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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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rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,796 points

Posted on Apr 11, 2015 8:41 PM

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

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17 replies

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 19, 2015 9:14 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I do have the two Seagates; both are bootable. I forgot that I still have an OWC Mercury EHD (did have two but gave one away). I'll have to connect it and see how big it is, I don't remember. Think I'll see if I can use it. I really don't need to keep various versions of files or even that much history from Time Machine. Backing up every couple of days is sufficient and takes no time.

Going to check the OWC. Stay tuned. :-)

Dedo Author

Level 2

214 points

Apr 23, 2015 8:28 PM in response to rkaufmann87

I spent they better part of two days diddling with the OWC. It's getting tossed. It wouldn't mount; I tried everything ... and I mean everything! Then, all of a sudden, it did. I checked it, hardware check said it was functioning normally. I erased, and repartitioned it, defragged it, got ready to set it up for Time Machine, then it disappeared again and I can't get it back. I've gone back to the Seagate but with only Time Machine on it. The other Seagate is a bootable backup with everything except Time Machine. Don't know what the issue is w/OWC Mercury Elite. I wouldn't have kept it if it wasn't still good. I had only changed to Seagate because it has a smaller footprint.

Is my hard drive failing or .... ?