Macbook Hard Drive Failure?

[daniel161]

So my macbook has started to frequently make a very high pitch noise on and off. When it makes the noise the entire computer locks up with the spinning little color wheel. I do not think it is the CPU because you can still move the pointer around. I do believe the noise is coming from the hard disk, but I do not want to think it is the drive. The noise and freezing can correct itself by three ways, 1. Run its course and in 5 min the computer is runnable. 2. Do a hard reboot. 3. Tip the laptop 90deg towards me and then set it back down.



All signs point to a failing hard disk, but all the scans I have done said it is ok. So any ideas?


Thanks!



--Daniel L

 

[seanc]

Make sure you're doing frequent backups.

Go to the Apple menu > About this Mac > System Profiler > Serial-ATA and click your hard drive. What hard drive is it? Seagate 80GB with 7.01 firmware?

These have a KNOWN design flaw where they will fail. I took mine out, it's just sat on my desk doing nothing.

Apple should replace it for you, if not then Seagate should.

 

[daniel161]

Thanks for the reply!



Unfortunately(or thankfully) the drive is a "FUJITSU MHY2250BH".

The computer is out of the 90 day phone support, but the 1year limited warranty is still in place.


Cost, and time wise. Even if Apple will replace the drive after the complete failure, time and money wise, it would be cheaper to get a replacement at bestbuy, and do it myself. (I am a student who relies on this computer heavily for school)

 

[seanc]

Hmm interesting. Is that a 250GB HDD (looking at the model no.)?

People have had good luck buying one of those external western digital external passport drives, taking the drives out and putting them into the MacBook.

Again, the HDD may have a warranty with Fujitsu and it would with Apple.

 

[vnf4ultra]

If it were mine, I'd try to clone the drive ASAP with something like carbon copy cloner to another drive. If that doesn't work, then try to back up your user directory instead. Once that's done, I'd recommend making an appointment (since you can't afford to drop it off and have it wait on a list) to get the drive swapped out (hopefully while you wait) at no cost under warranty at either an apple store or an apple authorized service provider. Either way you can find the closest service location at this site.

P.S. I don't think the drive inside will have any warranty outside of apple, because it will be labeled as a fujistu built for apple, thereby fujitsu doesn't warrant it directly.