AKmomandkids
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: How can I tell if my HD is too full to work?

I thought my 17"MBP (purchased from Apple in Sept. 2009) hard drive had died. I've been hearing the scraping, squeaking, knocking, scratching sounds for over a year but never tried to figure out what it was. One night I was typing in a MSWord for Mac document and my MBP was being slow (but not horrible, just acting like a PC. common behavior when I'm working in MSWord) Anyway - all of a sudden it started making lots of the noises I'd heard intermittently before, only this time was lots & for a few seconds (or minutes?) then it froze and just quite.

 

I hard powered it off and have tried all kinds of safe boot/verbose/fsck stuff - just followed as many directions as I could find. I don't understand what I was doing at all. I do know I have powered up holdling cmd-s/cmd-v/holding shift/ and whatever I did to type fsck... I had to do that one a couple times until it said whatever the instructions said it should say. However, it always got stuck on the gray spinning wheel screen and wouldn't actually boot - and was always making noises.

 

I took the back off to try to remove what people talked about making that noise. I didn't see/feel anything loose so I just put the back on again.

 

I just finally got it to boot off my original Install disc - the one that came with the MBP. First time it failed, it gave an option of doing a restart, so I did - and it worked!

So now I'm in Utilities

                      -DiscUtilities

                        -Mac OS X Install DVD

                          -First Aid.

The directions say to click 'repair disk', that option isn't available to me (it's gray, can't be clicked on).

 

I'm wondering if all my data is still on the computer though. I saw in my searching before something about 'HD too full and not booting' but now I can't find those directions. Also, I'm wondering if the whole bit about the sounds is coincidental but not part of the not-booting problem?

I can see on the bottom of the 'First Aid' window:

Capacity: 6.74GB

Available: 19.1MB

Used: 6.72GB

Number of files: 19,307

 

I am in the fortunate position I am not concerned about lost data. I had my files backed up. If possible I'd rather not re-load all my programs, but not a huge deal if I need to. I am a computer user, but don't "get" technical logic. I don't understand most of what I've done, but I am able to follow step-by-step directions. Any help someone can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 2, 2013 10:05 PM

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AKmomandkids

Q: How can I tell if my HD is too full to work?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 2, 2013 10:51 PM in response to AKmomandkids
    Level 7 (32,327 points)
    iPad
    Nov 2, 2013 10:51 PM in response to AKmomandkids

    You cannot repair the disk you are booted from; so, in order to repair, you will need to boot from another source: either your original install disk, or a bootable backup clone. If you are on 10.6.8 as shown, then recovery (the new way to restore) is not available.

     

    As for a disk being full: you need to maintain an absolute minimum of 10 - 15 GB of empty space on your hard disk at all times in order for the OS to perform properly. You are showing 6.74 GB - there is no hard disk with less than 7 GB, so you are showing a volume or small partition only. Please highlight your Mac HD icon and control click on it. Then choose Get Info - please post the info there: total space, available space, used space.

     

    However, I doubt that the drive being full would produce the noises - that sounds like a failing hard drive. So, please back up your files to make sure and run the Apple hardware test from your install disk.

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 2, 2013 11:06 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:06 PM in response to babowa

    babowa, thank you.

     

    I think I am booted from the original install disk (I turned it on with the disc in the computer). It is/was Snow Leopard 10.6.8 before, I can't look at any of that now.

     

    I don't have a Mac HD icon... I'm a dork, I just realized the info I gave was actually the install disk - why it's only 6.74GB, and why it isn't giving me the option of repair or verify disk.

     

    I do have all my files (at least all the important ones) backed up and on another computer. I don't get what the Apple Hardware test is, I've just seen it tonight. Is that something I should do to get it to boot or is that if it is up and running normally?

  • by CMCSK,

    CMCSK CMCSK Nov 2, 2013 11:20 PM in response to AKmomandkids
    Level 6 (10,875 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:20 PM in response to AKmomandkids

    Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test

     

     

    Common symptoms of a dying hard drive

     

     

    Hard drive is making a clicking, whirring, grinding, ping pong ball noise or any other type of unusual noises.

     

    Hard drive is not spinning.

    Computer is not recognizing the hard drive.

    Sluggish loading of applications.

    System freezes and hangs.

     

    An interesting site - Hard Drive Sounds by drive manufacturer.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    dancingsmilie.gif

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 2, 2013 11:26 PM in response to AKmomandkids
    Level 7 (32,327 points)
    iPad
    Nov 2, 2013 11:26 PM in response to AKmomandkids

    Did you press the C key while restarting the computer (after inserting the install disk)? You need to do that to boot from the install disk.

     

    The Apple hardware test is on one of your install disks - see this Apple article on how to use it:

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11342

     

    So how large is your hard drive and how full is it?

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 2, 2013 11:28 PM in response to CMCSK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:28 PM in response to CMCSK

    I realize the HD is going/already is bad. I'm just trying to see if I can still get data off. I think I've already deleted it by starting the computer with the install disk in. I'm going to try to reinstall the applications disk and see what happens. I appreciate the help here tonight. Thank you.

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 2, 2013 11:36 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:36 PM in response to babowa

    babowa - I did press 'c' the first time, now I can't get the computer to eject the install disk.... I'm going to try to restart it again holding 'c'.

     

    I think the MBP hard drive is/was 500GB, I don't think it was that full. I'm not sure how to check the amount on the disk to see what my iMac has on it - it was mostly the same info on both computers. Actually my iMac has way more on it, but I think it's still less than the 500GB.

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 2, 2013 11:49 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:49 PM in response to babowa

    OKAY! I finally did it right....  I can now see my Mac HD here is the info you asked about earlier.

    Capacity: 499.76GB

    Available: 212.48 GB

    Used: 287.29GB

    Number of files: 947,945

     

    Since I can see the MacHD should I click on repair disk?

  • by CMCSK,

    CMCSK CMCSK Nov 2, 2013 11:51 PM in response to AKmomandkids
    Level 6 (10,875 points)
    Nov 2, 2013 11:51 PM in response to AKmomandkids

    Disconnect all peripherals from your computer.

     

    Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.

    Select your language.

    Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.

    Select Disk Utility.

     

    Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.

    Click Repair Disk.

    Restart your computer when done.

     

    Repair permissions after you reach the desktop-http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963 and restart your computer.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    dancingsmilie.gif

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 2, 2013 11:56 PM in response to AKmomandkids
    Level 7 (32,327 points)
    iPad
    Nov 2, 2013 11:56 PM in response to AKmomandkids

    You have plenty of hard dirive space.

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 3, 2013 12:16 AM in response to CMCSK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 12:16 AM in response to CMCSK

    It said the MacHD seemed to be okay. It wouldn't eject the install disk so that is now in my computer (stuck?). I turned it off by just holding power button, nothing else was an option.

     

    It booted as if held the 'c' while turning it on. I did the 'repair disk permissions'. It's saying it's going to take an hour (it has said 59 min for about 5 min now and there are more and more things scrolling, it looks like it's repairing lots - I'm going to bed. Thank you so much for all of your help.

  • by AKmomandkids,

    AKmomandkids AKmomandkids Nov 3, 2013 12:21 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2013 12:21 AM in response to babowa

    @babowa - yes, once I could actually see my info I realized I had more than enough space. I just got confused when I was seeing disk space of the install disk.

     

    I'm just did a 'repair disk permissions'. and am now waiting for a 'verify disk permissions'.

     

    So, as long as I can get the disk to eject after this I hope I'll be good to go. I will get a new HD though - assuming noises are from it failing.

     

    Thank you so much for all of your help, I really do appreciate it.