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New warning Mac HD pre fail
#62100 07/22/22 06:14 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Darn, right after everything seems stabilized, this today.

But no cables, what referencing? its internal HD.?

https://imgur.com/a/Lgf1RRg

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62101 07/22/22 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
Darn, right after everything seems stabilized, this today.

But no cables, what referencing? its internal HD.?

https://imgur.com/a/Lgf1RRg

It is definitely referencing your internal boot drive.

Every time a packet of data is transferred between devices, a CRC is performed on the received packet to be sure it didn't get garbled in transit. If the check fails, the packet is resent again and again until it is received correctly. There are a few CRC failures, but in this case, enough have occurred to exceed the limits set by the engineers that developed the drive. As DriveDX said, "that can dramatically reduce transmission speed and therefore system performance". With external devices, this would most likely be a failing port or connector cable. In the case of the interior drive on an Intel Mac, the internal drive is connected via a ribbon cable. In this case, the high CRC failure rate could be the result of a failing ribbon cable, ribbon cable connector, or in the drive itself.

My advice would be:

IF YOU HAVE APPLECARE COVERAGE:
  1. Be sure you have a good backup or clone
  2. get an appointment with the Genius Bar at your friendly neighborhood Apple Store
  3. Let them perform a thorough analysis and make repairs based on what they find


IF YOU DON'T HAVE APPLECARE COVERAGE:
  1. Be sure you have a good backup or clone.
  2. Consider getting an Apple Card (You can buy Apple products and pay them out in twelve monthly installments at zero percent interest if you have an Apple Card)
  3. move your plans to upgrade your Mac from someday to NOW!


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62102 07/22/22 10:06 PM
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ok Thanks Joe, will take it in.... huge Pita, put suitcase and lose 1/2 day but..... it is still worth used $600 (per ebay) so probably worth saving?

You could not sell it in good faith as is.. anyway?

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62103 07/22/22 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
ok Thanks Joe, will take it in.... huge Pita, put suitcase and lose 1/2 day but..... it is still worth used $600 (per ebay) so probably worth saving?

You could not sell it in good faith as is.. anyway?
You could sell it "as is," but that may decrease its value substantially depending on precisely which component's faulty.

You'll won't have a realistic idea of what to do until you know what it'll cost you to get the iMac up and running.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62104 07/22/22 11:15 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
ok Thanks Joe, will take it in.... huge Pita, put suitcase and lose 1/2 day but..... it is still worth used $600 (per ebay) so probably worth saving?

You could not sell it in good faith as is.. anyway?

Cut the price to $300 and sell it with a notice about the drive, and then you could sell it "in good faith". Be aware if it is not covered by Apple Care, repairs could easily run up $300 or more. I am not sure what Apple charges for out of warranty repairs, but $175 an hour with a two-hour minimum plus parts is not uncommon (you might invest in a phone conversation before you make the journey).

There is a third alternative, assuming your iMac has a spare Thunderbolt 3 port, buy an external Thunderbolt drive, like this or if you have USB 3.3 or 3.1 Gen 2 port and don't mind a significantly slower system a USB 3.1 gen 2 HD like this then clone your internal drive to the new external drive and thereafter use the external drive as your boot drive and forget the internal drive. (Personally, I would go for the SSD as an investment for use on your next Mac.)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62105 07/23/22 12:03 AM
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ok Joe, Good point, I'll do tech call with screen share first..

Yeah if repair is more than 100, 200 tops..., then you have point.. 300 geez, only worth 400 to 500, conundrum.

But if you sell it with alert think people will buy it, would do you say, "hard drive failing..?"

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62106 07/23/22 02:09 AM
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Phone, JOe Apple tech had nothing to say so he just made Tues apt store, but idea: still go,? Think 1 / 4 chance they could fix this quickly/ cheaply? If not, if they say leave it a few days, and it be... 200- 400, would you just take it home and buy Mac Mini..and sell it... my guess you would do that even you would have done last month!

Idea: Could then sell it locally... (as I did with laptop) 6 months ago... ask $450, and when the person is here live.. just say (if still working good at that moment), 'I recommend getting a new internal drive, it's working fine now, but since from 2016, it really could go any moment" That Kosher? True working fine, and saying in person to recommend a buying a new one -- ? This way don't have to put a warning in the ad. just announce it from get go in person before the buy..

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62107 07/23/22 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
Phone, JOe Apple tech had nothing to say so he just made Tues apt store, but idea: still go,? Think 1 / 4 chance they could fix this quickly/ cheaply? If not, if they say leave it a few days, and it be... 200- 400, would you just take it home and buy Mac Mini..and sell it... my guess you would do that even you would have done last month!

Your guess is probably spot on laugh The decision of what to do is, of course, yours. Personally, I would be VERY reluctant to spend any money on an iMac that old unless it would pay for itself two or three times over in increased sales value.

Originally Posted by keys
Idea: Could then sell it locally... (as I did with laptop) 6 months ago... ask $450, and when the person is here live.. just say (if still working good at that moment), 'I recommend getting a new internal drive, it's working fine now, but since from 2016, it really could go any moment" That Kosher? True working fine, and saying in person to recommend a buying a new one -- ? This way don't have to put a warning in the ad. just announce it from get go in person before the buy..

THE FACTS
  1. You don't KNOW you have a failing disk drive, and can't KNOW you have a failing disk drive until your iMac has been torn down and checked by a certified Apple technician. The CRC errors could be in the ribbon cable, the connectors, or the drive.
  2. Chances are anyone buying a computer this old will not have the knowledge to comprehend what is implied by the high CRC rate or the potential cost to repair.
  3. labor charges to diagnose the problem can account for up to 80 or 90 percent of the total cost to repair. (In an analogous situation some years ago, when I was informed of the total cost to repair, it was so high I elected to let Apple keep the computer and cannibalize it for parts in exchange for the cost of the diagnostic labor.)
  4. If you sell locally, a dissatisfied customer knows where you live and how to find you. tongue


What I would do in your position is irrelevant. My advice would be:
  • Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer of your iMac as/is, when making your decision
  • If you are determined to hang on until if and when Apple releases an M1 or M2 27" or 30" iMac, get an external Thunderbolt SSD, as I suggested, and use it as your boot drive (if you don't have a Thunderbolt port consider something like this and Firewire 800.
  • Reconsider my other suggestion of an M1 Mac mini and a big display. IMHO, you would be getting equal computing power and more future flexibility for less $€£ (but you already know that was my recommendation grin)

    NOTE: you could run Apple Hardware Test and if it passes you could legitimately make that claim as a selling point to offset the CRC errors. (AHT won't catch the CRC errors.)

Last edited by joemikeb; 07/23/22 04:29 PM. Reason: Add note

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62108 07/23/22 05:08 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Thanks Joe, replying from the tiny iPhone in park which is rare might et some typos here
The external for an internal not even sure if it has a thunderbolt
seems kind of crazy no?

would you bother even hauling it in Tuesday or it’s just a waste of time and energy you’d have to leave it there there’s no chance they could just fix it quickly

Or what you’re saying it’ could be beyond just replacing the internal hard drive it could be more serious so you can’t tell a buyer it could just be to get a new hard drive soon?

I have no problem getting the Mac mini and a third-party external monitor or maybe a 24 inch iMac now
I was preparing to do that and then decide that you know what I’ll just keep this a couple more years until security updates phase out boom and then drive X shows this

but I was hoping to get it you know a good 400 to 600 for the computer
ah you were saying just ask 300 but what’s the exact text you would write in the ad ?

Would you bother taking it in to the appointment genius bar or just call it a day now?

Last edited by kevs; 07/23/22 05:11 PM.
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62109 07/23/22 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
Thanks Joe, replying from the tiny iPhone in park which is rare might et some typos here

I usually resort to dictation on the iPhone.

Originally Posted by keys
The external for an internal not even sure if it has a thunderbolt
seems kind of crazy no?

If it doesn't have Thunderbolt, then it will almost certainly have Firewire 800 which would be satisfactory for use with an inexpensive external enclosure, like the one I referenced.

Originally Posted by keys
would you bother even hauling it in Tuesday or it’s just a waste of time and energy you’d have to leave it there there’s no chance they could just fix it quickly

It all depends on the particular Apple Store and how busy they are. If all they do is run diagnostics, that shouldn't take too long. If they have to open it up, which is highly likely, it will take at least a few hours, if they elect to send it to Austin for work, you are looking at a week to ten days. In any case, it is unlikely to be a quick fix.

Originally Posted by keys
Or what you’re saying it’ could be beyond just replacing the internal hard drive it could be more serious so you can’t tell a buyer it could just be to get a new hard drive soon?

As I said, that is your decision.

Originally Posted by keys
I have no problem getting the Mac mini and a third-party external monitor or maybe a 24 inch iMac now
I was preparing to do that and then decide that you know what I’ll just keep this a couple more years until security updates phase out boom and then drive X shows this

As long as you are going to the Apple store, why not just go ahead and get the M1 Mac mini? NOTE: the Apple Store only stocks the basic configurations, so if you intend getting more memory or a larger SSD, they can order it, or you can order online and have it drop-shipped directly to your home for the same price.

Originally Posted by keys
but I was hoping to get it you know a good 400 to 600 for the computer
ah you were saying just ask 300 but what’s the exact text you would write in the ad ?

What you want to get, what you can get for it, and that it is worth are three perhaps very different things. I haven't shopped for used Macs in years and have no real idea of its worth but a DuckDuckGo search turned up DankPads and Mac Prices as possible information sources. DankPads scans eBay daily. There are also several sites that offer to buy your iMac, which might be a viable alternative in this case. If you take the used car salesman's attitude of caveat emptor then you can get whatever the market will bear and likely more than its actual worth. But that is between you and your conscience, and I won't attempt to go there.

Originally Posted by keys
Would you bother taking it in to the appointment genius bar or just call it a day now?

I am not you, and I would never attempt to tell you what to do. That is your decision. But since you asked what I would do.

I would jump on my iMac and,
  • go to the Apple Store and place an order for an M1 Mac mini with 8 CPU and 8 GPU cores, 16GB memory, and at least 512 GB SSD
  • go to Amazon and order the monitor of my choice
  • put the iMac up for sale as is with a note about the hard drive and take what I could get or add an external Thunderbolt or Firewire HD boot drive like this one and sell it without a notice at a higher price.


WHAT I WOULD NOT DO
  • I would not spend more than $150 (the price of Firewire 800, 1TB external HD and enclosure) on the iMac.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62110 07/23/22 10:05 PM
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Thanks Joe, great post, yeah, I may to to the appointment (buy may not); in small hope they could do an under $150 easy fix, if not, then probably get Mac mini M1.

But you agree that 1TB way to go? Ah.. see don't offer a 1tb oddly... strange in Mac Mini maxes at 512... ( Imagine if few years on you could put one in there.) .. $900 plus $400 tops for 27" LG monitor and camera... $1300 tops.

Or... 24", have to see that in store if get used to 24" research on 24" could get ...$2100 to have 1TB in there.... $800 more get nice Apple look, but smaller screen, and bigger internal from get but not great value.. I've never done mac mini but, probably go that route....

Ah.. can get 1tb at least BH, not sure see that on apple site (prefer getting from apple, and get 16 ram)..
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604805-REG/apple_z12n_mgnr_07_bh_mac_mini.html

late

Last edited by kevs; 07/23/22 10:09 PM.
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62111 07/23/22 10:08 PM
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I forgot to add that before I sold the iMac I would run Apple Hardware Diagnostics and hopefully after that, I could, in good conscience, tell a potential purchaser that, "It passes Apple Hardware Diagnostics" with a straight face.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62112 07/23/22 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
I forgot to add that before I sold the iMac I would run Apple Hardware Diagnostics and hopefully after that, I could, in good conscience, tell a potential purchaser that, "It passes Apple Hardware Diagnostics" with a straight face.
Originally Posted by joemikeb/Post #62107
NOTE: you could run Apple Hardware Test and if it passes you could legitimately make that claim as a selling point to offset the CRC errors. (AHT won't catch the CRC errors.)
That's a bit at odds with your initial mention of AHT. tongue


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In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62113 07/23/22 10:32 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
But you agree that 1TB way to go? Ah.. see don't offer a 1tb oddly... strange in Mac Mini maxes at 512... ( Imagine if few years on you could put one in there.) .. $900 plus $400 tops for 27" LG monitor and camera... $1300 tops.

Both the 16 GB Memory (RAM) and the 1 TB drive (drive) are custom build options, not carried in stores but available for order online from the Apple Store. (Even B&H had to custom order the 1TB drive to have in their store.) From your description of what you do, the 512 GB drive should be enough because you can always add an external drive if it is needed, but I would get the 16 GB Memory as there is no way to add additional memory.

Originally Posted by keys
Or... 24", have to see that in store if get used to 24" research on 24" could get ...$2100 to have 1TB in there.... $800 more get nice Apple look, but smaller screen, and bigger internal from get but not great value.. I've never done mac mini but, probably go that route....[quote]

Ah.. can get 1tb at least BH, not sure see that on apple site (prefer getting from apple, and get 16 ram)..
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604805-REG/apple_z12n_mgnr_07_bh_mac_mini.html

See my previous link to the Apple Store. No matter what monitor you choose get at least 4K resolution. Thunderbolt is nice because of the extra ports they provide, but HDMI is less expensive and works just fine.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62114 07/23/22 11:22 PM
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JOe, great link thanks...

Will do on all that.... but only $200 more for 1TB, current I have 169gb available of 500, dang Parallels take up 112 gb, and notice few days ago, one mistake video screenshot alert comes on..
So I may never need 1 tB but , going to 1 tB later, I'd have to pay someone right.. not that easy to do..(I don't know how).. to swap out later correct? Thankfully, lot easier to carry around, than 27"... with that said, knowing that.. you'd still vote to start with 500.. or?

See $100 more for 10 gb ethernet. Not even sure what I'm on now. Opinion on that?

Agree: Pity, not konk out just a bit later, ,so on a new M2 mac mini?

Last edited by kevs; 07/23/22 11:23 PM.
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62115 07/24/22 04:25 AM
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PS Diagnostic, don't think works, tried it with tech few months, and just now, shut down, start with D key, and then says choose network, ,something about recovery, which does not come up, So don't think Diagnostic works...

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62116 07/24/22 10:40 AM
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If I've got this straight, in previous discussions of DriveDx and its ilk you've mentioned that they monitor only those aspects of a drive as are specified by the manufacturer, so, is it possible that kevs's particular problem would not have been detected in a different brand of drive? And in a different vein, is it even possible for DriveDx to detect a problem that isn't specific to the drive itself, as opposed to the other possibilities you've mentioned?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62117 07/24/22 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
PS Diagnostic, don't think works, tried it with tech few months, and just now, shut down, start with D key, and then says choose network, ,something about recovery, which does not come up, So don't think Diagnostic works...

It is asking about the network because it wants to logon to the network to download the test software.

Originally Posted by artie505
f I've got this straight, in previous discussions of DriveDx and its ilk you've mentioned that they monitor only those aspects of a drive as are specified by the manufacturer, so, is it possible that kevs's particular problem would not have been detected in a different brand of drive? And in a different vein, is it even possible for DriveDx to detect a problem that isn't specific to the drive itself, as opposed to the other possibilities you've mentioned?

DriveDX etc. can only monitor the S.M.A.R.T. attributes reported by the drive. S.M.A.R.T. attributes are defined in the AT (as is SATA or PATA) interface standards and are the culmination of multiple different manufacturer's systems for monitoring drive health. You can find a complete listing of all the defined S.M.A.R.T. attributes in this Wikipedia article. No one reports all the attributes, and some attributes have never been reported, but there is a set of the attributes that are reported by virtually all desktop and laptop drives. The specific attributes reported by a drive and, perhaps more critically, the pass fail tolerance for that attribute are determined by the engineers that designed the drive.

A few of the attributes recorded by a drive that reflect on its longevity may reflect factors outside the drive itself. For Example, overheating is often the result of external factors such as inadequate ventilation or environmental temperature. CRC, similarly, indicates a problem, but like overheating the source of that problem may be in the drive itself or external. In the specific case of an internal boot drive, it is an indication of a problem that needs to be corrected before it deteriorates further, and the drive becomes unusable. Keys recent experience with both the internal and external drives (CRC errors and overheating respectively) are both examples of S.M.A.R.T. attributes detected and reported by the drive indicating a problem that may or may not be external to the drive itself but could result in the drive becoming unusable. In military systems, I have seen AI based problem analysis systems capable of determining the likelihood of the specific cause of each of those errors, but the computer resources necessary to support that level of problem detection is significant and the software and database to support it even more significant. Maybe someday that will be cost-effective on personal computers, but we are not anywhere near that -- yet.

SUMMARY

While those S.M.A.R.T. or NVMe attributes generally accepted as indicators of drive health and longevity are reported by virtually all drives, it is within the realm of possibility for one drive to report a condition to be analyzed by DriveDX that isn't reported by another drive (even a drive from the same manufacturer, but a different design team). What is more likely to effect the results is not what attributes are reported, but pass/fail limits of that value imposed by the designers and is generally conceded to be the greatest weakness of the S.M.A.R.T. concept. So, what may be a failing attribute score on one drive, could be passing on another, although DriveDX appears to compensate for this to an extent, by permitting the user to set their own reporting levels. Whether there is a possibility of a condition arising from factors external to the drive mechanism itself depends on the particular attribute.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62118 07/24/22 05:42 PM
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What is all over my head, but leaning to maybe not going to the appointment, see. JUst buying new...

Diagnostic not come up as I said, any idea of that? Bad sign? Hold down D on reboot, no diagnostic.

1 TB, good only $200 more, concur.

$100 more for 10gb ethernet? I do used dedicated corded ethernet, not sure what 27 " is right now bringing in. My guess is 5 GB is fine?

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62119 07/24/22 06:16 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
What is all over my head, but leaning to maybe not going to the appointment, see. JUst buying new...

Personally, I would not want to spend any money on a computer that old and anything beyond running superficial diagnostics will cost you money.

Originally Posted by keys
Diagnostic not come up as I said, any idea of that? Bad sign? Hold down D on reboot, no diagnostic.

As I said previously the diagnostic software is not on your computer and when you boot to the diagnostic you must select your WiFi network and enter the password so it can be downloaded.

Originally Posted by keys
1 TB, good only $200 more, concur.

I think it is a reasonable price, but if you are counting pennies, remember you can always add an external SSD later on. I had a 512 GB SSD in my M1 Mac mini and added a 1 TB external SSD dedicated to my database.

Originally Posted by keys
$100 more for 10gb ethernet? I do used dedicated corded ethernet, not sure what 27 " is right now bringing in. My guess is 5 GB is fine?

Unless you live in an industrial computer farm, it is highly unlikely that you have or ever will have 10 GB Ethernet, so save your money. (Spend it on a larger or better monitor)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62121 07/24/22 08:10 PM
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Thanks a lot Joe, great help / /tips.... probably just get mini and not bother with the nuisance visit.. Tuesday.... Have point, throwing good money after bad as cliche goes. Pity but oh well...


"As I said previously the diagnostic software is not on your computer and when you boot to the diagnostic you must select your WiFi network and enter the password so it can be downloaded.

I dont get that.. still... I'm on corded ethernet, you saying go to wifi and try again? or maybe if don't bother..?


This implies article implies you should just see progress bar outta gate.. maybe something bad with the old 27"..

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731

Ah.. update, if you can believe it.. preparing to get Mini, and before one last spot check drive X for 27" . now issue Gone!... So.. maybe self resolved.... back in action.. ? ok..

https://imgur.com/a/82rnIxq

Last edited by kevs; 07/24/22 08:31 PM.
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62122 07/24/22 10:08 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
"As I said previously the diagnostic software is not on your computer and when you boot to the diagnostic you must select your WiFi network and enter the password so it can be downloaded.

I dont get that.. still... I'm on corded ethernet, you saying go to wifi and try again? or maybe if don't bother..?

To be truthful, I haven't used the Apple diagnostic test literally in decades, and I don't have an Intel Mac to test on, and as you will discover it works differently on Apple Silicon, so I can't really help you there. The purpose of running it was so the results could be used as a marketing ploy, not as a diagnostic tool. So, I would say in the present circumstances, it probably isn't worth the effort to figure out why it is not working.

Originally Posted by keys
This implies article implies you should just see progress bar outta gate.. maybe something bad with the old 27"..

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731

That is what I would have suspected as well, but confused

Originally Posted by keys
Ah.. update, if you can believe it.. preparing to get Mini, and before one last spot check drive X for 27" . now issue Gone!... So.. maybe self resolved.... back in action.. ? ok..

https://imgur.com/a/82rnIxq

Some S.M.A.R.T. attributes such as re-allocated sector count or over limit shock events are cumulative, while others are transitory. The fact you are currently not showing a high CRC error count indicates it is a transitory condition and is not currently occurring. Hardware problems like this never self-resolve and are a case of what you don't know CAN hurt you. Without DriveDX it is likely you have never known about it until McGillicuddy's corollary to Murphy's law -- if anything can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible time -- kicked in.

FWIW, you are going to feel as if you had been shot out of a canon the first time you fire up your new M1 Mac mini.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62124 07/24/22 10:38 PM
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Joe, I did not order the Mac Mini... have it in the cart though.. not ordered. NOw: I'm happy with 27", actually decided last week, going to keep it until security updates expire.. 1- 2 years, then get Mini or...

Then Drive X thing showed that error. Now gone. Think transitory 1x hiccup then and odds very good wont come back.. or?

( or just get Mac Mini, take the good luck and sell for $500, knowing it's now fine.. but maybe soft verbal warning if in person I'd get new internal)

But it is good chance could be good more years fine? What do beyone internet email.. Photoshop, seems fast enough still.

M1 btw, don't' notice anything on the new M! Macbook air... that said, I don't do much beyond internet mail there on that. I do notice on new M1 Mabook air, screenshot land instantly, while on 27" in imac, few seconds delay to land on desktop

Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
kevs #62125 07/25/22 04:09 AM
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PS re-reading you post again JOe, ok, clarify, is you are saying, no, don't be happy, that no errors and great looking now. That fact that is had all those errors once, even once, for couple of days, means, trouble is coming... and you would bail.

ie, odds of it going another nice easy year or two is unlikely? It's not freak glitch,, maybe..? if reading that right... Software may say otherwise....? if have that right.

Of would take calculated risk and go with no errors and hope stays ok until: M2?
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/2022-mac-mini/

(daily backups of Mac HD with both SD, CCC, and TM as well)

Last edited by kevs; 07/25/22 04:27 AM.
Re: New warning Mac HD pre fail
joemikeb #62126 07/25/22 09:34 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Online

Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
f I've got this straight, in previous discussions of DriveDx and its ilk you've mentioned that they monitor only those aspects of a drive as are specified by the manufacturer, so, is it possible that kevs's particular problem would not have been detected in a different brand of drive? And in a different vein, is it even possible for DriveDx to detect a problem that isn't specific to the drive itself, as opposed to the other possibilities you've mentioned?

DriveDX etc. can only monitor the S.M.A.R.T. attributes reported by the drive.
<snip>
While those S.M.A.R.T. or NVMe attributes generally accepted as indicators of drive health and longevity are reported by virtually all drives, it is within the realm of possibility for one drive to report a condition to be analyzed by DriveDX that isn't reported by another drive (even a drive from the same manufacturer, but a different design team). What is more likely to effect the results is not what attributes are reported, but pass/fail limits of that value imposed by the designers and is generally conceded to be the greatest weakness of the S.M.A.R.T. concept. So, what may be a failing attribute score on one drive, could be passing on another, although DriveDX appears to compensate for this to an extent, by permitting the user to set their own reporting levels. Whether there is a possibility of a condition arising from factors external to the drive mechanism itself depends on the particular attribute.
Thanks for that excellently stated, eminently comprehensible, and responsively educational reply to my questions.

You must have been one heck of a teacher!


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