11-13-2010, 05:39 AM

Hello, this is my first post on this forum so please bear with me if this is has been discussed to death before.

I have a MacBook Pro:
- Model Name: MacBook Pro 15"
- Model Identifier: MacBookPro2,2
- Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
- Processor Speed: 2.33 GHz)

A couple of days ago it started to create a fairly high-pitched whirring sound. I've looked at threads on this forum and others which suggest this could be anything from a HD issue, to a fan issue, perhaps that this model of macbook's CPU keeps a noise when running at a lower level. The noise definitely appears to be coming from the left hand side towards the back (which is where the HD is positioned I believe). I have run disk utility on the internal HD and received the following report:

'Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
%)
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
Volume Header needs minor repair
d.",1)
Macintosh HD
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit


1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair'

Obviously there appears to be an issue with the HD, but I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this before and also if anyone knows of any other free diagnostics tools/software to help determine where the problem lies? - (I don't have the install disk for Apple Hardware Test)

Also, with it stating: 'Volume Header needs minor repair' does anyone know if this means it could be something repaired easily/cheaply by myself? or would I need to take it to an apple store and pay the price?!

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I have just backed up my HD to an external drive!

Many thanks,

Toz.

11-13-2010, 05:54 AM

Run Disk Utility from your install disc and it should repair that fault, but, if your drive is noisy it could be starting to fail for sure.

"Volume" is the hard drive, or the section of it where the OS is stored. Headers are kind of like the mileage markers on the highways, they indicate approximate locations on the HD where certain bits of data are stored.
It's not serious and is easily fixed.

11-13-2010, 10:38 AM

Expanding on what Kevriano mentioned -- filesystem errors like what you're experiencing are software related. Those issues are usually easily corrected with Disk Utility.

Physical problems with the disk (like whining) can not be repaired and will require replacement. The funny thing I've found is that whiny hard drives seem to last forever. If you're concerned that the mechanism is failing, try running the SMART Utility (trialware) - that will generally give you a good idea of the overall physical status of the drive.