how to forcibly spin down a disk?

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Hi, all -

I have a NewerTech miniStack that's making an annoying whine. I suspect it's the drive in it, but I'd like to be sure before I replace it. Is there a way to forcibly spin down a hard drive? I've "ejected" it, but the noise didn't change, and I think it's still running.

Thanks.
 

chscag

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Is the drive powered by the USB bus or does it have a separate PS? Ejecting the drive if it's powered by the bus does not necessarily turn it off so it can spin down. The drive firmware determines that. If you're hearing a whine after the drive is ejected and it disappears from your desktop, get in touch with the manufacturer and get a RMA. Or return to where you purchased it and get a refund.
 
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It's hard to tell from the information on the NewerTech web site, but I think it has its own power supply. When you say "get in touch with the manufacturer," are you referring to the manufacturer of the miniStack or of the hard drive within?

Thanks.
 

chscag

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If it's sold as one unit (drive already inside) then you probably need to get the RMA from miniStack. LaCie drives are also sold that way.
 
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I bought the miniStack empty and put a drive into it. It's not clear to me: do you suspect the miniStack or the drive? And, is there some way to spin down the drive?

I guess I could open the miniStack and disconnect the drive; I was hoping for an easier way to do it, though.
 

chscag

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If you bought the drive and placed it in the miniStack, then of course you need to deal with drive manufacturer or where you purchased it from. As I said in the original reply, return it for a refund and replace it with a different drive.
 

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