Fan cranking up

Recently I've noticed that after about 10 minutes after starting up my macbook, the fan just goes out of control, whirring and whirring until it seems like it is about to explode, then it all calms down again, then starts up again but maybe not so fast as before and continues on this random cycle while my laptop is on. I don't remember ever noticing this previously and was always impressed by how quiet my macbook was.
Am not sure what to put this down to - any ideas? Thx

Check your activity monitor and see if there are any processes that are using a lot of the CPU resources. Sometimes things get started that we don't even know are running. Last time this happened to me I had a print job trying to print. I had not even tried to print but for some reason the spooler thought I did.

Similar Messages

Macbook Pro Fan Continues Running After download Error -- Please Help so Loud

Hello,
I recently tried to download the Citrix reciever application onto my Macbook pro. The installation was taking an excessive period of time and it was obvious that something had gone wrong in the download because it had taken several hours and was stuck at a certain step. I tried to cancel the installation but it wouldn't allow me. So I force quit the installation and thought that it was shut down, but I was mistaken. The next time I opened my computer the fan was running at an increased rate and was very loud and the computer was heating up. I tried to restart the computer and it said that the program was still trying to download and that the computer could not be shut down until completed. I got frustrated and basically forced a power down by signing out and holding the power button or something of that nature till it shut down. I waited overnight and then powered it back up but nothing had changed and the fan was still running like crazy but it says the program is not trying to install anymore though. I checked the activity level and CPU but nothing is out of ordinary of high. The program is not anywhere on my computer either so I have no idea what is going on and cannot figure out how to stop this fan running like this. It is draining my battery, overheating my computer and is annoying too.
Any help, hints or ideas would be greatly appreciated or I will be forced to visit the apple store for some help I guess.
Thanks,

Unfortunately, spoke way to early. The fan issue is still a big problem. From the second the machine is turned on, the fan cranks up. Frankly, I think this is overheating the machine to some extent (running the fan at max speeds when it's not even warm). Additionally, the noise caused by this has only gotten worse, and now it is even making a "whistling sound." Looks like I'm going to be making the trek to the Genious Bar, but based on comments by others on this issue I am not optimistic about a fix.

Firewire drive cranking up CPU usage.

I've had this weird issue for some time (but never got around to asking.) Sometimes when my external FW drive is connected, the CPU usage seems to increase for no apparent reason. The fans crank up and the machine slows down to a crawl. Looking at the Activity Monitor doesn't reveal anything hogging up resources. The drive, a Macally PHR-100AC, doesn't even have to be powered on, just connected. I haven't done any vigorous testing, but I'm sure it happens with either port.
I've never noticed any pattern to it happening, the only way I can replicate it is to plug in the drive, and wait. (I've done all-day iMovie editing sessions off the drive without the issue turning up.) When it happens, unplugging the drive from the FW port immediately returns things to normal.
This happens under both 10.3 and 10.4, back then with my original 512MB RAM and its now current 2GB.
Ideas?

Hi gkom-
I have seen this happen. It occurs when my drive is asleep and I right-click on an icon and select "open with". Everything speeds up and off to the races while waiting for the drive to spin up.
Is the hard drive set to sleep? What happens if you configure it not to sleep?
Any programs, such as backup software, that may be looking for the drive even when it is not there?
Have you contacted macally for ideas?
Luck-
-DP

New MacBook Pro 13" 2015 loud fan when gaming

I bought a new MBP 13" (2015) yesterday to replace my old MBP 13" (2009) and this morning I installed Sid Meier's Civilization 5: Campaign Edition, a game that I also played on my old laptop. After maybe 2-3 minutes of playing, the fan cranks up to max and the computer starts getting really hot. I tried rebooting the computer and shutting down some unnecessary processes, but when I started the game again the fan went crazy just as before and the temperature rose quickly. The graphics settings are all on low. This never happened on my old computer. The game is not exactly new so there shouldn't be any problems running it on my new MBP. I tried Batman Arkham Asylum as well, same problem there. Youtubing and such works fine, the fan can't be heard and the temperature is low. Does anyone else experience this?

Perhaps you have other processes that are incompatible. Start by:
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.

IPod + sleep = loud fan?

Hoping to get a solution to this...I know the stock answer will involve my PCI-e USB card.
Yes, I have a PCI-e 5 port USB 2.0 card installed on my G5 Quad. How did you guess? It works like a charm, mostly.
The rub is, if I have an iPod connected, whether it's my 30GB video, my Nano, or my 2G Shuffle, and the computer wants to sleep, the screen goes dark, the fans crank up to full blast (LOUD) and the keyboard/mouse become unresponsive. The only way out is a reboot via the power button.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Rob
G5 Quad Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I've learned to live with putting only certain devices on my Sunix USB 2 PCI-E card now, and the Mac sleeps as per normal again.
The 'engrish' response I got from Sunix was that they blamed the attached devices, not the lack of a power management firmware or driver for the Mac. Sigh...
The devices I have that sleep fine on a Sunix USB port are:
1. Logitech MX-1000 mouse
2. Yamaha USB speakers
3. Logitech USB headset.
The following were definitely 'no go', despite working normally on the Sunix card in other respects:
1. External DVD burner (a generic with an NEC mechanism in my case)
2. Canon MP760 multifunction device (printer/copier/scanner).
3. Any other mounted storage device (USB keys, iPods, digital cameras).

Fans going crazy fast...

Up until today, the fans would rev up on certain sites, no big deal...BUT, just a few hours ago, they started screaming. Closed everything and rebooted and they keep revving up and slowing down a little (not all the way) and then rev up again...and NOTHING is open? I did not update anything, the only thing i did today was download a fewe songs from iTunes and thats when it started. anybody else having this issue?

Assuming nothing is actually broken in the hardware:
If you reboot, and start no programs, and the fan cranks up - open Activity Monitor, set it to display All Processes, and sort by CPU usage. When the system is idle, with no programs doing anything, nothing should be using more than 1-2% CPU, and even that only sporadically. So, you look for something that's using enough CPU to get things hot enough to speed up the fan.
The solution, after that, depends on what you've found. In many cases, it's a stuck job in a printer queue.
If, on the other hand, Activity Monitor shows the CPU to be 90+% idle, and the fan is still cranked up, it suggests something's amiss with the hardware.

Post-RSS... no more shut downs but fans are freaking out

Ever since I got my MacBook back from having the heatsink replaced, the fans have been unusually noisy. This morning, after starting my computer from sleep mode, I opened MS Word. Now the fans sound like a little jet engine and they've been running at (what sounds like a) high speed ever since. I closed down all the programs I was running which in the past would make the fans slow down. But this time, the fans have been running for over 45 minutes.
I wonder if this is related to the latest Office update. This is the first time I've opened Word since doing the Office update over the weekend.
Any clues?

Is it ur Macbook obviously hotter than before? Normally if your fan sounds like a jet engine that means ur CPU temp has exceeded the threshold value (the default threshold should be ~70C) so the fan cranks itself up to maximum, which is abnormal if you just got a new heatsink.
1st of all, check ur activity monitor to see if there is any process that's using a lot of CPU power constantly. If yes, just quit that process or uninstall the corresponding program, this should solve the problem. If none, you can download a program called "SMC fanControl":
http://81.169.182.62/~eidac/software/page5/page5.html
This program shows you the current fan speed and the CPU temperature. Run it after you boot into the OSX and then use the computer the way you always do but monitor the temperature and fan speed change in SMC fanControl. The average temp under regular use should not exceed 60C. If the temp climbs up too fast, it's not normal and u should call AppleCare.

Mac Pro ATI5870--uneven fan sound when idling..any thoughts?

I recently had a noise issue with my new Mac Pro with the ATI RAdeon 5870 card. There was a lot of noise when the fans cranked up. Apple techs here in Paris took the machine and said they put it under an Apple analysis and test over night and now the noise that they heard themselves is now gone. They replaced nothing. They repaired nothing. Though I can hear the fan on the graphic card increase in spin noise when it rises above idle, which I presume is normal, it is somewhat better than when they took in the machine for repair. However, when the computer is idling and the graphic card is idling under no load I can now hear more of an uneven fan noise, which is disturbing. It's as if you can hear the fan changing its tone or tonality, moving up and down in tone as it idles.
It's not all of the time, but most of the time when there is no load on the card. Like an uneven humming under lowest fan speed.
Doe anyone else hear this symptom? Is it normal as the fan or bearings are running at their slowest? Everything else so far works ok graphically with the card. (I had a MBP 17 that made noise when idling once and they replaced the two fans in the back and the noise was gone.) I realize this is a high performance graphic card and I do work in a quiet space, but if replacing the card would net me a more even sounding working environment I would risk it. If not, then c'est la vie.
Thanks for any advice.

Someone else suggested that they heard a similar noise on their Mac Pro but for them it was emanating from the Intake and/or Exhaust fans running on their idle speed of around 599rpm.

Strange noise- Fan?

Alright so, i've got a 3 week old macbook, got it on christmas. Recently, i've noticed a sort of...whirring? noise coming from it. I'm pretty sure it's the fan. I can't remember if it's done this from the start or not. I'm pretty sure it's nothng but me being paranoid. Weird thing is, if the MacBook is planted on a flat surace, or even my bed, applying pressure to the top left corer of the macbook stops it (around the magsafe connector area). When the fan speeds up, this seems to go away. It's not the typical "mooing" on and off problem, i'm sure of. its just a constant noise that seems like it should not be. Anyone else? Any ideas?
When the fan speeds up, It kind of sounds like a jet engine warming up for takeoff, the noise gets higher-pitched. Thank you in advance, desperatley hoping i dont have to take it in.
Message was edited by: thiswho

Hard to say without hearing it, but my fan cranks quite a bit sometimes, especially while streaming video on the net with Safari. Maybe other times too, but I haven't paid much attention. I have a Widget called iStat Pro which shows fan speed. Normal usage for me is around 1600-1800 but when it cranks up it can go as high as 6000 rpm and you can really hear it and feel the warm air from the vents near the hinge. The next time it happens, put your hand near the "MacBook" logo and see if you feel warm air moving. If so, it's the fan. It is fairly rare for me for it to go that high, and if I close Safari or just navigate to a non-video site, it slows back down pretty fast.
If it is constant and different from the fan, I don't know.

Corrupted Time Machine Backup on NAS

I'm just going to explain the steps leading to my problem so it's clear:
1. I created an encrypted sparsebundle disk image for backing up to a NAS at my workplace.
2. The time machine was working fine for a couple of months until my Macbook started shutting down randomly.
2a. This would always happen with CPU heating up to 94 degrees C and fan cranking up to 6400+ rpm. So I thought it was an issue with the heatsink.
3. I decided to do one final TM backup before giving it for service. I tried a number of times to backup to NAS but everytime the machine would just shut down in between leading to "unsuccessful backup".
3a. The CPU would still heat up during the backup but I was really desperate to do that one backup before giving it for service. So I tried doing the backup in a cold room (thinking it was just an overheating issue)!! The room temperature was close to 10 degrees C in the cold room and CPU temperature never rose abouve 60 degrees C. But the machine still shut down. (At this point I was sure this is some other issue and not just the heatsink! But the service engineer said they just 'reapplied the thermal paste for better heat dissipation'). This solved the random shutdowns but I don't understand how. Anyway that's probably for another discussion).
4. I did another TM backup on an external USB hard drive and gave the machine for service.
5. I got back the Macbook and I tried to revive the old backups from NAS and probably merge with the latest one on external drive.
6. I tried to mount the sparsebundle image and kept getting the "no mountable file system" error.
6a. I'm not sure if the multiple unsuccessful backups corrupted the disk image somehow (although I don't understand why it would).
7. Then I tried to repair the disk image with Disk Utility but got the error "Disk Utility cannot repair this disk. Backup the disk () and restore files". I tried this multiple times and got the same error with almost the same scan time.
8. I tried to repair with Disk Warrior and it said Directory cannot be rebuilt due to disk hardware failue (-36, 2747).
8a. It's a disk image on a network drive so I don't get why Disk Warrior says it's a hardware failure!
9. I tried a sudo fsck and got this:
9a. XXXXs-MacBook-Air:~ YYYY$ sudo hdiutil attach ...... -nomount
/dev/disk1                    Apple_partition_scheme
/dev/disk1s1                  Apple_partition_map
/dev/disk1s2                  Apple_HFS
XXXXs-MacBook-Air:~ YYYY$ sudo fsck_hfs -f /dev/disk1s2
** /dev/rdisk1s2
   Executing fsck_hfs (version hfs-226.1.1).
** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
   The volume name is Backup1
** Checking extents overflow file.
** Checking catalog file.
** Checking multi-linked files.
   Incorrect number of file hard links
** Checking catalog hierarchy.
** Checking extended attributes file.
** The volume Backup1 could not be verified completely.
9b. Disk Utility also gives the same file hard links error when I try to repair.
10. I'm still not able to mount the disk from sparsebundle image. But when I attach the image, the partition shows up in Disk Utility sidebar and is greyed out.
I think this is just some software issue with corrupted links or the like and not a hardware failure of the NAS.
I had a few thoughts to solve this:
a. Is this an encryption issue? Is there a way to decrypt the sparebundle image with a third party software? I know the encryption password.
(Lesson learnt. Never encrypt the backup unless you really need to).
b. Could it be an issue with the plist.info file or something? Maybe a modification to the file would fix this?
I'm not sure how to do this and I don't want to try any more things and risk losing the data. The size of the disk image is the same as before so I think all the data is still there. It's a few months worth of TM backup so I would really like to restore it.
I would greatly appreciate any help! Thanks!

Extremely unlikely.
It is possible to use Back to my Mac to back up to a Time Capsule over the Internet, but many folks can't get it to work; even when it does, it's very slow.
I've never seen any posts about it being done to any other Internet destination.

2006 White macbook gets hot?

I have a 2006 macbook 2,1 with the 2.0Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB ram, and a 160GB hard disk. It is running Lion 10.7.5.
I am pretty tech savvy and bought this machine used. I cleaned it up and upgraded the ram, hard disk and OS to the above specs. It has always run hot since I bought it. Here's what I've done so far to try to correct the issue:
I cleaned and re-applied thermal paste
cleaned the dust from the exhaust vent from both inside and outside the laptop. it is very clean inside and outside now.
Even just browsing the internet for 30-60 minutes the fans crank up and the mac is hot to the touch. The fans are quiet for the first 30-60 minutes and then just crank way up. I don't get it. It has a fresh OS install with only Firefox running when this happens. It doesn't take long for the temp to reach 133 degrees Fahrenheit.
My 2006 imac 5,1 has the 2.0Ghz core 2 duo and 2gb ram also, but stays consistently at about 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is there anything else I can do to help the temperatures on this macbook?

You could try a different web browser and see about turning off Flash, and any
add-ons in one browser to see if that uses less system resources & runs cooler.
A separate browser for non-intense browsing can help, when you don't need
the other extras that make the computer work harder.
My old first-edition MacBook1.1 is a coreduo 1.83GHz and tops out at 2GB RAM
and will not go beyond Snow Leopard 10.6.8 for practical reasons, to include a
need to access older applications, as some utilize PPC code, so Rosetta support
that is lacking in OS X 10.7 won't help the usefulness of such an older model.
If your MacBook runs too hot in Lion, had you similar result in Snow Leopard?
There isn't much relief in a slight upgrade to 3GB RAM instead of two; depending
on what model version identifier yours is, it may be able to use more. Though a
slightly different model early MacBook core2duo appears it could use up to 6GB.
My MB1.1 is up on a laptop stand so it is in the air, & use USB keyboard/mouse.
Cooler than on the tabletop or on the lap, since it can breathe easier. Mine is also
still running Leopard 10.5.8, same as my older G4s, but with better results. As such
I have a patched Flash player, though use four browsers for various reasons.
Good luck!

K8T Neo F1S2R No Longer Boots - Help Diagnosing

Hello,
I've had good service from my K8T Neo Athlon 64 mobo for 2 years. Today when I turned on the PC, all the fans cranked up and nothing more. The four test LEDs stayed red. No beeps, no display to the monitor. The light on one CD drive (I have 2) and the HD light come on solid at power up. According to the manual, four red LEDs at power up indicates a bad processor or processor connection and nothing more.
I removed my Audigy sound card since I know it has been known to cause boot-up problems on these boards. Still no boot.
What I need to know is if this is most likely a bad processor as stated in the manual, or something else like a bad mobo or power supply (Enermax). I don't have a spare processor, 64 bit PC, nor power supply to swap and check, so I need to know what is the best step process to resolving the problem. I'd just hate to go out and buy a new processor to find out the problem isn't the processor.
Thanks!
Buddy

UPDATE: Kudos to MSI support! I RMAed my original failed, over 2 year old K8T NEO via the MSI online support system. Shipped the K8T back to MSI on 4/11 and received a replacement on 4/26. It took only 11 business days, east coast to west coast and back.
I was having stability issues with the new K8MM-V motherboard described here https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=95656.0
in that I was unable to run my Radeon 9800 Pro at "full" hardware acceleration without crashes. I could only get stability using the onboard graphics or setting the Radeon 9800 to "low" hardware acceleration (the setting next to "none").
Pulled out the K8MM-V and installed the warranty replacement K8T NEO. The replacement K8T booted flawless, only requiring reinstallation of the Radeon 9800 Pro's Omega drivers on the first boot. I've had flawless performance with hardware graphics acceleration set at "full" with no reboots or blackouts since.
It was easy as pie to execute warranty service with MSI.
A big thank you to MSI for their fine support and for providing this forum....and a just as big thank you to all the fine folks here for offerering their expertise and help to us novices.
Buddy

Need easiest way to transfer my old hard drive into a new purchased one

I recently upgraded my 80GB internal HD with a 120GB. I just need to transfer everything I have onto my new one. Mac certified stores charge around 95$/hour so no way am I going to do that. However, I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to backing up/cloning HD. My friend has a 160GB Western Digital external so I plan on using that. I downloaded Carbon Copy Cloner but got confused when it asked me what kind of drive I wanted it (ex: read only). I heard TimeMachine can copy your whole hard drive also?

Kyle Kim wrote:
sorry for sounding stupid, but what's an "enclosure?" All I have is my friends 160GB Western Digital external HD
An enclosure is a box that allows a drive to communicate via the USB and/or FireWire interface. The external drive you mentioned is just an "enclosure" around a commodity hard drive. I did read that you said you had access to an external hard drive, but I just sort of buzzed it with what I remember from the top of my head. That being said, let me revise (this is how I actually did it when I installed my Hitachi Travelstar 7K200):
1) Run Disk Utility from your current drive, and format your new external drive(GUID Partition Map).
2) Install Carbon Copy Cloner on your current drive. Clone your current drive to the external drive.
3) Shut down and try and boot from the external drive (hold option during power up?). Verify it can boot.
4) Take the original drive from the MacBook and replace it with the new drive.
5) Boot up from the external drive.
6) Run Disk Utility and format your new internal drive in GUID Partition Map.
7) Clone the contents of your external drive to your new internal drive, then shut down.
8) Start up your machine and make sure it boots from your new internal drive.
9) Wait while Spotlight reindexes the new drive. It'll be loud while the CPU heats up and the fan cranks up.
If you're using an external drive, you'll need to perform the cloning process twice.

Macbook Pro WEAK monitor hinge AFTER apple repair! PLEASE help!

Hey everyone, I am using a 2010 MBP with a 15" hi res display. I had the computer for 3 months with no problems and then the display broke (wouldnt turn on) so apple replaced it. Once they replaced it, i noticed the display was not as strong. To help you all understand this better, let me give you some background information. I am a DJ and music producer and I play at various venues quite often. The problem I am having, is when my computer is on my laptop stand, and the bass hits from the venues sound system, the monitor will wobble down when placed on my laptop stand (http://www.safecomputingtips.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/irizer-laptop-s tand.jpg). This NEVER happened before the display was replaced, nor does it happen on my 13" 2009 MBP. To get a sense of what im talking about, if you watch the end of this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmN9p9z3KgA) it demonstrates how the screen will fall down with just gravity. While no one would ever use a computer like that, while it is on the laptop stand its position is very similar. When he holds the macbook body vertical, it causes the screen to fall down with gravity. Before my macbook was replaced, it NEVER did that. My 2009 MBP has had TONS of wear and tear and doesnt do that. I went into the apple store and tried it on EVERY macbook pro in the store, 13 15 and 17 inch models, NONE of them fell with gravity. This started happening when i got the screen replaced. I have gone into the apple store and have had the display replaced for weak hinges 2 or 3 times now, and every time i get it back it is no better. My computer was out of repair yesterday, I took it into apple tonight (20 mins ago) and I was told by a manager that this is within "normal" specs for a "normal" user. Which is true, this wouldnt bother anyone who doesnt use a laptop stand and plays in clubs; but i do. He told me there is nothing he can do, and that I would just have to deal with it (of course he said it much nicer). What i dont understand is that I paid 2,800 for a computer that worked PERFECTLY until the screen died, and once it was replaced due to APPLES fault, now i must deal with a problem caused originally by apple. When I DJ with my 2009 model, no problems. My thought process is that maybe because the original screen is not on the unit, the replacement may not be as sturdy because it wasnt built with the unit itself. For example, my 09 mbp has had no replairs and its fine. The models in the store i assume have had no display repairs, and theyre all fine. The manager agreed that my hinge was weaker than the rest of the stores' models, but even though it was weaker it was within "normal specs", and he wouldnt budge. I'm sure a new unit that has been built together will fix this problem, but he would not give me a new unit. Is there ANYTHING I can do to help this? I am going to a different apple store tomorrow and hope the manager is a bit more understanding in the fact that not all apple computers are put through "normal" use and therefore should not be judged with "normal" specs. When my computer was new it NEVER ever ever did this, and I feel like I bought applecare for that exact reason, so that for at least 3 year i have the computer I bought. Any any any help would be greatly appreciated, I am 19 going and paying my way through school and if i didnt have to pay for school I would just say screw it and I would buy another unit, but i cant. Thanks for reading this, i really appreciate it.

Unfortunately, spoke way to early. The fan issue is still a big problem. From the second the machine is turned on, the fan cranks up. Frankly, I think this is overheating the machine to some extent (running the fan at max speeds when it's not even warm). Additionally, the noise caused by this has only gotten worse, and now it is even making a "whistling sound." Looks like I'm going to be making the trek to the Genious Bar, but based on comments by others on this issue I am not optimistic about a fix.

IMac having very low reliability with Hard Drive

Hi, I recently had to replace the hard drive in my Early 2008 iMac. I replaced it with a 2 TB Seagate (pretty reliable) but my computer has been stuttering lately. It'll be fine for a couple days, and then it will just die (not permanently, just until I reboot).
Anyway, I was trying to save a document, and Pages froze with a spinning wheel after I clicked "save as." I was ultimately forced to force quit and lose my document. I then went to search activity monitor in spotlight, but it froze too. I went through stacks to get to activity monitor, and it froze too when I went to look at disk activity. Mail also froze and forced me to quit it. Only after a hard shutdown (as it got stuck trying to shut down) did my computer go back to normal.
Today, this happened again, and I'm becoming worried that I'm going to have to buy a new computer. I'm going to verify the disk tonight to look for problems, but I was wondering if you all could diagnose the problem.
Thank You!
On a side note: Mail has been unable to send any emails, and I've had trouble with some servers. I've had to redo them and they've worked, but at this time I can't send messages through mail on ANY outgoing server I have (multiple email addresses too).

The HDD corruption is a symptom. It's caused by the iMac locking up and having to be booted. When mine locks, the HDD runs constantly while the screen is frozen or a solid color. I'm forced to power it off.
Unfortunately, you are in the same boat as many others, and your issues are heat related. For me it was the HDD, then burn marks on the LCD, then GPU failures and now OS X is just unusable.
I am able to run Windows through bootcamp since my GPU recovers in Windows but not OS X. I have the fans cranked to 6000rpm and it gets to 150 - 170 degrees then things get weird. Screen flashing, spinning beach ball, solid colors, graphic distortion.
I've cleaned the vents, and fans and confirmed air flow. Be sure to try and keep your temps under control and check with Apple Store and let me know how it goes. I think mine is a goner.

Fan cranking up

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