[generic-user]

My MBP is pretty new (August/September) and I got this hard disk sound that annoys me, it has been there since it was new and I wonder if this is normal. This is a replacement computer and the previous computers disk also had this sound. The sound happens only occasionally and more often when idle so it could have something to do with disk head sleep,

Drivetype: Default ST910021AS

Soundsample:
Only that bounce sound in the middle, the other is me typing on the keyboard and normal disk noise:

- audo example now removed -

[ibook_steve]

Possible click of death. Backup now.

Steve

[generic-user]

Originally Posted by ibook_steve 

Possible click of death. Backup now.

Steve

I always have a mirror of the whole system externally, but going to update that now.

"The click of death" is that a known phenomenon on these macs? I had the sound on my previous MBP (from May)
also, and got it replaced for lots of problems, the disk worked, but had that sound.
Or could it just be the new sound from the head resting that is other from traditional disks?

[Simon]

I get the same sound with my 7200 RPM HD on my rev A MBP (the exact same drive type you have). It's been doing that ever since I bought it (March). I do not think it's the some kind of 'click of death', performance is great, and the S.M.A.R.T status has always passed fine. I'm wondering if it's just normal behavior of this disk type.

I've also asked several times on this board what it could be. Nobody was able to explain it to me (yet).

[generic-user]

Originally Posted by Simon 

I get the same sound with my 7200 RPM HD on my rev A MBP (the exact same drive type you have). It's been doing that ever since I bought it (March). I do not think it's the some kind of 'click of death', performance is great, and the S.M.A.R.T status has always passed fine. I'm wondering if it's just normal behavior of this disk type.

I've also asked several times on this board what it could be. Nobody was able to explain it to me (yet).

I have actually contacted Seagate about it (without informing that it was a Macbook)

I got this answer:

This sounds as though the drive maybe failing or the drive is not getting
enough power (ie: bad power supply). For drive warranty or replacement
information from within the U.S. and Canada, you can contact Seagate's
Customer Service toll-free at 1-800-468-3472.

I replied and then informed that this concerned a MBP, they said that they did not have any known issues with MBP and that I should contact apple.

S.M.A.R.T. status is fine here also, but a person who works at a large data-center said to me that not to relay on S.M.A.R.T. status.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by generic-user 

S.M.A.R.T. status is fine here also, but a person who works at a large data-center said to me that not to relay on S.M.A.R.T. status.

I understand that. I had a 2.5" HDD in a 12" PB fail completely and it still claimed S.M.A.R.T. status verified.

I have good backups so I'm not too worried about the HDD dying on me. But since this sound has been there from day one and the drive has worked perfectly fine ever since (over a half a year now), I'm not that worried that it will break down any moment. Or let me put it this way, I'd rather just take my chances than argue with some repair center guy about a non-reproducible effect that he will probably claim lies 'within spec' or - if he actually agrees to do a warranty replacement of my MBP's HDD - will mean I will be w/o my MBP for a week or two. OTOH my rev B MBP will be here Monday so I might send in the rev A for a look-over once I've migrated to the rev B.

[generic-user]

Originally Posted by Simon 

I understand that. I had a 2.5" HDD in a 12" PB fail completely and it still claimed S.M.A.R.T. status verified.

I have good backups so I'm not too worried about the HDD dying on me. But since this sound has been there from day one and the drive has worked perfectly fine ever since (over a half a year now), I'm not that worried that it will break down any moment. Or let me put it this way, I'd rather just take my chances than argue with some repair center guy about a non-reproducible effect that he will probably claim lies 'within spec' or - if he actually agrees to do a warranty replacement of my MBP's HDD - will mean I will be w/o my MBP for a week or two. OTOH my rev B MBP will be here Monday so I might send in the rev A for a look-over once I've migrated to the rev B.

The first MacBook I had (which got its logic board replaced two times) created this sound more often than this replacement. So the occurance frequency of this sound could be variable from disk to disk. That makes me think that something is not like it should…

[chrismear]

Shutdown the computer, and see if it makes the same sound as the power goes off. If so, chances are that it's just the sound of the heads parking.

[generic-user]

Originally Posted by chrismear 

Shutdown the computer, and see if it makes the same sound as the power goes off. If so, chances are that it's just the sound of the heads parking.

The sound can not be heard at shutdown or sleep.

[Tuoder]

Originally Posted by generic-user 

I always have a mirror of the whole system externally, but going to update that now.

"The click of death" is that a known phenomenon on these macs? I had the sound on my previous MBP (from May)
also, and got it replaced for lots of problems, the disk worked, but had that sound.
Or could it just be the new sound from the head resting that is other from traditional disks?

I think what he is referring to is the sound that many dying hard drives make. I say update often. I have had a few HDDs go bad in my day, none of them laptop hard drives. One made that noise, the only one to have a head crash.

[ibook_steve]

Yes. Click of death just refers to the sounds any hard drive makes before it possibly dies.

Steve