Comments on: Does your Apple notebook hard drive (HDD) ever sound like little mice are playing table tennis inside of it? Or, why your HDD might be pre-programmed for quick failure.

By: André

André — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:59:48 +0000

Hi everyone… Thank you all so much for your help and useful information, it is very much appreciated! The clicking noises were nearly driving me nuts since I like to enjoy the silence like Depeche Mode once sung

Finally I managed to get rid of it by using this tool of this genius guy over here:

http://mckinlay.net.nz/hdapm/

I installed the package and entered > sudo hdapm disk0 max > followed by your password, and thats it, no clicking sounds anymore!!!

Yiiiiihaaaaaaa

Happy new year everyone !! 2012 coming
Cheers, Andre

By: bryan

bryan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:13:30 +0000

guys ive been trying this for a long time and it is still not working… i downloaded the new version of Hdapm which supposedly works fine with osx Lion . I basically downloaded the file and installed the dmg, which directly put the hdapm file in the usr/local/bin folder…. it also automatically creates the hdapm.plist and puts it in library/launchdaemons folder… i restarted it and nothing happens. the weird thing is that every time i go into console and search for hdapm, it says hdapm: Setting APM level to 0xfe: Success, but when i go to terminal and execute it says disk0: Hitachi HTS545025B9SA02
Setting APM level to 0xfe: FAILED

HELP please… bsotol1@hotmail.com

By: cheap iphones

cheap iphones — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:18:04 +0000

Vida de Americano: Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Imac. Vida de Brasileiro: IPTU, IPVA, ICMS, INSS..

By: QuickSendSMS

QuickSendSMS — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:18:49 +0000

What a great resource! You should promote it from the messaging console at QuickSendSMS.com. Easy to use, nice and quick and you can text friends about it for free.

By: johnsmith

johnsmith — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:56:13 +0000

“To verify it’s working, open and run in automator and you should get the same message as in the article” -

I meant under the results section of the Run Shell Script section.

By: johnsmith

johnsmith — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:46:33 +0000

For hdapm users who are having difficulty with the .plist script, you can try as I did and use automator instead:

1) download hdapm and put in usr/bin/

2) open up applications > automator
and make a new workflow:
Run Shell Script
“hdapm disk0 max”

3) save as an application and put it under your login items in system preferences/accounts/

It should then run each time you login, basically just an automatic version of typing the command into terminal.

To verify it’s working, open and run in automator and you should get the same message as in the article:
“disk0: Hitachi/Seagate yadayada
Setting APM level to 0xfe: Success.”

I tested it a few times initially by sticking a “copy to clipboard” action after the shell script and just seeing the result when pasting… although there’s probably a better way to see the result (dialogue box?)

Hope this helps someone. And thanks Doug!

By: roomunik

roomunik — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:58:55 +0000

okk… i’n undestand becous of this web…

By: D4T3N7OD

D4T3N7OD — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:06:49 +0000

Thanks for your detailed account of macbook hdd clicking! I found this page while searching not for solutions to get rid of the sound but the quick increasing of the load cycle counter.

I upgraded an older macbook (late 2006 aka 2,1) with a bigger hdd – Hitachi 5k500.b – and while not hearing those clicks (i know them from other laptops running Linux, where hdparm would do the trick) and found the drive to be very silent, no clicks to be heard or beachballing to be experienced, but smartmontools revealed the rather rapid increase of the load cycle counter (register 193), up to 4 or 5 cycles a minute, no matter the Energy settings – the counter’s value already was down from 100% to 99% after just about 135 hours of operation! Obviously the load/unload mechanism is very smooth and quick.

Using hdapm once and setting the APM Level to 192 (a setting I feel good about from my experience with Linux laptops with Hitachi hdds) seems to have done the trick. I am not sure whether i powered off the macbook since then, but i’ll report back after i did and whether i had to run hdapm again.

Also, it is unclear whether owners of other hdd brands will need to rerun hdapm. From the OEM specs ( http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/1F70FDFFB4DE1EBB86257538007E4CFE/$file/TS5K500.B_OEMSpecificationrev16a.pdf ), it could also be the so called ABLE algorithm used to reduce power consumption, which might have been turned off by setting an APM level.

I also had to do maintenance on an older laptop with its stock WD 80GB hdd, running Windows XP Home, and found its load cycle counter at more than 3 million cycles without having any negative impact on that drives reliability or performance, so maybe inaudible clicks are proof for a rather smooth head load/unload mechanism and result in little wear? Just one thought, but i still like the counter to stay low.

I’ll be back
and happy computing!
Lutz

By: external hard drive reviews @ ex

external hard drive reviews @ ex — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:46:40 +0000

Before you go out looking for your ideal external hard drive, it helps to know the criteria by which you can select the drive that’s right for you. That way, you are a more informed consumer and can make a better choice for yourself.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:25:50 +0000

I think this is standard with most 2.5″ inch HDD nowadays. I have a playstation 3 and was wondering what this noise was for the longest time. The noise is just like you said, a click but not a horrible HDD failing head-crashing one. I’m glad to have gotten some reassurance on the internet. Nice read.

By: Who has a large HD that doesn't click with Snow Leopard? - Page 3

Who has a large HD that doesn't click with Snow Leopard? - Page 3 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:20:26 +0000

[...] that guy got most of his info off of my own article written about the same subject… Dougit Design Blog Blog Archive Does your Apple notebook hard drive (HDD) ever sound like little mic… my article even tips its hat to the Dell Mini 10v… Mini 10v | .8.3 RC5 | 10.6.2 | [...]

By: Ram

Ram — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:36:02 +0000

i had the same problem and tried something which might not be a good idea: i shook the computer violently hoping to kind of reset or reactivate the motion detection system – it seemed to have worked.

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:38:28 +0000

I have a brand new Macbook Pro and had this problem until I found your solution. HDAPM works exactly as you describe, I have to redo it after a restart. Thanks for your help

Roger

By: Owen

Owen — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:05:43 +0000

Thanks!!!!! Your tip on the Macbook sleep issue and your efax under printer panes solved my sleep problem!!!! I bought an HP wireless printer and my Macbook Pro sleep went from 1 second to 25 seconds!! I removed the HP from the pane and voila! Back to perfection.

THANKS FROM AUSTRALIA!!!!!!

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:39:15 +0000

I have the original unibody aluminum macbook and still use HDAPM with Snow Leopard. No clicking after 1 year of reading your blog and following the steps. I still wish Apple would produce an update that actually fixes the problem..

By: dougit

dougit — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:04:57 +0000

I think, for the most part, Apple has fixed this issue with all their newer MacBook and MacBook Pro’s. However, there may be many people out there with older notebooks/laptops who are looking for some answers about their soft-clicking HDD’s…