having the drive spinning all the time. Will it significantly impact the lifespan of the drive?

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

...So, is there any way I can get the drive to spin down when not in use but without having to eject?

You need an enclosure for the HDD which uses the ASMedia ASM1053e or ASM1153e chip. The ASM1053e needs a firmware update, the ASM1153e has already the current firmware. The Plugable ASMedia firmware updates are also compatible with other enclosures, which use the same chip. You can use a Windows 7 (or newer) virtual machine (VM) + a virtual USB 2.0 port for the firmware update, if you do not have Windows on your Mac.

See also:
http://plugable.com/drivers/hddockfirmware
and
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=21010143#post21010143

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...Would be nice to have some more control over it though. The noise of 5 spinning disks is not a pleasant one.

I have a 2.5" WD Blue and a 3.5" WD Green, both are inaudible.

 

[OLDCODGER]

Is there no Energy Saver pref pane in Yosemite? If there is, just tick "put hard drives to sleep when possible".

Decided to check for myself, see: http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/ma...x-yosemite-customise-adjust-settings-3515967/

 

[marclondon]

I have several USB and Firewire externals. They often keep spinning even when all volumes are dismounted. The only way to stop them is to unplug them.

M.

 

[Mikel30]

This is a fine line that manufacturers try to balance. If you leave it spinning too long, it will shorten its life (however, not significantly unless the head is constantly reading / writing during that time). But if they turn off too soon, you get a performance hit. I once bought an "eco" drive that was supposed to save power. Turns out they did that by spinning down the drive after just a minute or two of inactivity. That meant if I wanted to back and write to it, I had to wait 10-15 sec for it to spin back up. Super frustrating.

 

[jata1]

Thanks all. I think I will just leave the disk spinning 24/7 until plex supports WOL.