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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Unibody MBP (June 2009) Superdrive Noise

Unibody MBP (June 2009) Superdrive Noise
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harbinger75
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Jun 26, 2009, 06:24 PM
 
I've searched around the internet as well as these forums ad nauseam, but have been unable to get a consensus about this particular issue. I just exchanged a faulty MBP for a new one (June 2009 model with the SD card reader) a few days ago, and have noticed some seriously heinous noise coming from the Superdrive when I wake it from sleep.

I know with all of the past Macs I've owned (ten or so), there was always at least one drive access "buzzy" noise every now and then (during boot-up, for instance), but every time I wake this new one from sleep, my Superdrive makes that accessing noise at least four times successively over a period of ten seconds or so. As I understand, it's *probably* nothing to worry about, but it is most definitely annoying as hell.

Does anybody else experience this with the new models? Was there a change in vendors for the newer Superdrives, and now this noise is status quo? Do I need to quit whining (no pun intended) like a schoolgirl and man up? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
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ibook_steve
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Jun 26, 2009, 07:56 PM
 
If you hear the noise once, that's normal and has been normal on portables for ages. The machine is powering up the drive when waking from sleep. If you hear it more than once, that's a problem. I'd get it checked. Any issues reading or writing disks?

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Eriamjh
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Jun 26, 2009, 09:08 PM
 
A little noise or sound is one thing, a "heinous noise" is another.
Since it is new, take it back and get a diagnosis.

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ghporter
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Jun 26, 2009, 10:02 PM
 
The drive is supposed to basically mechanically synchronize itself when the machine boots or wakes up, leaving the drive ready to identify and read a disc inserted in it. This process shouldn't take substantially longer in your new Superdrive than it does in any other multi-format drive. Much longer time spent "homing" the heads might indicate a calibration problem. I'm with Steve and Eriamjh; take 'er in and have 'er checked out.

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Simon
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Jun 27, 2009, 03:49 AM
 
You hear the same noise when you boot it and when you wake it from sleep?

Tell me, if you let your MBP idle or 20 minutes and then hit the eject button, do you hear the same noise? If so it's just the drive's normal wake-up dance when it is powered up (the MBP sleeps the drive to preserve battery power). The noise sounds pretty awful on these slot-loaders. Apple sometimes also uses different types of drives so depending on the production run of a MBP it may sound a bit different.

If it's only the noise and the drive otherwise works fine, you probably won't get an exchange and even if you did, chances are it could make the same noise. But, don't worry. Slot-loaders break down fast. Just wait till your warranty is almost up and you'll probably be eligible for a new drive anyway.
     
harbinger75  (op)
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Jun 27, 2009, 09:11 AM
 
Thanks for the input everybody. I'd been used to one drive access noise upon booting with other Macs I've owned, and maybe another one upon waking from sleep, but four, successive accesses over ten seconds when it woke up seemed a bit much.

Now, if only Apple could see it in their hearts to put an Apple Store closer than three hours away...
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harbinger75  (op)
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Jun 29, 2009, 10:14 PM
 
Well, the noise is gone.

What fixed it you ask? Well, I have no friggin' clue. I hadn't used the drive up until this afternoon, so I decided to pop in a DVD to see if the drive worked properly before I carted the MBP back in for an exchange. When I inserted the DVD, I was prompted to choose what region I wanted to make my player registered to...I chose #1, North America. I began playing the DVD, and everything was happy and cheerful as it should be.

I popped out the DVD, closed the lid on my MBP, opened it after a few minutes (after it had gone to sleep), and the noise did not occur, even once. I tried it several more times, but no noise at all. I restarted my Mac, and I never even heard the noise upon startup.

So, I'm not sure whether the physical act of inserting a disc "reset" whatever goofiness was happening or whether the DVD region setting did, but now the noise is gone, and my Mac is happy for the time being.

Weird.
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CKr
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Jun 29, 2009, 10:53 PM
 
My mid-2009 13" MacBook Pro did this when I first got it. I fed it a DVD and then ejected it and the noise went away. It just sounded like the drive was excessively loud and then quieted to a reasonable level after ejecting the disk.

-Cory


Originally Posted by harbinger75 View Post
Well, the noise is gone.

What fixed it you ask? Well, I have no friggin' clue. I hadn't used the drive up until this afternoon, so I decided to pop in a DVD to see if the drive worked properly before I carted the MBP back in for an exchange. When I inserted the DVD, I was prompted to choose what region I wanted to make my player registered to...I chose #1, North America. I began playing the DVD, and everything was happy and cheerful as it should be.

I popped out the DVD, closed the lid on my MBP, opened it after a few minutes (after it had gone to sleep), and the noise did not occur, even once. I tried it several more times, but no noise at all. I restarted my Mac, and I never even heard the noise upon startup.

So, I'm not sure whether the physical act of inserting a disc "reset" whatever goofiness was happening or whether the DVD region setting did, but now the noise is gone, and my Mac is happy for the time being.

Weird.
     
[MaC]BoOk[PrO]
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Jun 30, 2009, 01:04 AM
 
Well.... that sucks that it is doing that, but with all new ideas/technologies there has to be some flaws i would recommend waiting in the future to wait till apple has sorted all the kinks out of their new products as for the moment however, you should take your computer to your local apple store so they can check it out, apple has great customer service, im sure they will help you out
     
Simon
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Jun 30, 2009, 05:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by harbinger75 View Post
I popped out the DVD, closed the lid on my MBP, opened it after a few minutes (after it had gone to sleep), and the noise did not occur, even once. I tried it several more times, but no noise at all. I restarted my Mac, and I never even heard the noise upon startup.
Shut down the Mac completely. Let it sit there off for a minute. Reboot it. No noise at all from the drive on startup?

I'm curious because it would mean the drive no longer does its 'mechanical alignment thing' when powering up.
     
ghporter
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Jun 30, 2009, 07:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
Shut down the Mac completely. Let it sit there off for a minute. Reboot it. No noise at all from the drive on startup?

I'm curious because it would mean the drive no longer does its 'mechanical alignment thing' when powering up.
...yet it apparently played a DVD without a problem... Curioser and curioser...

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harbinger75  (op)
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Jun 30, 2009, 11:08 AM
 
I'm still astounded by this strange display the MBP has exhibited. It now has the noise, one time only, upon startup...just like all my other Macs. I wonder if, during shipping, something wasn't knocked out of alignment and putting in that DVD just realigned it?

I might have to make an excuse to go up to St. Louis to the Galleria Apple Store and just see what they say.
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Simon
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Jun 30, 2009, 04:42 PM
 
On wake from sleep the drive doesn't make a sound at all? Even when you hit the eject key?
     
harbinger75  (op)
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Jun 30, 2009, 07:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
On wake from sleep the drive doesn't make a sound at all? Even when you hit the eject key?
Not unless I have a disc in it.
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DCJ001
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Jul 3, 2009, 03:24 PM
 
As of yesterday, there's an Apple Support page for this experience:

MacBook Pro (Mid 2009): Multiple noises from the optical disc drive on startup or waking from sleep
     
turtle777
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Jul 3, 2009, 03:29 PM
 
^^^ wow, that's odd.

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harbinger75  (op)
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Jul 3, 2009, 03:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by DCJ001 View Post
As of yesterday, there's an Apple Support page for this experience:

MacBook Pro (Mid 2009): Multiple noises from the optical disc drive on startup or waking from sleep
Thank you, DCJ.
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harbinger75  (op)
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Jul 3, 2009, 03:42 PM
 
Wow, that article explains it precisely. That's exactly what I did with a DVD, too. I inserted one almost all the way, the drive didn't suck it the rest of the way in, I pulled the DVD back out and on the second try, the drive took the DVD normally. That's when the sound ceased to be an issue.
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Simon
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Jul 4, 2009, 05:04 AM
 
Indeed. Curious and curiouser.
     
DCJ001
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Jul 4, 2009, 06:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by harbinger75 View Post
Wow, that article explains it precisely. That's exactly what I did with a DVD, too. I inserted one almost all the way, the drive didn't suck it the rest of the way in, I pulled the DVD back out and on the second try, the drive took the DVD normally. That's when the sound ceased to be an issue.
That's outstanding!

I'm glad that I could help you.
     
   
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