FreeAgent Products

[viDOSe]

What is your disksleep setting set to?

Apple (top left) > About this Mac > More info > This is the system profiler

from here go to hardware > power > what is the value next to the disksleep?

This can also be that the power management system in your mac is sending the sleep command to the drive

Try resetting the PRAM (hold command+option+p+r at startup till computer chimes twice)

Also reset the PMU/SMU by unplugging everything from the computer including power cord for 5 minute then hook it up and see if the drive will stay awake

Also how is the drive connected to the system? is direct or threw a hub?

Sorry about the original post i was in a hurry

**revised**

Message Edited by viDOSe on 09-25-2008 01:20 PM

[mrdenis]

>What is your disksleep setting set to?

no idea


>This is in system profiler under hardware > power

The options I have are System Preferences/Hardware/Energy Saver - Put the hard disk to sleep when possible (checked)


>there should be a number next to disksleep

Where can I find disksleep?


>This can also be that the power management system in your mac is not sending the sleep command to the drive

I don't want a sleep command sent to the drive - the whole point of this thread is to stop the drive from going to sleep

>Try resetting the PRAM (hold command+option+p+r at startup till computer chimes twice)

I've done that previously and it had no effect

>Also reset the PMU/SMU by unplugging everything from the computer including power cord for 5 minute then hook it up and see if the drive will sleep them.

As stated above - I don't want a sleep command sent to the drive - the whole point of this thread is to stop the drive from going to sleep

[Heshbot]

Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Although this is for the internal drive, not the external. I actually talked to a seagate customer service person and they told me to go into system prefs>energy saver and make the "put displays to sleep" option at never. I thought he was joking for a while, then i realized he wasn't and realized how much customer service sucked. put display to sleep is for the screen, not for the drive.

We just need some type of code or something that will tell the disk to power down/save energy when it isn't transmitting anything. For some reason it is screwed up and powers down when a transfer is going, and that is a sign of bad drive construction or something.

[Britbonic]

Actually, this seems to work!

In that same preferences screen, there is an option in the lower left that says "Put disk(s) to sleep when possible" This was checked on my machine. I unchecked it and the disk has not stopped spinning since!

My drive is brand new as of 1 week ago and has the latest Freeagent software installed. I verified this by clicking "Check for Updates"

I've been trying to solve this problem as clearly many others have (do a Google search)since I bought the drive last week. The time out problems renders Time Machine useless since it will only backup when the drive is spinning.

The answers that have been given here by Seagate tech support and others about letting Mac adjust sleep and using System Profiler are both partially correct. The missing piece is that the Energy Saver pref is where you change the settings. After making the change, go back to System Profilers and it should look like this:

AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 0
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 0

I guess they forgot to be specific with the tech support folks when they go the update. Also, would be good if they labeled the software updates on the support sites with the version number. There is no way to tell what the version is unless you download and check the DMG date.

Lastly, let's hope these drives are designed the be running all the time without overheating or increased failure rates. Another interesting note is that Seagate has introduced Mac specifc versions of these drives included a portable and desktop versions. One of the listed features is Time Machine compatibility. Let's hope this gets included in an update for the classic models.

[Heshbot]

Britbonic,

this did not work for me. I'm using iTunes and every so often it powers down quickly and powers up quickly cutting off the song. my system profiler is telling me:

AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 25
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 180

also not having you drive go to sleep whenever possible is a little dangerous, in my opinion.

[Britbonic]

Unless there is something different about the Freeagent than virtually every other hard drive made, there should not being a problem having the drive run all the time. In fact, most drive problems occur when a drive spins up. They are much more reliable if running all the time.

Based on what your system profile says the disk does eventually go to sleep. Are you saying the you unchecked the box in energy savings and this is what the system profile says or are you saying that you set it so the disk spins down after 180 minutes and it still spins down before that?

[viDOSe]

The disksleep time effects all drives connected to the system that is connected to the computer (internal and external)

[Heshbot]

I unchecked the box and this is what it is saying and it also spins down before 180 minutes. Do I have to slide the bar above it to "never" also?

I was also under the impression that running your hard drives continuously not only is not energy efficient but lowers the hard drives life span.

[AlanM]

Please see the Common Issues thread at the top of this board for a link to troubleshooting Sleep problems.  Click on the link and you'll see the solution kindly offered by ViDOSe.  Give that one a try, and let the rest of us know whether it worked.

[Britbonic]

"I unchecked the box and this is what it is saying and it also spins down before 180 minutes. Do I have to slide the bar above it to "never" also?

I was also under the impression that running your hard drives continuously not only is not energy efficient but lowers the hard drives life span."

Unchecking the box affects all hard drives, internal and external and makes it so they don't sleep. There is no timer option for this. The sliders above are for putting the computer to sleep and putting the display to sleep and don't impact the hard drives.

Yes, you will use more energy since the drive is always spinning. No, I don't think it impacts lifespan but suggest you get Seagate's perspective on this.

Message Edited by Britbonic on 09-26-2008 08:41 AM