Fan or hard disc issue/bad noise and lock up

Hi!
I have got this really annoying problem. After some time on, my powerbook spins up. I do not know if it is the fan or the hard disc. Then the computer goes thinking and I can not do anything just right after. Then I have to turn it off. I have tried resetting pmu and reinstalling mac os X without success. Anyone have an idea what could be the problem or if I should hand it over to technicians as it might be a hardware problem?
Powerbook G4 1.5ghz Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hi, kefas. Your 1.5GHz Powerbook is Aluminum, not Titanium. For the best suggestions from other people who are familiar with your model, you will want to repost in the 15" Aluminum PB discussions area. Good luck!

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Fan making a bad noise and thoughts on software and Tiger

Hi,
My almost 3 month old (problem child) 15" Powerbook now has the fan making a bad noise. It still runs when it gets hot which is often. BTV, a video capture program I use alot, will send the processor into 90-something/100% use when I have the "use more processor time" option checked even when I not recording. In the past day the fan is MUCH louder and doesn't sound good.
My question is if the fan dies, will the only way I will know it be that the machine has toasted itself?
I do have a Dashboard widget that I watched as BTV was on just now. I watched the proceesor bottomside temperature rise . The fan kicked in at about 138 degrees (134?). The graphics processor is holding pretty steady at about 200 degrees with occasional flips to about 130.
Turn "use more processing time" off and the temperature immediately drops, CPU goes to about 20% and the fan goes off. (Now processor bottomside is at 120 degrees.)
OK, besides the fan sounding bad, it may be that the software I am using is causing the trouble. Trouble is I have found that most of the software I use causes problems for Tiger. This is getting tiresome. Previous OS's worked. Tiger has been nothing but trouble for me so far.
Is there a way to check what software is compatible with Tiger? I do look at the requirements as much as I can before I download stuff but many just say, 10.whatever and higher is ok.
Your thoughts?
John L
(whose first Mac was an SE/OS 7.1, then an LC 580/7.5, Powerbook Firewire/9.2.2 and I have used OSX 10.3.9.)

Thanks for the reply. Yes, they are old versions of BTV. I downloaded the most recent version yesterday which is the same as what I already had. I wanted to be sure I had a good version properly installed so I threw out the older one. I now have three versions (two of which are probably the same):
BTV Carbon 5.4.1
BTV 5.4.3b2
BTV Pro 5.4.3b2
(The older version of 5.4.1 that I had didn't say Carbon after it but I might have re-titled it.)
I got the beta version, which turns out to the same as BTV Pro, in August of 2004. I do see that the regular version of BTV hasn't been updated since April 29, 2002 so while I have been using it with 10.3.9 and 10.4 I should not be surprised that it will have some issues. I have written to someone who had helped me before at Ben Software and hope that someone responds. They have been real helpful before. I wonder if they are out of the BTV business though, other than selling it. The support forums are gone but they do say you can write to them.
Thanks again.
John

Fan issue making noise and heating issue

Hi,
My laptop fan is making noise like a car engine.Earliar i did nott realize it but since winters are here i can hear it clearly coz ciealing fan is not under use now.Also my laptop is quite heated below.I have read that dust can accumulate in vents but i cant see any.Also my previous laptop got killed becoz of this same issue.Hp should do something about it.Can a layman like me open the dv-4 version and clean the fan? It is out of warranty now and i dont want to spend on shop.But i saw a video HP laptops are complicated to open....and close.Watevr other advice u r most welcome to give regarding yhis issue.
thanks

HP notebooks tend to run hot & thermal control is minimal effort in design & materials.
You can try clening with compressed air or a hoover perhaps but if looks clean & air sems to be flowing I expect it not the main issue.
You may also want to check running processes & CPU use as issues here & viruses can causes CPU load thus heat.
Also review notebook placed so vents are not blocked/restricted.
Use software such as HWinfo to review the actual temps of CPU GPU etc as helps see how much of an issue you really have.
HP laptops can be improved with thermal shims, ceramique paste, housing vent modifications & in extreme cases secondary case venting 25>30mm fan.
Not easy to do without some experience.
Like my post? Click Kudos (thumb+) to show appreciation.

A few months ago my fan started making a lot of noise and is getting really hot. I've taken steps to prevent overheating, but nothing has changed. Is it a battery issue?

I've had the computer for 2 1/2 years and it started getting really noisy about 4 months ago. I'm using rulers to elevate the computer above the surface of the table to prevent overheating, but its still getting really hot and the fan is still making a lot of noise on and off. Could this be a battery issue?

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

Hard Drive Issues (Both new and old)

I'm trapped in a HDD nightmare with my MacBook Pro mid-2012.
I updated to Yosemite 10.10.3 (with the Photos app). A couple of days after the update, I was watching a movie on my TV screen via HDMI. In the middle of the movie I removed the HDMI cable from the MacBook Pro and everything freezes. I forced shut down (Note: My HDD was encrypted). After I forced shut down, I tried to turn on and the loading screen would never stop loading - like, 14 hours stuck with the progress bar. Since I have backups, I decided to access DU and format my HDD. I tried everything. For real. Every command line I could type on Terminal to format, repair, erase and/or partition. I read almost every issue-related questions on the forums and stack exchange groups for a week (even posted my issue here: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/181090/erasing-and-partitioning-hard-dr ive-from-internet-recovery?noredirect=1#comment215695_181090).
So, I decided that it was a HDD failure and bought a new one.
I bought the Seagate 1TB SSHD Hybrid - ST1000LM014. Installed the new fresh disk and guess what? All those same problems again. I´m not able to restore from Time Machine because it doesn't recognize the disk in the restore page. But the disk is recognized in the DU. When I try to erase or partition the new SSHD, the same old errors: File system formatter failed. Yes, I tired GUID Partition Table, all of the security options, etc.
Please. Any light that you can throw at this issue, I'll be very grateful for. BTW, the new SSHD is recognized and the SMART Status says: Verified.
Any ideas on *** is going on?
Thanks in advance!

More additional info:
Booted from my external HDD which contains Time Machine Backups. In Utilities I opened Terminal and typed:
-bash-3.2# diskutil eraseDisk JHFS+ SSHD_1TB /dev/disk0
Started erase on disk0
Unmounting disk
Creating the partition map
Waiting for the disks to reappear
Formatting disk0s2 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name SSHD_1TB
newfs_hfs: WriteBuffer: pwrite(3, 0x1071ea000, 1048576, 0): Input/output error
newfs_hfs: write (sector 0): Invalid argument
Mounting disk
Could not mount disk0s2 with name (null) after erase
Error: -69832: File system formatter failed

How can I access a Photoshop Elements catalog on an external hard disc from both: Mac and Windows PC

How can the directories and path be named, that catalog can access the same picture files.

TZachmann wrote:
How can the directories and path be named, that catalog can access the same picture files.
That means you should have both your files and your catalog on the external drive, and you plug in your external drive alternatively to one or the other computer.
Are your picture files already on the external drive ? If they are, you only need to copy the catalog folder to the external drive, as explained later,
otherwise, simply do a backup/restore to the external drive, with the choice to restore on custom location.
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/backup-restore-move-catalog-photoshop.html
(moving to the external drive is similar to moving to another computer)
Moving the catalog :
First locate where your catalog folder is situated : menu help / system info.
Copy the whole folder to the external drive.
In the copied catalog, double click the catalog.pse12db file, that will open the organizer and the new catalog. It will appear in the 'custom location' section in the catalog manager.
Backup and restore solution : restore on 'custom location', that is to a new master folder created on the external drive.
The first time you are using the catalog on either computer, you'll have to use the catalog manager (file / catalog...) to browse to the external drive location of the catalog. After that, the location will be remembered in each computer.

ISight Making Clicking Noise and Locking Up Computer

I have an iSight that worked perfectly for about a month. Recently it seems to work well when I first start iChat, but after only a few minutes the image locks and the camera starts making a clicking noise. The green light goes on and off. Sometimes the image will start again, and sometimes it does not. It also often seems to lock the entire application (either Skype or iChat). I have to completely turn off the computer and re-start. Also, I can't turn on the computer with my iSight plugged in. I have tried both fire-wire ports, don't have any other devices connected by firewire. I do have a wireless router I put in place, but can't remember if any of the problems seemed to start when I put this in or not. Any suggestions are appreciated. I bought the camera on eBay, but it came still wrapped in plastic with all original packaging. It appeared to be brand new. Thanks for any thoughts!!!

You're welcome, kerk7
Your M8817LL/C iSight is at least a couple of years newer than my iSight. My old "Rev A" has never failed in daily use, and it is still working fine. Click here if you want more info about model visions.
Yes, other cameras will work. For instance, I used my Firewire-equipped DV camcorder for my first couple of months of "iChatting." If you have a camcorder with a Firewire cable, disconnect all other Firewire devices, plug the camcorder in, and try it with iSight. My camcorder was not nearly so handy as my iSight, and I was nervous about dropping the camcorder or using it up video chatting instead of making video recordings, but it worked fine, and the image quality was great.
Because you are using OS X 10.4.10, the new "UVC" webcams will work without additional driver software (for compatible applications.) Note that applications like iMovie that require Firewire DV input signals from external cameras will NOT work with these UVC cams. Check the System Requirements of each software application you will use for compatibility info. If you plan to use your webcam with iMovie or other Firewire-only apps, you may want to get your iSight repaired (if it can be) or buy one of the available alternative Firewire cams. If you really want a UVC cam instead, you could record your movie/video clips using some compatible application that can make movie or video clips and then import the clips into your iMovie project for processing.
You ask for "thoughts."
(1) When shopping, remember that significantly cheaper cameras likely have fewer features than iSight. Many do not auto focus. Some do not automatically adjust lighting. Some do not have microphones, so, depending upon which Mac you use, you may need to buy a separate mic. Check carefully for features that are important to you.
(2) Some very low-priced cams may give lower quality images. See John Kennedy's "Cameras and Image Quality", the Sat - October 30, 2004, blog for a comparison. Although new external iSights are no longer available from Apple, the image quality of external iSight shown in the comparison should be representative of current high-quality web cams.
(3) Any but the lowest-cost webcams should give an adequate quality image, but remember that your husband will be the one looking at the image from the camera you buy. If your Mac is portable, the best way to determine which cameras offer an image "good enough" for your needs is to take your Mac along when you shop. Ask the retailer to demonstrate the camera on your computer with the software application you will use. The preview function of your software will let you judge the quality the actual image from a particular camera as well as demonstrate to you that the camera model is compatible with your software. If you use a desktop Mac, ask the retailer to demonstrate the camera on one of his Macs with the same Mac OS and software applications that you plan to use.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Hard drive issues after update 10.10.3

Question also posted here:Hard Drive Issues (Both new and old)
I'm trapped in a HDD nightmare with my MacBook Pro mid-2012.
I updated to Yosemite 10.10.3 (with the Photos app). A couple of days after the update, I was watching a movie on my TV screen via HDMI. In the middle of the movie I removed the HDMI cable from the MacBook Pro and everything freezes. I forced shut down (Note: My HDD was encrypted). After I forced shut down, I tried to turn on and the loading screen would never stop loading - like, 14 hours stuck with the progress bar. Since I have backups, I decided to access DU and format my HDD. I tried everything. For real. Every command line I could type on Terminal to format, repair, erase and/or partition. I read almost every issue-related questions on the forums and stack exchange groups for a week (even posted my issue here: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/181090/erasing-and-partitioning-hard-dr ive-from-internet-recovery?noredirect=1#comment215695_181090).
So, I decided that it was a HDD failure and bought a new one.
I bought the Seagate 1TB SSHD Hybrid - ST1000LM014. Installed the new fresh disk and guess what? All those same problems again. I´m not able to restore from Time Machine because it doesn't recognize the disk in the restore page. But the disk is recognized in the DU. When I try to erase or partition the new SSHD, the same old errors: File system formatter failed. Yes, I tired GUID Partition Table, all of the security options, etc.
Please. Any light that you can throw at this issue, I'll be very grateful for. BTW, the new SSHD is recognized and the SMART Status says: Verified.
Any ideas on *** is going on?
Thanks in advance!
MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), i7, 8GB RAM

After I erase the hard drive (I assume one pass of writing zeros is good enough, 7 passes not needed?) do I turn off the laptop, then turn on and insert the Install Disk? Will there be a prompt telling me when to put in the disk? Or do I put in the disc right after erasing?
One pass is fine. If you've previously backed up your hard drive to an external hard drive using SuperDuper!, which is what I use and recommend, or another program, if it created a bootable drive, you want to boot off of it, bring up SuperDuper! and copy the drive back to the internal hard drive. SuperDuper also makes the drive bootable. When done, reboot, and you should be all set. If you're using Time Machine, you'll want to install the operating system, then restore the Time Machine backup. SuperDuper! is available from http://www.shirt-pocket.com/superduper/superduperdescription.html
Finally- should I update the OS? Is there a problem with the newest update that caused this crash, or was it just a spurious glitch/bad luck?
I've been running 10.5.8 for awhile with no issues, and would recommend moving to it.

External Hard Disc won't show

My iMac hard disc is getting full so I bought an external hard disk. I changed my iTunes folder over to the external hard disc without any trouble and removed the old iTunes music folder as per directions. After that iTunes played fine, the next day when I turned on my iMac the iTunes music folder had reverted back to my iMac's hard disk, and the external hard disk no longer shows. I opened Disk Utility and the external disk shows there but when I try verify disk or repair disk i get "FIRST AID FAILED, Disk Utility stopped repairing “disk1s1” because the following error was encountered: The underlying task reported failure on exit."
Can anyone help, i have moved other data to the external drive also and its no lonfer in my iMac hard disk meaning if I have to send the external disk away for looking at I'll likely lose everything on it.

I think what you need to do is get a second external hard disk to attempt to recover data off that drive before you do anything else by using Subrosasoft Filesalvage to do the recovery.
External drives are best used as backup. If your itnernal hard drive is becoming too full, you need to know how to better manage your data, or get a larger internal hard drive. My FAQs* here should help you:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
http://www.macmaps.com/diskfull.html
Good luck!
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
Message was edited by: a brody

IMac 27 inch i7 OSX Lion will not boot up from Hard Disc

iMac 27 inch i7 OSX Lion will not boot up from Hard Disc on cold start, and cannot find wifi hardware in the machine. Restart and everything is fine. I have two machine and they behave the same. Software or hardware problem?

First of all, try a hard restart; making sure no disks are in the slot, unplug everything from your computer (keyboards, mice, etc.) and then unplug the computer itself. Leave it unplugged for a minute or two, then plug it back in and boot it up.
If that fails, reboot it while holding down the option-key on your keyboard. The screen should show a choice of which disk drive to boot from. Choose your usual drive.
If that fails, reboot it while holding down the shift-key on your keyboard. It should take a while for it to boot up, as it is destroying all connections to sources that may contain a virus.
If that fails, reboot it while holding down keys "option-command-P-R" until you hear the startup tone a second time.
If that fails, reboot it while holding down the C-key. Make sure you have inserted the installation disk before doing this step.
If that fails, reboot it while holding down the command-key and the R-key.
If that fails, please reply to this and let me know.

4.0.5 Thrashing the hard disc

I start Safari and leave it sitting on about:blank. Do nothing. A few minutes later it starts thrashing away at my hard disc doing who knows what?! Close Safari and the thrashing immediately stops.
Needless to say I'm not letting it complete whatever it thinks its doing - I've let it run for 10 minutes and still it keeps accessing my hard disc.
Anyone know what it's doing and more importantly, how to stop it?
Thanks,
Geoff

OK it appears it's the "Fraudulent Site" checker (a.k.a. "Google Safe Browsing Service"). Whenever this is enabled ('Preferences' -> 'Security' -> 'Fraudulent sites') Safari thrashes away at my hard disc. Disable this and restart Safari and it doesn't happen.

I have to keep force quiting firefox, hard disc is continually spinning while using this web broser

I have downloaded the new version of firefox for my mac. When I use it the hard disc is continually running and slowing down the function of the system.
When I want to quit it also mentions that I need to force quit firefox.

What do you have open in Safari? Also, open the Spin Control utility.

Macbook air hard disc full

I am new to Mac's! Loving it. I am lost why the hard disc space is full, and its all yellow, not sure what that means? Help!
Thanks!

Freeing Up Space on The Hard Drive
1. See Lion's Storage Display.
2. You can remove data from your Home folder except for the /Home/Library/ folder.
3. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on freeing up space on your hard drive.
4. Also see Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk.
5. See Where did my Disk Space go?.
6. See The Storage Display.
7. What is "Other" and What Can I Do About It?- Apple Support Communities
You must Empty the Trash in order to recover the space they occupied on the hard drive.
You should consider replacing the drive with a larger one. Check out OWC for drives, tutorials, and toolkits.
Try using OmniDiskSweeper 1.8 or GrandPerspective to search your drive for large files and where they are located.

Hard Disc (301) Error

Help!
Receive the message about an error with the hard disc. Ran diagostics and hard disc and startup tests failed immediately. Computer still under warranty but I am concerned about the data on the disc. Have not backed up to the remote drive in a while and I do not want to lose what is on the drive. Any advice before sending away to get repaired?.
Thank you

Hi:
Your only option would be to buy a sata to usb external notebook hard drive enclosure and see if you can retrieve any data from it by reading the disk from another PC.
Please understand that this will be a long shot, and I highly doubt any of the data will be retrievable.
But you have nothing to lose (except the $15 - $20 for the purchase of an external HDD enclosure) by trying.

I believe my macbook pro hard drive is bad. I erased the drive and reinstalled the OS and the macbook still runs really slow. I dont know if the hard drive is the issue.

I believe my macbook pro hard drive is bad. I erased the drive and reinstalled the OS and the macbook still runs really slow. I dont know if the hard drive is the issue.

Did you try an SMC reset too? It's easily done and none of those resets to the best of my knowledge hurt anything. When I was fooling with my system, which at one point was a home made Fusion setup, I needed to reset the SMC sometimes to get the drives recognized. Reading the documentation the sudden motion sensor is drive related but that seems to be about it.
Some more specifics may be needed about the drive itself, the model number of your unit, and the OS version you're running.
At present, the problem seems sort of odd to me. FWIW cable problems can be quite intermittent. I used Scannerz to find some of the problems on my original system that I later converted to a new HD and SSD combo. It can find lots of problems if you learn how to use it right (HD problems, logic board system faults, and cable problems) but you need to get a system at least partially up and running to use it, and it doesn't sound to me like your there right now (in other words, don't go out and buy it because at this point I don't know how it could help you)
Another word of advice would be to not go out and start throwing parts at a problem unless you have a good idea what the source of the problem is. If you have a logic board problem, new drives and new cables won't make it go away, you'll just be wasting your money. Logic board problems, cable problems, and drive problems can all have very similar end user symptoms. The article that I linked above named "Hard Drive Problems" has a section on general symptoms of problems and if you read the article it becomes clear there's a lot of overlap associated with different types of problems.
I assume that your unit isn't under warranty. If, by chance it is I wouldn't even fool with it and I'd take it to Apple and let them deal with the problem. You also might want to check with whatever Apple sources you have available to test your system, like an Apple store, and see how much they'll charge (if anything) to evaluate the system.
I certainly hope this helps.

Fan or hard disc issue/bad noise and lock up

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