Hi guys about obsolete Xcodes and old App.

[mentalthink]

HI guys I don't know if sometimes you need a Xcode old version, we  know Apple change the rules when they want , and perhaps you can develop for a bit old device... and can't do it.

https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/DSAuthWeb.woa/wa/login?appIdKey=d4f7d769c2abecc664d0dadfed6a67f943442b5e9c87524d4587a95773750cea&path=%2F%2Fdownloads%2Findex.action%3Fname%3DXcode

In this link you have a lot of Xcode  and another old things...

[hardyx]

I know this site, I have some instalation versions of XCode saved in my HD. I use XCode 4.3 for Snow Leopard and I have another partition with Lion for use and test in the last version. I use Snow Leopard more, because I don't like Lion becasue it's slower and takes more memory in my macmini 2009.

[mentalthink]

I put Hardyx because I never found the Xcode I need, now I'm use Xcode 4.4.1  on Mountain Lion, seems it's something extrange version... really I think the old versions of anything in Apple dissapears for you have to buy new devices and new soft.

PS: About your mac mini, you try to change the hard Drive, I put some days ago another hard drive (now I have 2 into mac mini), it's a seagate at 7200 RPM, and the mac runs very very quickly.. I suppose too, it's beacuse I did a fresh install and now all it's very clean into the OS.

[hardyx]

I changed the HD for a bigger drive, now I have to update the memory, I have 3 gb and sometimes the disk makes a little raca-raca noise.

[mentalthink]

JAJA, raca-raca-la pajarraca jaja---

About memory RAM, really I upgrade from 2GB to 8GB (Apple says the maximun it's 4, another lay more, are worster than Rajoy  ) and it's another machine.. I have a lot of things running at the same time , and the machine runs very very quick... I normally buy here Macnificos, it's an specialized shop of Apple in Barna (but does'nt Apple), but they have very good prices... my 4 Gb module of ram cost about 35-40€.

[DaCarSoft]

Hardyx hey... Take care!!!

The noise that you are hearing may be produced by a problem related to the energy administration of Macs and the way in wich the other manufacturers program the energy administration in the hard disk drives!!!
The original hard drives that Apple installs from factory have a special firmware modified, that controls the devices avoiding the drives to enter in a "sleeping mode" that parks the heads of the disk before of the correct time... Under Windows this effect does not happens because Windows makes the drive work hard and continuosly... But under Mac OS (and GNU/Linux also) the drives does not work so hard and sometimes the disk have time to enter in a sleeping mode that parks the heads in a so short time, but the OS makes it wake up inmediately (that noise is the sound that you heard!!!)

This problem, makes the life of the hard drives shorter than the life that it should be, and you can have a broken hard disk in a year... More or less...

You can search in Google about the LLC (Load Cycle Count) problem on Macs and PCs that have GNU/Linux installed.

I changed the hard disk of my MacBook Pro for a 1 Terabyte non Apple hard disk and I had the same kind of noises that you describe, because of that I had to investigate the problem and finally I solved it making my own program (by modifying a free software program that I found) to don't let the drive to sleep, calling each 5 seconds to the drive, reading the SMART parameters to not force the disk to work with its mechanical parts.

I will try to ZIP my program and public a Dropbox link for you here in the forums if you like.

I planned to public it in a blog, telling my story, but I had not time yet.

Also, I could be wrong, but I suppose that I'm not wrong.

[hardyx]

Thanks for the info DaCarSoft, but I notice that the HD is a little noisy and the Apple original not makes any sound. I tought they modified the HDs in any way. Apple HDs are silent like dead. Now I know the reason. I don't know if it's good to not let the disk to sleep . Sometimes you are reading a web page like this and not using too much. But I think the disk can work like if was in a PC with Windows. But you say that the Mac puts to sleep the disk more frequently.

I like to see your program, because can be good not listen the HD sounds again.
A question: If I disable the option "Put the disk to sleep when is possible" in System preferences > Energy saver, can I avoid this problem?

[mentalthink]

A doubt -.. not are the same the PC HD and MAC HD... I buy a PC HD and I don't have any trouble... well Mac mini shot down suddleny 2 times.. but I think it's for the heat whit 2 HD at the same time...

[DaCarSoft]

The drives that Apple includes in its computers usually have more quality than other drives installed in normal PCs...   You can found drives with zero noises for PC also, but Apple also installs some rubbers to avoid vibrations and designs the computer case to reduce the sound that the user can hear.

Original Apple drives (that can be manufactured by Toshiba or Hitachi, for example...) does not let the heads park, it is not exactly a "sleeping mode"... you can't avoid the problem through the "don't sleep" option in Mac OS X.

It is not a problem only of Macs, it is a problem of common drives that includes common firmware for "general purposes" and the way in which PCs usually works because of Windows.

There are plenty of people that have broken hard drives, who has Linux installed...   or Mac user with upgraded hard disks not purchased to Apple.

I made this program for myself.  Hark0 have tested also my version, because he had the same problem than me.

Here goes the Dropbox link:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8ocpxzktq4xiwzk/zQGCA_PWSH

To detect if you have problems with your hard disk, you can use my program to see what tells the SMART status doing this steps:

-Right click on the icon that appears on the top bar when you launches the utility
-Preferences
-If it is not checked, check the hard disk you want to test
-Right click on the hard disk you want to test and select the first option (check SMART attributes)
-Search the value (193) Load Cycle Count...   If the number of the value is so high in comparison with the value "Start/Stop Count" (4) then you probably had the problem I refer. A normal value could be up to 6X the Start Stop Count...   For example, if you have a Start Stop Count of 100 it is normal to have up to 600 or 700... (no more)   But if you have a higher value...  may be that your hard disk increments the Load Cycle Count wrongly because of the explained problem...    You could execute this test to see if the counter of Load Cycle Counts increments more than 1 or two times by hour...   That is a normal value, no more...

If you have the problem, let the program start and runs in each user session of Mac OS, you have the option in the Preferences of the program, and does not check the "version autoupdate" option of it, and let the drive checked in the first preference screen, to test it each 5 seconds and avoid the parking of the heads. Remember that it is a modified version from other open source code program.

You can test also other utility called "hdapm"...    This program may correct the power control adjustments for the hard disks compatible with it (depending on each drive manufacturer and model). But my program should be compatible with all hard drives.

Here is a link related to the problem:

http://dougitdesign.com/blog/2009/12/mac-clicking-hdd-hard-drive-noise-hdapm-html/#more-229

You can see that the estimated lifetime of a disk is about 600.000 Load Cycle Counts (parking and unparking of the heads).



Good luck and tell me if you have some questions.

[hardyx]

Thanks DaCarSoft I see this is a problem beyond the noise. Your program is very good, I see Start_Stop_Count is 100 and Load_Cycle_Count is 097 . It's the Value not the Raw_Value right?. It's not a big value I think. The Raw values are very differents Start_Stop_Count is 178 and Load_Cycle_Count is 32690 . This is bad. Wich are the real values?

With the app I don't hear the tic sound, but now if I put my ear in the macmini I can hear the disk motor all the time .
Great tool, congratulations.

P.D. One thing more, maybe can be good an option to don't write all the queries in the log file.