HuntsMan75

Q: Hard Drive

I have a 2007 MacBook Pro. I never had prooblems with it until recently. While running i'd get delays and Spinning beach balls. Never having had to deal with this or for that matter Apple support, I just took it in to Apple. For a price they diagnosed it as a bad drive.

 

Repairing it through them will cost almost as much as some of these units are selling for used. I want to do this myself. I'd also like to be able to test this thing in the future myself so I don't get stuck with this problem.

 

I'm looking for advice on a) drives for this system, b)repair instructions or online guides, c) test/evaluation software.

 

Thanks.

Posted on Oct 5, 2013 12:16 PM

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Q: Hard Drive

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  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Apr 12, 2014 1:16 AM in response to ZV137
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Apr 12, 2014 1:16 AM in response to ZV137

     

    ZV137 wrote:

     

     

    1. $40 per 100disk  Taiyo Yuden DVD+R  (buy on ebay in bulk to save $$)

     

     

    To PlotinusVeritas:

    .is that available in DVD+R only or does the company make other types of media? I know this might sound kind of stupid, considering the storage, but what about CD-R/W disks? I burned some music CD-R/W disks about 20 years ago, and they still play, and they've been played alot. Is CD-R/W by any chance more reliable, or did I for some reason just luck out and get some high quality media way back then.

     

    Regarding online storage, instead of using some third party vendor that, for all I know may have reckless security or data safeguarding practices, I'd consider putting the critical files I want in a folder, zipping it, making an encrypted DMG out of it, and then just saving the file to remote servers that I have a degree of confidence in...as in ones that I control.

     

    1.  Dont zip anything of importance if its a primarcy archive / storage of your data, ever.

     

    2.  Dont encrypt DMG files either of likewise important data.  If you want to do that for server based files, thats fine, but not for primary archives.  Server based data archives is the last location for storage, and most certainly the least trustworthy.   Its advantages are of course remote access, and protection from fires, etc.   However fire vaults and safe deposit boxes can do the same.

     

     

    3. Taiyo Yuden (i.e. JVC) makes DVD-R, +R, and CDs , yes, however..

    A: CDs cant hold much at all, obviously.    CD, or CD-RW more reliable long term? Compared to a generic DVD, yes, but thats mostly due to track size. Compared to archival professional DVD blank media, NO.    Most everything is about the stability of the reflective layer but more importantly about the stability of the write layer against light and general degradation, which of course = data loss / corruption.

    B: You do NOT want to use DVD-R, rather DVD+R instead (list below).

     

    Taiyo Yuden 16X 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD+R 100-Pak

    http://www.amazon.com/Taiyo-Yuden-Thermal-Lacquer-DVD/dp/B000M12014/ref=sr_1_14? s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1397290531&sr=1-14&keywords=Taiyo+Yuden%2FJVC+DVD%2BR

     

    Use DVD+R for your archives, not DVD-R

    Since your data is so valuable, its is a stated necessity that you not purchase low grade retail DVD blank media rather ‘century-disks’ as meant 60+ year or 100+ year professional archival DVD blank media (such as Taiyo Yuden or otherwise). These blank media average only 20% more than consumer level DVD blanks, but are extremely reliable, have an extremely low reject rate of bad blanks, and your valuable data and work is most certainly worth the cost of 100-pack of DVD blanks which are only $15 or so more than the typical blanks.

     

    As to the type of professional DVD blank media: DVD-R is inferior for data preservation for several reasons: error correction, wobble tracking, and writing method. For a DVD to track where it is on the disc, it uses three things: the ‘wobble’ of the data track to tell where it is in the track, the position of the track to tell where it is on the disc, and some additional information where on the disc to tell where the track begins and ends. On –R media, the ATIP is stored as a frequency modulation in the wobble itself; since the wobble changes subtly to encode data, it is impossible to use with the small size of tracks DVD requires, as electric noise in the laser pickup and wobbles introduced by the electric motor spinning the disc, these could easily be read as frequency changes in the real track itself.


    On DVD-R this problem had been attempted to be solved by ‘pre-pits’ where spikes in the amplitude of the wobble appear due to pits fully out of phase with the rest of the track (between two spirals of the track, where there is no data). This can be viewed as a simple improvement over CD-R as it makes it easier to track the wobble. This method has one flaw: due to electric noise in the laser pickup, it would be very easy to miss the pre-pit (or read one that wasn’t actually there) if the disc were damaged or spun at fast speeds. DVD-R traded hard to track frequency changes for hard to read wobble-encoded data.

     

    On a DVD+R there is a better write method. Instead of changing the frequency of the wobble, or causing amplitude spikes in the wobble, they use complete phase changes. Where DVD-R’s methods make you choose between either easy wobble tracking or easy ATIP reading, DVD+R method makes it very easy to track the wobble, and also very easy to encode data into the wobble. DVD+R method is called ADIP (Address In Pre-groove).


    Now, the third item on the list: how DVD+R discs burn better. ATIP/pre-pit/ADIP stores information about optimum power control settings. DVD-R basically fails on all three accounts because DVD+R simply includes far more information about the media in the ADIP data than DVD-R does in it’s pre-pit data. DVD+R includes four optimum profiles, one for four major burning speeds. Each of these profiles includes optimum power output based on laser wavelength, more precise laser power settings, and other additional information. With this information, any DVD+R burner can far more optimize its burning strategy to fit the media than it can with DVD-R, thereby providing better burns.


    DVD+R also gives four times more scratch space for the drive to calibrate the laser on; more space can only improve the calibration quality. So DVD+R media exists to simply produce better burns and protect your data better, which when it comes to data hub archiving is of vital importance.

  • by ThomasB2010,

    ThomasB2010 ThomasB2010 Apr 16, 2014 11:43 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Apr 16, 2014 11:43 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    Care to explain why not encrypt something?

  • by CaptH,

    CaptH CaptH Apr 17, 2014 11:09 AM in response to ThomasB2010
    Level 1 (59 points)
    Apr 17, 2014 11:09 AM in response to ThomasB2010

    Apparrently not.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Apr 17, 2014 11:29 AM in response to ThomasB2010
    Level 9 (61,317 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 17, 2014 11:29 AM in response to ThomasB2010

    Encryption works. It keeps out unintended accesses. But it adds complexity, and if anything goes wrong the data are completely lost, with no hope of even partial recovery.

     

    The far bigger problem is that it most often keeps out the OWNER, while it also keeps out the Bad Guys. The most reliable Backups are SIMPLE backups. Then lock them up with Physical Locks and Keys.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Apr 17, 2014 11:54 AM in response to ThomasB2010
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Apr 17, 2014 11:54 AM in response to ThomasB2010

     

    ThomasB2010 wrote:

     

    Care to explain why not encrypt something?

     

    Grant beat me to it, ...these threads on the macbook pro forum speed by fast, things can be missed.

     

     

    Encryption of vital data is a purely horrible idea, as Grant mentions it can easily keep out the data owner.

    Not due to passwords but that much encryption software is very very iffy and scrambles data....

    and you HOPE AND PRAY it CAN and WILL unscramble it.    Ergo, dont do it.

     

     

    Take your vital data, throw it in a "bucket" for encryption software to 'protect' it.....shake it, it spits out nonsense, ergo "encrypted"

    again....you hope hope hope it can unscramble that horrible mess.    Awful idea.


    if you want data protection, buy a SAFE, ...dont scramble the data into oblivion.

     

     

    Its ok to encrypt a 3rd level data archive (online on servers etc.).   But to generally "encrypt your data" absolutely not.

     

    quote:

    When securing a computer system, one important concept is the threat model. This means you need to think carefully about what kinds of attacks and adversaries you are trying to stop, and what you aren't.  A failure to think through the threat model clearly can lead to security theater: security mechanisms that look good on first glance, but actually are woefully inadequate in practice.  Good security management often comes down to risk management: careful analysis of what are the most serious risks, and then devising strategies to mitigate or manage those particular risks.

     

     

     

    Physical security protects your data without scrambling it into a potential nightmare-mess.

  • by Fred1956,

    Fred1956 Fred1956 Apr 18, 2014 6:42 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 6:42 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    Could I assume you don't think too highly of FileVault?

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Apr 18, 2014 6:57 PM in response to Fred1956
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 6:57 PM in response to Fred1956

    Fred1956 wrote:

     

    Could I assume you don't think too highly of FileVault?

     

    It has its place,    what I think about it is of no consequence.  

     

    http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/03/apple-filevault-2-encryption-cracked-but-dont-pan ic/

     

    I use other methods for encryption.

     

    The best encryption is twofold,...   invisibility using software that hides it, and another level that encrypts it.

     

    First you have to know what you're looking for,

    then you have to find it,

    then you have to decrypt it.

     

    That's genuine security of specific files.

     

  • by ZV137,

    ZV137 ZV137 Apr 19, 2014 1:10 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (54 points)
    Apr 19, 2014 1:10 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    I would think that on-the-fly encryption and decryption would cause a performance hit. I also know I've seen more than one case where someone has done this, lost the key, and then forgot their password.

     

    ...data go bye-bye!

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Apr 19, 2014 1:21 AM in response to ZV137
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Apr 19, 2014 1:21 AM in response to ZV137

    There are easy ways to never lose passwords on encrypted files.

     

    Such as naming files as math problems with set replacement number inserts

     

    This way you only need to remember 2 numbers to decrypt any secure file

     

    Simple and extremely secure password protection.

     

     

    also, most things people encrypt realistically never needed encryption to begin with.

  • by Fred1956,

    Fred1956 Fred1956 Apr 24, 2014 10:48 AM in response to ZV137
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Apr 24, 2014 10:48 AM in response to ZV137

    They do. When Mountain Lion first came out I did a full volume enctryption, but the performance hit was always there. If you remember the early 500MHz and 600MHz iBooks running Tiger, you would do something with Safari and it was like a pause showed up before it reacted. It was sort of like that, what seemed to be a brief pause.

     

    It  wasn't really that bad, but I just didn't like idea that if I simply lost or forgot something, all information would be lost, so I set it back.

  • by ZV137,

    ZV137 ZV137 Apr 26, 2014 11:55 AM in response to Fred1956
    Level 1 (54 points)
    Apr 26, 2014 11:55 AM in response to Fred1956

    It would be nice to see some performance data rather than just saying that there's a delay of some sort.

     

    I wouldn't thiink drive encryption would be all that popular except for people that have a high chance of having their unit lost or stolen.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Apr 26, 2014 12:22 PM in response to ZV137
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Apr 26, 2014 12:22 PM in response to ZV137

     

    ZV137 wrote:

     

    I wouldn't thiink drive encryption would be all that popular except for people that have a high chance of having their unit lost or stolen.

     

    A: its not popular at all

     

    B: for sensitive portable data, its easier and wiser to hide it inside an encrypted folder than merely to encrypt it.

     

    look into the application  ESPIONAGE

    http://www.espionageapp.com/

     

     

    If you have to FIND it before you crack it, thats the trick.

     

     

    Easy way is to keep on a secure web server when traveling, and not on any device that might be stolen.

  • by CaptH,

    CaptH CaptH May 1, 2014 1:07 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (59 points)
    May 1, 2014 1:07 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

    It's not possible to encrypt just a file any longer via File Vault. You either encrypt the entire drive or nothing. The only thing I can think, and correct me if I'm wrong since I consider encryption a PIA, would be to use Disk Utility to create an encrypted DMG image of the directory. I suppose there are other third party tools around that could do it, but like I said, I consider it a PIA and don't do,

     

    As an FYI a lot of "adware" likes to hide itself in files that look like they're part of the OS.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas May 1, 2014 2:08 PM in response to CaptH
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    May 1, 2014 2:08 PM in response to CaptH

    CaptH wrote:

     

    It's not possible to encrypt just a file any longer via File Vault. You either encrypt the entire drive or nothing.

     

    Not even talking about FileVault, so you do not understand

     

     

    Nobody needs generic OSX files encrypted, so its purely absurd.      Certain FILES  need/should be encrypted.

     

     

    Youre talking about putting the whole house in the vault.......rationally people worry about CERTAIN things in the house to be in the vault.

  • by ThomasB2010,

    ThomasB2010 ThomasB2010 May 2, 2014 11:11 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas
    Level 1 (13 points)
    May 2, 2014 11:11 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

     

     

    Nobody needs generic OSX files encrypted, so its purely absurd.      Certain FILES  need/should be encrypted.

     

     

    I don't think I agree with that statement. Hackers can target a given file for whatever reason they do it and modify accordingly. If the entire drive was encrypted they wouldn't be able to find it. What files they target are unknown to a user. It could be almost any file

     

    Encryption may not be a perfect level of protection, or even perfect, but it is a level of protection.

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