MBP (early 2008) Runs Much Cooler after New (old) HDD

3 years ago I upgraded my early 2008 MBP with a 750g Seagate Black HDD... Worked well. For the past several months my MBP has been running very hot, even when it was just at idle... I was suspicious that there was some kind of malware or virus, but the activity monitor did not give me any info... The HDD crashed last week (efforts to repair disc and permissions from the recovery partition were fruitless, verbose mode start up showed I/O failure) and I put in my old HDD (a 320g from 3 years ago) and it still works fine. The MBP no longer runs hot!!

So, very hot MBP and a premature HDD failure makes me leery to just use a time machine restore because I am worried that I will just end up with a very hot running MBP and another HDD failure.

I can get at my files from the failed HDD using it as an external drive through the USB. It will be time consuming and I am sure I will have more questions.

Could I have had some type of malware or virus causing the MBP to run hot and crash the HDD that was invisible? Has anyone had this happen.

Thanx in advance!

MacPow said:

So, very hot MBP and a premature HDD failure makes me leery to just use a time machine restore because I am worried that I will just end up with a very hot running MBP and another HDD failure.

Could I have had some type of malware or virus causing the MBP to run hot and crash the HDD that was invisible? Has anyone had this happen.

Click to expand...

The key statement here is "very hot MacBook Pro". What one person thinks is "very hot" may not be "very hot" to a 2nd person. The only way to be objective is to have actual temp. readings.

I guess that it could be theoretically possible that a failing HD could increase the temp of a laptop computer…but a seriously doubt that the temp increase would border on "very hot". And to me…"very hot" is when a laptop computer is held on someones lap's…and it is so hot it burns the legs. Plus…HD's used in laptops are the 2.5" variety (small form factor). They don't consume much power…and thus couldn't generate much heat even if they were failing (they would "crap-out" long before they would cause the computer to get very hot).

Thus…the computer got very hot because something was being done on the computer that was using a lot of computer resources (watching videos, playing games, etc.). And the HD issue was coincidental.

Then when the computer wasn't "very hot" (after the HD was swapped)…and tasks on the computer weren't very demanding.

I will suggest one other possibility. Something software related on the 750gig HD was causing the computer to run hot (some sort of software issue)…not necessarily a virus or malware. If you are able to recover files from this 750 HD (via external)…then the HD really hasn't failed. To me…a "failed HD" is one that involves a mechanical failure…making file recovery very difficult or impossible.

You can test this by:

- reformatting the 750 HD (after you have extracted all important info from it)
- do a fresh install of the OS.
- then reinstall the 750gig HD…and see if the computer run normally.

If the computer runs normally…then the HD is fine. If it doesn't, then the HD probably has failed.

- Nick

So true, one person's "hot" may not be another's. Never got the temp, but the difference between the perceived temps now with the current HDD and with the HDD that won't boot now, is remarkable. And I agree, I do think that it was some use of resources that was causing the high operating temps, not a primary HDD problem... But that was one of my questions, that even when I had all apps off, but with the MPB on, it ran very hot, burning legs hot... and now, with the older HDD, it runs cool... SO.... I am concerned that there was a use of resources that I didn't or couldn't see that was using a lot of CPU AND taxing the HDD into failure... Which makes me hesitant to restore a new or reformatted HDD from time machine and I'd end up right back to where I started...Just wondering if any MBP users have had a similar experience as mine... Thanx Nick!

What I would do is…once all important files are off the newer 750gig HD…I would reformat it…install a fresh copy of the OS…and reinstall it in the computer. Then see how to operates.

In order to make this a proper experiment comparing the temps of the older 320gig drive and the newer 750gig drive…you MUST do the same exact things on the computer. The tasks done on the computer directly led to how warm/hot it is.

For example…if you are "cruising" Mac-Forums with the 320gig HD installed…and the computer is cool. Then "cruise" You Tube watching videos with the 750gig HD installed…and the computer gets hot…this is not a fair comparison.

Cruising Mac-Forims is not a high computer resource activity…watching You Tube videos is. High computer resources = heat. And heat = hot laptop.

- Nick

Absolutely... And that is why I was very explicit when I said that the difference in temp was even at idle, that whatever the 750g launched up into the OS and RAM must be way different than what the one I am using now is. and I worry that there was some process that I couldn't see. I believe that I won't restore from time machine for fear of getting the same result. Thanx again!

Use something like iStat Pro to get the actual temperatures.