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Old 01-11-2011, 03:22 PM   #1
snadge
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changes by hdparm - is this permanent?


ive been trying to get rid of this stupid whirring/clicking sound that happens for 6-10 seconds every 10 seconds or so... ive since learnt that its aggressive power saving mode in my HDD (that Linux programmers refuse to sort out like windows programmers do) - trying to fix it i used the hdparm code setting - does this make permanent changes in the hard-drive that would reflect in windows if i boot back into windows? - i tried the 255 and 254 code and none of which worked but after coming back into windows there seems to be random clicks more often than before.. i dunno if its just me worrying that ive broke my hard-drive by trying these codes and thinking it is or wot

so are these changes permanent or do they reset at boot?

thanks
 
Old 01-11-2011, 04:58 PM   #2
TobiSGD
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I had the same problems (too aggressive power-saving), but solved it with
Code:
hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
on my laptop.
This setting is reseted when rebooting, so I wrote this command in my /etc/rc.local (Debian, don't know where to put it on other systems), so that is executed at boot.
 
Old 01-11-2011, 05:14 PM   #3
snadge
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TobiSGD View Post
I had the same problems (too aggressive power-saving), but solved it with
Code:
hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
on my laptop.
This setting is reseted when rebooting, so I wrote this command in my /etc/rc.local (Debian, don't know where to put it on other systems), so that is executed at boot.
i tried that and didnt work - last night however i changed the battery settings so that it wouldnt spin down (even though i was on AC power) and it stopped?? - but since coming on today ive noticed its back with a vengence and changing settings does nothing - neither does that code above.. 255 or 254... - 255 is Power Management OFF and 254 sets it on lowest setting,

this clicking DOES NOT HAPPEN IN WINDOWS... im very surprised that Linux OS Programmers cant/wont sort this out? it seems to affect a large amount of laptop hard-drives and people running Linux... im in windows right now and its great...
 
Old 01-11-2011, 05:16 PM   #4
snadge
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...actually... i got ACCESS DENIED when i used that code... but i used one i seen on another website which had a # in front of it - that didnt return any errors or notifications so i assumed it worked... and didnt sort it out - is this right or not? if i dont have the hash why am i getn access denied errors?

Code:
# hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
returned no errors

Code:
 
hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
returned ACCESS DENIED

Last edited by snadge; 01-11-2011 at 05:18 PM.
 
Old 01-11-2011, 05:34 PM   #5
TobiSGD
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You have to issue that command as root, sorry, I should have mentioned that. If you see a #-char before a command that means the same, issue that command as root, but do not type the #-char in, or the bash will see your input as simple comment and do nothing.
So if you for example are using Ubuntu you have to type
Code:
sudo hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
If you use a distro that don't uses sudo you have to type
Code:
su
hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
Be aware that you must type your password in when asked by the sudo-command, but the root password when asked by su, and that you will not see the password, you have to type it blind.
Which distro are you using?
 
Old 01-11-2011, 05:39 PM   #6
snadge
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latest ubuntu 64-bit, thanks for the clarification, the fixes i see all over the web just show the code... no 'SUDO' before it either - i had to work out for myself that it must be some form of command like CMD prompt in windows... i found the terminal and entered the code but didnt work... i will try the sudo in front of it... thanks

so, if it works... how to i get it too run at boot? , remember: im a noob haha

thanks for your help
 
Old 01-11-2011, 06:31 PM   #7
TobiSGD
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Every time when you get the advice to type in a command, you are supposed to do that in a terminal. Sorry, I thought you know that.

Sadly, I don't know where to put the command in Ubuntu, it has a different startup system than my Debian machines.
 
  


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