Level 1

0 points

2011 Macbook Pro Hard Drive noise.

Hi all.
Just bought a new Macbook Pro and started to make some Hard Drive noise. Like is working (write/read data).
Especially if you open some softwares, like CS5, Nero,...

I have a old 2009 Macbook Pro and never have this kind of sound (or is not so strong). Is very quiet.
My wife have a 13' Macbook Pro and the noise/sound is very low. But with the new 2011 is more prominent.

This is normal? Something to do with the new processors?

Anyone have the same experience?

Thanks

Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 27, 2011 12:26 PM

196 replies

aduk

Level 1

0 points

Apr 11, 2011 4:42 AM in response to Community User

Found this thread are hearing the same noises from my new MBP but also started to happen on my old MBA (2nd Gen - also SSD) at the same time.

The sound would come and go but when it came it was regular. Sounded like 2 very brief soft scratches.

...

And then I discovered it was the Send & Receive noise that Outlook 2011 makes when you have no new emails since 14.0.2 - does this correlate for anyone else? Replicate by clicking Send & Receive (and not having any new emails).

mbreb

Level 1

0 points

Apr 12, 2011 9:49 AM in response to aduk

I just got a new Macbook Pro 15 with the HTS725050A9A362 7500 RPM 500 GB drive. I have the sound you described as "2 very brief soft scratches". I also hear the whirring noise that goes away if I put my hand over the bottom right palm rest.

The noise is annoying. I hope Apple does something to address it.

ds store

Level 7

30,855 points

Apr 12, 2011 11:58 AM in response to mbreb

Capacity: 750.16 GB (750,156,374,016 bytes)
Model: TOSHIBA MK7559GSXF
Speed: 5,400 RPM

No noise issues to report.

Apr 15, 2011 4:29 PM in response to Anderson_O

14 days ago i bought the brand new Macbook pro 15" 2.2 GHz. I was loving it... Until i've heard the extremely annoying noise comming from the right bottom corner of my Macbook. At first sight i thought it was the fans but no, the left fan was alot less audiable than the right one. My second thought was that it could be that HDD it spins with 5400 RPM so it could be a possible issue related to the HDD.
I'd send it back to Humac who repaired it, and they putted a new part into it. When it was ready to get picked up at the Humac store i picked it up and i came home startet it up, installed Mac os x and the rest, as soon as the fans were at they're 2000 RPM. i've heard the killing sound of my HDD... I send it back to Humac and told them to give me a brand new computer or a WD 750GB 5400 RPM instead of Toshiba HDD. I'm waiting for an engineer to take a look at my computer and i expect them to do something to them unknown issue...
-

Tom K 7

Level 1

10 points

Apr 15, 2011 4:50 PM in response to Andreas Thomsen

Hi Guys,
I have the latest 17" MBP, I had a SSD hard drive installed, it's so quiet you'd not know it's on it's so quiet.
For the performance / power saving increase's etc, from the old spinning drives to the newer SSD's I don't know why anyone would not run a SSD, they are not expensive when you consider your not waiting for something to happen with the old spinning drives.

Just my opinion.
Tom

Apr 16, 2011 7:27 PM in response to Community User

hi, i have the same problem and have the same remedy. I have to lay my palm on the right side of the computer. makes me wonder if it is a grounding issue since the thing is metal and the track pad operates off of the gounding of our fingers. I have the 15" 2.2 with 750 drive. hope this can be fixed...

Apr 20, 2011 7:46 AM in response to Mr. Meowgi

same here. 13" mbpro 2011 with really annoying hitatchi hdd "fan like" noise. putting the hand on the right side and it fades a bit - but even then its not as quiet as the MID2010. had it exchanged now for the second time - and it gets worse and worse.

xpand3r

Level 1

5 points

Apr 29, 2011 5:36 PM in response to Anderson_O

I got my macbook pro 13 i5 almost 2 months ago and started to get the same issue 2 days ago. I went to Genius Bar today and they ordered me a new HD. I am hoping the new one will not make this noise.

I'm just wondering if this is happening to all macbook 2011 owners or just a select few... I didn't quite know about performance of SSD drives when I bought my laptop so really tempted to get one right now. I did read that there are far better SSD drives compared to Apple so will go that route if I get same issues with my next HD.

gkhn

Level 1

4 points

Apr 29, 2011 8:28 PM in response to xpand3r

Can you just tell me if your problem has been fixed by changing the hard disk with new one ?

Thanks

xpand3r

Level 1

5 points

Apr 30, 2011 5:21 AM in response to gkhn

I will update when I do get the new harddrive. Apple store didn't have it in stock when I went in for diagnostic

last night

gkhn

Level 1

4 points

Apr 30, 2011 6:23 AM in response to BYOH

Exactly my sound.

Gets annyoing while so quiet.

Can anyone tell me an exchange or any software helped to get rid of this problem ?

Thanks

gkhn

Level 1

4 points

Apr 30, 2011 7:05 AM in response to xpand3r

I hope it will work for you.

I just want to tell you something that I discovered.

I opened iTunes , played music and made it mute !. just let it play musics .

Now I am surfing, leaving it more than 30 seconds. I don't hear that crunch noise.

I guess it happens when you don' work any file or leave it itself.

It worked for me.

Can you try it please?

Again this relates to http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu305/bobyouh/Public%20Photos/?action=view&** rrent=MacPro2011HDD_Sounds.mp4 this problem.

Thanks

gkhn

Level 1

4 points

Apr 30, 2011 12:41 PM in response to gkhn

But, I must say that this problem is not that big issue to bring the mac to the apple store. when you are in a really quiet room, it may take your attention. This noise seems like a behaviour of hdd in a unibody laptop.

I say let's s wait for an update.

I love my mac anyway 🙂

xpand3r

Level 1

5 points

Apr 30, 2011 4:32 PM in response to Anderson_O

This is my first Mac and I'm really enjoying it as well. But this is something that didn't occur when I first got the machine. I think it's well worth the mobey but I don't want a defect that will have problems In near future.

I was told it would take about 2 days to receive the part and they will do it on the spot.

I think I will just get used to the sound of it occurs again and Invest on a SSD when time is right financially.

PS. I tried the running iTunes and no difference

I'm really wondering if this is something all macs have and that some of us are more sensitive to these type of sounds that are supposed to be normal

gkhn

Level 1

4 points

Apr 30, 2011 4:53 PM in response to xpand3r

There is a crunch noice I must say. However, it doesn't seem like it is defected. I just typed it on google, and wow, plenty of threads.

Since many many people have the same issue, so we are not unlucky. They are perfectly normal.

But I must say that iTunes just works for me. It does not have to be iTunes I guess. It may mean that I need to run something constantly, when I don't, I hear that noise. It is like hard disk parking itself. Again it is not a big issue. Mostly I listen to music with headphones. Plus, In a very quiet dorm, I can hear my flatmates far'''ing 😀 lol.

SSD would make this beautiful machine Perfect ! But it is costly. I prefer to get iPad 2 instead or a camera.

cheers

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2011 Macbook Pro Hard Drive noise.