Apple 'fesses up to 7200 RPM HDD issues, aims to dispatch a fix forthwith
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Aug 11th 2009 4:32PM
posted Aug 11th 2009 4:32PM
MacBook Pro owners suffering from 7200 RPM noise pollution and performance issues, Apple has acknowledged your pain and wants you to know that it's working hard to remedy the situation. According to CNET, the problem seems to be restricted to 500GB / 7200 RPM hard drives, with the likely culprit being code that's somehow "causing the drive to sleep during use." No word yet on a release date for the patch, but you'll know as soon as we do. As you know, we'll pretty much take any opportunity we can find to run a Lloyd Dobler Photoshop.
[Via Register Hardware]
[Via Register Hardware]
Where are all the QA/QC flaming? Or does only Palm and Microsoft get it?
Only Apple gets it. Microsoft is immune to things even Apple gets flamed for, like non-user-replaceable batteries and whatnot.
It's happening to Dell laptops too. It's tied to the Seagate drives.
Are you suggesting Apple should take the bite for something Seagate screwed up on?
Funny, I didn't think Microsoft had anything to do with batteries in general. Other than their Zune, but what MP3 player that uses rechargeable as replaceable ones? Apple makes the decisions for their notebooks, Microsoft doesn't. They just make the OS. Thanks.
No it's not, It's been a well documented issue on people both using Apple supplied 500GB Harddrives and Western Digital as well. It is not limited to the Seagates.
Do you have some info backing this up? My understanding is it is the Seagate drives only.
maybe microsoft doesnt get it because they dont build the devices themselves? (xbox aside). where as everything apple makes and supports they had total control over the design.
SugarySnack: Zune? Non-replaceable battery? That sounds exactly like some Microsoft hardware. Thanks.
Forthwith, eh? Reference to Mr. Show--The Burgundy Loaf?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi5PFI3rMTQ
Don't you know it!
Your stock just went way up in my book, Mr. Flatley.
Epic picture :D
naughty code
This happens to my 320GB 7200 RPM drive too, I hope the 500GB drives aren't the only ones that are fixed
Yup, me too on the 320GB 7200rpm.
Yep. Same here. Praying mine will get fixed too.
[Via Register Hardware] my ass
i submitted this yesterday WHAT THE HELL
It's because you put that comment in the other article... they don't like that.
Who cares. Is your life really that empty?
lol, ok... i'll let it go ....
I going to set up a "Friends of Makavre" group on facebook to make sure he gets his due credit.
For great justice!
Macs. They just work.*
*Most of the time.
You would struggle to get a PC manufacturer to fess up and sort it out if it was one of their products.
Microsoft. Where do you want to go today?*
http://www.thecybersource.com/images/bsod.jpg
*is blue a direction?
@Zak
Search me mate, I don't use XP anymore except at work where I have to. My Vista machine hasn't had a BSOD since pre SP1.
But thanks for your input!
@adrian
You're right. But then they don't carry the tagline that their units 'just work' when in fact they don't always.
I'd stay to discuss this point further but the bouncing blue balloon on my Macbook is informing me that it needs to update Safari. Again.
Over 45MB and a restart. Awesome.
Macs. They just work.*
*Mostly and if you can put up with the continuous updates which inevitably mean you need to restart your machine even if it's just for a browser (of course it could be because elements of Safari - or rather WebKit - are so integrated with OS X that it's an alteration to the OS but then we would be hypocrites for suggesting things like IE can't be separated from Trident amongst other things. Woops!)
Toodles!
Oh right, so because yours hasn't bluescreened, that means nobody's has and nobody's ever has. That's some flawless logic you're using there. Additionally, none of my Macs are having any problems, so clearly Macs do just work. Thanks for playing.
Oh and I love that you're complaining that Apple issues fixes for things that need fixing. That's priceless. You're right Mark, Apple shouldn't fix anything. That's a much better way of doing business.
Also, as an aside - you can download and install updates whenever you want. You don't have to do it right when it says you have to. You can even tell it to restart later. Learn something new every day, huh?
@Zak, I'd hope you're being sarcastic by telling someone that just because their Vista computer works that all others don't, then saying all macs work because yours do.
aschmack, did you even read Mark's first post? I responded to it this way because he likes to imply that all Macs have problems all the time. You agree with that?
@Mark Anderson
You have to activate and get permission from MS HQ before you can confident that Windows will still "just work".
@Zak:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/152166797_6a3bf664ac.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si98lWjEHpI&feature=player_embedded
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/sbbod.html
As if your immune. Ive owned a Mac. All computers have problems. No one is immune from hardware failure, the main cause of BSOD's. Except if you install a version of Apple made software called iTunes on Windows, which would blue screen because of the horrid USB drivers Apple made.
@Zak
Vista does bluescreen, just very, very infrequently. Probably about the same as OS X 10.5 causes a kernel panic actually.
Was that all?
I got my wife a MBP 13inch and the first thing I did was drop a WD 7200rpm 320gb drive in there. Runs silent. Whatever it cost me it was cheaper than adding the 320gb from apple...and apparently quieter...
With all these problems Apple fanboys still claim they Macs are worth paying the extra premium.
I WILL ALLOW NO FRUIT IN MY HOUSE...
@ Daniel
Have fun with scurvy!
just wait 'til one of your kids comes home and tells you they're gay...
if you actually bought this upgrade through apple, then lol
sleep while in use? wtf
I love Apple. How many other companies go out of their way to do this sort of thing. I've had my laptop for the past three years and the technical issues that came with it are still here because they just don't care about fixing their products like Apple does. As soon as I can save up rest assured there will be some aluminum sexiness to rest my palms on.
You won't see Microsoft quote your comment in their laptop hunter ads.
i love Orange
I have an Aluminum Glass iMac. And even I want to make a sexual joke about you and wanting to get your Palms on something aluminum. Will someone please oblige for me?
I don't think the tin man is into skinny jean wearing tweens.
What about exploding ipods? Still waiting for apple to fess, better yet i think there is a lawsuit brewing in the EU.
Under the Energy Saver preferences, uncheck the box that says "Allow hard drive to sleep in teh middle of tasks." Problem Solved.
Apple - paying premium prices for poor performance. The entire Macincrap ecosystem is garbage - OSX an outdated OS that cant multitask worth a crap and is so bogged down with performance due to supporting x86 and ppc and being based on old legacy unix tinker code it makes Vista look good; and outdated hardware that is shodily put together with a focus on how it looks to sell to the hipster dofus crowd. Think different.
What does that have to do with a Hard Drive issue? Go back to your Church you Scientologist.
PG - you really are kind of a moron, aren't you?
Actually L. Ron Hubbard is sounding pretty logical right now compared to this mental midget :(
I assume the drives in question are the Seagate 500GB 7200RPM drives, since those are the only 500GB/7200rpm notebook drives that exists. The first revision of those drives had performance issues, the heads would randomly park causing drive access errors (most likely what they mean by the drive sleeping). Seagate pushed out a new revision saying it was just a firmware bug, but they won't allow people to update their old drives, possibly to cover up a hardware change, who knows.
I have the first revision in my SXPS 13, no performance issues, but the drive makes some god awful noises if you pick up the laptop.
yay
ABOUT FREAKING TIME APPLE!!!!! I think any human being could recognize that random beeping noises coming from a HDD is clearly an issue.
Anyone have any 'good' luck on a 500gb notebook drive? I'm thinking of upgrading.
I won't be hitting Ebay - I believe there is going to be a flood of used fruit drives out there!
(db)
Nope, just glad I got the SSD!
The might apple...having just as many problems as their microsoft counterparts...Imagine that! I'm all broken up about this. Apple is really slipping! I am not impressed with my MacBook Pro 13...the mac side has locked up numerous times I have spoke to SmugCare and they have me do a few thing only to be a temporary fix. As for Bootcamp...dont get me started...they have enormous problems. If you are considering a mac for the bootcamp reasons just as I did...to do the Best of Both worlds...think again. Quality control has gone way down!!! SmugCare once again, isnt 24x7x365, no next day on-site, no accidental damage and yet it cost more then the PC counterparts. I dont get it. Disappointed to say the least! Dont buy into the market. the stuff looks great but from the bootcamp side it is junk...dont believe me, feel free to visit discussions.apple.com and see all the hardware driver issue that are unresolved before you consider a mac for bootcamp as I did...I got burned among many other who chose the same path. These driver issue are mac fault and not microsofts...apple makes the hardware, bootcamp and writes the drivers...Microsoft writes windows...apple as a hardware manufacture needs to provide its own drivers and support them. This is just bad...buyer beware!!!
What are you talking about? Microsoft doesn't make laptops.
I use BootCamp every day. I'm using it right now, about to install Windows 7 on the machine (currently running XP).
I don't buy AppleCare, extended warranties are for suckers.
Macs. Because we fuck up too. And we don't even give you a stop code that you can look up.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/377792291_54c0ba81bf_b.jpg
Seriously Zak, piss off. You talk like Windows bluescreens all the time. Windows only bluescreens these days when there's something wrong with your hardware, which, if it happened to your mac, would cause a kernel panic. Just because your BSOD looks prettier doesn't make your Mac superior.
And for all you fanboys' talk about Apple using superior hardware, I have a big HAHAHA. It's the same old crap that's in our PCs. It fails just like anything else. Their sources can screw their hardware up just like Dell's or HP's can. But it's a big deal when it happens to Apple because people like you make a big deal about how much better Apples are.
I really, really couldn't care less that you like Mac. I own a Mac, use it for a media center. But your blind, blatant fanboyism just gets under my skin and irritates the crap out of me. You only crawl out of your hole to heap praise on Apple and scorn on those of us who don't bow before the iGod. So STFU until you have something intelligent to say.
Ugh. Supposed to be a reply to Zak, the amazing apple fanboy.
Hey curtisrutland, how often do my Macs have kernel panics? I'm asking since you're talking like a man who knows something I don't. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "never". So which leg were you trying to stand on again?
You can call me a fanboy till your face turns blue, but facts are facts. You must get irritated by facts. I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you take your little crybaby session outside and come back when you have a point to make. Your strawman arguments are worth nothing.
@Zak. I have had kernel panics wth about the same frequency as the XP box I had fell over. Interestingly it seems Ubuntu falls over to that extent less often, usually the app or process doesn't take the system down. Unscientific, yes, but that doesn't seem to matter here :P
So, your anecdotal evidence is better than Mark's was?
Mark Anderson: "My Vista machine hasn't had a BSOD since pre SP1."
Zak: "Oh right, so because yours hasn't bluescreened, that means nobody's has and nobody's ever has. That's some flawless logic you're using there"
And now:
Zak: "how often do my Macs have kernel panics?...I'll give you a hint: it starts with "never"."
Wow. Jump on someone for their invalid logic, then use EXACTLY the same faulty logic to attempt to refute my point. That's the leg I'm standing on.
"You can call me a fanboy till your face turns blue, but facts are facts. You must get irritated by facts. I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you take your little crybaby session outside and come back when you have a point to make. Your strawman arguments are worth nothing."
Excuse me, but what facts? Your anecdotes? Here, I've got some "facts" for you then. I've had four kernel panics on my Mac (caused by overheating). And zero on my windows PC, excluding the ones I got when I overclocked too much when I was building it. If we weigh my evidence against yours, it stacks up to exactly the same weight. NEITHER ARE WORTH A DAMN.
Strawman? I didn't raise a false argument to knock down to appear to win the point. I legitimately pointed out that Macs crash, just like windows, under the same circumstance. If anyone is guilty of any logical fallacy here, it's you. But we've already been over that.
And I will call you a fanboy, repeatedly and often, you fanboy. I'm no apple hater, by far. I actually like my mac mini. But I hate you. You define fanboy, you've never had a single negative thing to say about apple, a positive thing to say about windows, or a comment on any other topic than apple, except to explain how good apple is and how wrong other people are.
@Zak:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1110&start=0
http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?objID=f1110&search=Go&q=kernel+panic
If it was never, I would see an empty forum, now wouldn't I?
Just shut up. You are embarrassing yourself in front of everyone.
@ curtisrutland
You might be my new hero
Can you imagine if this was Microsoft instead of Apple? People would be talking law suits and burning copies of Windows in the streets. Loving the double standard. Our society always loves the "little guy" or "underdog" so of course Apple doesnt get scorned for this, like they should.
Microsoft doesn't make laptops.
You're not very good at reading, are you? You're using my response to somebody else who was making a different point as an answer to your response? How does that work again? Oh right, it doesn't. Mark's original post implies that all Macs have problems all the time, that's why I responded that way to him. You were implying that Macs have problems sometimes, even though nobody actually said they don't.
That's right, you were answering an argument that nobody made. Good job on that one. LIke I said, my Macs haven't had any kernel panics. That is a fact, whether you want to try to devalue it by calling it an "anecdote" or not. You can suck it up and deal with it. And you say yours has had 4 caused by overheating. What were the circumstances in which it overheated? I'm assuming you already know that Macs don't just overheat all the time and that it's very out of the ordinary to get multiple panics like that, but I'm saying it anyway in case you weren't clear on that part.
And believe me, you don't want to weigh your evidence against mine. I guarantee you I manage a lot more Macs than you. I have bigger sample sizes and decades worth of proof, but if you really want to make yourself look like an idiot, go for it. Again, I am not saying Macs are perfect. I am saying all Macs don't have problems all the time, like Mark was suggesting. Maybe you should go back and re-read that whole conversation so you can get a better understanding of what I was responding to and why. You know, instead of just calling me a fanboy because you don't read so good.
Your strawman was your comment about "all you fanboys' talk about superior hardware". Nobody had said anything about superior hardware, and if that's not a strawman, then can you tell me who all these "fanboys" are? Can you name them?
Again, you can call me a fanboy as much as you want, it doesn't make me wrong and it doesn't make you right. You know jack shit about Macs, so it's not surprising that when somebody knows more about them than you do, you react badly. But here's the thing - it's your fault for being ignorant, not mine. A fanboy is somebody who is irrational, like you or Mark, or Look_Around_You, or any number of other trolls on this board. A fanboy is not somebody who uses facts, like me. Think about it.
Nothing brings an engadget editor more joy than the opportunity to bash an Apple product.
Except perhaps Palm Pre stories, unloved MP3 players nobody buys and Swarovski crystals.
I've had one of those Seagates in my plastic MacBook for a couple of months and it seems fine so far.
I wonder if it is the drives, something to do with the new laptops or a combination of the two?
Wtf? This happens on my 2008 model Macbook Pro with a 250GB drive. I don't think it's seagate's fault at all. It's some bad firmware issue they just refuse to fix. My drive is constantly doing the "thunk". (and no, it's not going out, that sounds completely different). There are hacks you can put in place to stop it from sleeping all the time, but I wish they would just fix the damn thing.
I just like the Say Anything reference. I'm a sucker for '80s movies.