Re: [gentoo-user] Re: External hard drive and idle activity

[Dale]

Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> On 2020-01-01 18:09, Dale wrote:
>
>> As some may recall, I have a 8TB external SATA hard drive that I do
>> back ups on. Usually, I back up once a day, more often if
>> needed. Usually I turn the power on, mount it, do the back ups,
>> unmount and turn the power back off. Usually it is powered up for 5
>> minutes or so. When I unmount it tho, I sometimes notice it is still
>> doing something. I can feel the mechanism for the heads moving. It has
>> a slight vibration to it.  Questions are, what is it doing and should
>> I let it finish before powering it off? I'd assume that once it in
>> unmounted, the copy process is done so the files are safe. I guess it
>> is doing some sort of internal checks or something but I'm not sure.
> I have observed the same thing.  But in my case, I also disconnect the
> _cable_ from the computer to the enclosure when I am done ... and still
> the drive activity goes on.  From that I conclude that it is the drive
> circuitry itself doing some kind of internal housekeeping, and there is
> no point in worrying about it because one would wait forever for it to
> end.
>


That's one thing that makes it unnervey.  I'll put my hand around to the
back and feel those little bumps.  I wait until I think it is done but
just as I'm about to power it off, it bumps again.  It's so
unpredictable, I never know if it is done doing its thing or not.  Just
like now, it's unmounted, did that during last reply, it hasn't did the
bump thingy while reading your reply or me typing mine in so far.  Now
as soon as I reach around to turn it off, it'll likely do the bump thing
again.  lol 

One thing is for sure tho, if you unplug the cable, whatever it is
doing, it's internal.  Sort of hard for the puter to be doing something
when it isn't connected.  That narrows the options down a lot.  That's a
good piece of info there.

Thanks.

Dale

:-)  :-)