Is my hard drive failing or .... ?

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Level 2

214 points

Is my hard drive failing or .... ?

Response time slowed, apps were spinning or quitting, it seems to be running hot, and there was a low rumble. I decided to reboot rand got an X, then the Apple, then the options for DU, reinstall OSX, reinstall from Time Machine, etc.

DU Disk Repair says the disk is OK, Disk Warrior says the HD is functioning normally, temp is OK. Last week I got an auto prompt from DW saying the HD temp was high and could indicate a pending HD failure.

I've repaired permissions, rebuilt the directory, same result when rebooting: the X then DU, etc. I opted to reinstall OSX Mavericks. It started, was to run for 4 hrs:30min. Last I checked, all was well and it had 30 min. left. I came back, woke the screen, and was faced with the original prompt of DU, reinstall OSX, etc. No indication of why the re-install didn't complete.

If it's the HD, why do two different checks (DU & DW) say it's OK? If it isn't the HD, what am I missing? I usually can fix these things. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

And if it is the HD, can I replace that myself?

Thanks for any help.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), Intel Core 2 Duo

Posted on Apr 11, 2015 11:59 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,568 points

Apr 11, 2015 8:41 PM in response to Dedo

Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup - Apple Support

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Answer 2

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Apr 11, 2015 8:40 PM in response to Dedo

You should run the Apple Hardware Test from disk 2 of your original gray install discs.

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Answer 3

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 11, 2015 2:45 PM in response to SeaPapp

Thanks for that reminder. I forgot about AHT. As above, will do that right after restore is completed. Anxious to see what that says vis a vis DU & DW.

Will post back. Thanks again.

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Answer 4

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 11, 2015 8:40 PM in response to SeaPapp

Ran the extended test on AHT and result was no problem found. When I rebooted, I had a Disk Warrior alert that the HD was running at 136.7 degrees F. Since I've disconnected the Seagate External HD and stopped Time Machine, I think I'll run it for a few days w/o them. I'll back up manually and see if it runs cooler that way. I've now had the AHT, DU and DW tell me the HD is running normally .... except for the hot temp alerts. I'll post back in a few days on whether the externals are the problem. Thanks rkaufmann87 and Mike Sombrio for your help. and for the help

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Answer 5

poikkeus1

Level 4

2,454 points

Apr 11, 2015 10:20 PM in response to Dedo

I'm not sure if high temperatures are the source of all evil, but high temps don't work with computers.

I suggest keeping your temps as low as possible, and never go above 150F. If you need to use intensive apps, I urge you to turn up the fan. I use HD Fan Control to regulate temperature, and iStat to apprise me of current temps.

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Answer 6

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 12, 2015 5:59 AM in response to poikkeus1

Thanks for the suggestion, poikkeus1. I do already monitor temps w/iStat Pro but haven't used an app to control fan speed (DUH! Have just watched temps climb!). I understand the cost of HDD Fan Control is cheaper than HD replacement but it seems a bit steep at $35., so I've downloaded the smcFanControl app recommended by Carolyn Samit hdd fan control and will try that for a bit.

Thanks again for the good advice.

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Answer 7

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 12, 2015 6:39 PM in response to poikkeus1

It's been running cool with the external HD unplugged. However, after being away for over an hour, I checked it, the smcFanControl temp said 97 and DW had an alert up that it was running too hot and the temp was 134.6. Fan Control says it's 90F right now and iStat Pro says 106. Guess I'm not getting a good read from smcFanControl. The sun was coming in the room and the ambient temp in the room was high 70's when the DW alert was on but nothing was happening and clearly it shouldn't have been at 134!.

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Answer 8

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Apr 12, 2015 6:42 PM in response to Dedo

Have you backed up, your drive may well be failing.

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Answer 9

poikkeus1

Level 4

2,454 points

Apr 12, 2015 7:59 PM in response to Dedo

Temperature readings can vary, depending on which sensors are being monitored. On iStat Menus, there can be a difference of 30•F on a resting computer. (Right now, my machine reads 81•F by the HD, and 140•F by the GPU Die.) Temps can be deceptive.

Still, be prepared, given the few clues you have so far. Back up your machine regularly, since the symptoms point to potential HD failure down the line. Keep your temps low. Consider your future options in the case of a failing HD. You're running an Intel Pro 2 Duo, so an upgrade isn't out of the question.

Keeping the temps low should reduce your chance of an imminent HD failure, but this is a tough choice.

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Answer 10

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 12, 2015 9:41 PM in response to Dedo

I have backed up. Having the external HD running w/Time Machine for years may be what started the temp rise.

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Answer 11

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 13, 2015 7:38 AM in response to poikkeus1

Why do HDs fail? Is this machine considered old? It's an early 2009 iMac, 2.66 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo w/4GB memory, running OS 10.9.5. The total capacity is 640 GB but 420 GB is still available.

Could leaving the 3TB Seagate external HD attached and running Time Machine for the past year stress it, i.e., cause the HD to start running hot? TM is getting pretty full.

I'm puzzled by the 3 hardware tests that all say it's OK but then the prompts from DW saying hot and might indicate pending failure.

BTW- the low rumbling only occurs with the 3TB Seagate attached. I also have a 1.5TB Seagate as a second backup, and no rumbling noise when that's attached instead. Could it be the 3TB that's failing?

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Answer 12

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,568 points

Apr 13, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Dedo

Dedo wrote:

Why do HDs fail? Is this machine considered old? It's an early 2009 iMac, 2.66 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo w/4GB memory, running OS 10.9.5. The total capacity is 640 GB but 420 GB is still available.

Could leaving the 3TB Seagate external HD attached and running Time Machine for the past year stress it, i.e., cause the HD to start running hot? TM is getting pretty full.

I'm puzzled by the 3 hardware tests that all say it's OK but then the prompts from DW saying hot and might indicate pending failure.

BTW- the low rumbling only occurs with the 3TB Seagate attached. I also have a 1.5TB Seagate as a second backup, and no rumbling noise when that's attached instead. Could it be the 3TB that's failing?

HD's fail because they have mechanical rotating parts, much like a car the mechanical parts (break pads, tires, engine parts) are normally the first to fail. A early 2009 is a 6 year old computer, while 6 years is not that old for a person, for computers that is a fairly old machine now however there are many users that have Macs that are older. A rotating HD can last for a week however some last 10+ years, because they have mechanical parts and work with very close tolerances just a speck of dust can cause a failure if it gets inside.

External HD's can and do fail every day as do internal HDs. Going forward I would recommend using a high quality EHD such as a OWC (www.macsales.com) EHD as a backup hd. Many experienced users prefer these due to the excellent reliability and the service OWC provides.

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Answer 13

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 13, 2015 4:31 PM in response to rkaufmann87

If/when I replace the EHD, I'll go back to OWC. I always had OWC until I switched to Seagate.

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Answer 14

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 19, 2015 8:56 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Just an update from this past week. Temps have been fine on my desktop HD; no temp spikes or DW temp alerts, and no rumbling noises. The rumbling was/is coming from the 3.0TB EHD (Seagate Backup Plus for Mac Desktop) which I've always left connected to do Time Machine backups. I don't really need Time Machine files so I've repartitioned both EHDs (the other is a Seagate 1.5TB FreeAgent GoFlex), dropped Time Machine, and don't have either connected except to do a manual back up. There's no noise from the 1.5TB which has the same 3 volume partitions and backups as the 3.0TB.

So, right now, it would appear the rumbling noises and temp spikes were being caused by the 3.0TB EHD with 4 (at that time) partitioned volumes permanently connected to my desktop and frequently updating a large accumulation of Time Machine files. Hopefully, it's the 3.0TB that's the unstable culprit here and not my desktop HD. Sound reasonable?

Thanks for all the help. As usual, there's always a lot of support and good advice that comes from joining these discussions.

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Answer 15

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,568 points

Apr 19, 2015 9:06 AM in response to Dedo

I hope you have two external HD's (I only recommend OWC (www.macsales.com) Mercury Elite Pro) for backing up. IMHO I'd recommend at least 1 Time Machine backup EHD and 1 EHD for creating a bootable clone. For home use this is a good backup solution.

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