From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jun 10 14:36:50 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E419C1065670 for ; Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:36:50 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from me@janh.de) Received: from mailhost.uni-hamburg.de (mailhost.uni-hamburg.de [134.100.32.155]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9B3BC8FC16 for ; Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:36:50 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from me@janh.de) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mailhost.uni-hamburg.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 995BC90050; Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:36:49 +0200 (CEST) X-Virus-Scanned: by University of Hamburg (RRZ/mailhost) Received: from mailhost.uni-hamburg.de ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (mailhost.uni-hamburg.de [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id Um4HC39GNGPh; Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:36:49 +0200 (CEST) Received: from janh.freebsd (privat-131jes.math.uni-hamburg.de [134.100.221.76]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) (Authenticated sender: fmjv004) by mailhost.uni-hamburg.de (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 82DFF900C0; Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:36:49 +0200 (CEST) Message-ID: <4A2FC501.10809@janh.de> Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:36:49 +0200 From: Jan Henrik Sylvester User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.21 (X11/20090405) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: questions-list freebsd References: <4A2FB630.8040408@janh.de> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Tim Judd Subject: Re: disk with high frequency noise only on FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:36:51 -0000 Tim Judd wrote: > On 6/10/09, Jan Henrik Sylvester wrote: >> The hard disk of a new computer makes annoying high frequency noises -- >> probably while seeking -- on FreeBSD 7.2-RELEASE. >> >> I booted up a Linux live CD and could not hear anything doing the same >> kind of access. (To test that, I put a ports tree on a FAT partition and >> did 'cat */*/Makefile' from FreeBSD and Linux.) >> >> Using sysutils/ataidle, I changed the AAM to different values with no >> effect. (The disk does not support APM.) >> >> What is different between FreeBSD and Linux in this regard? >> >> Is the disk probably broken? (I guess I would be out of luck with >> support if I cannot reproduce it on a different OS.) >> >> The disk is a WDC WD1600AAJS-07PSA0 with firmware 05.06H05. > if it's the same high-frequency noise like an alarm, like a trouble No, it does not sound like a deliberate signal. It is more like high frequency scratching at the upper range of the hearable spectrum. I have heard a similar noise from other hard disks, but much more quiet and not quite as high. This one is extremely annoying. It cannot be due to overheating, since it is there from the first boot, but only on FreeBSD -- especially if I access many small files. Thanks, Jan Henrik