Mac mini: Clunking hard drives (#4); DVI problems

Following up on last week's coverage (3-16, 3-17, 3-18) of odd noises emanating from the Mac mini hard drive, it now appears that there are two different symptoms accompanying two separate issues.

In the first type, what can best be described as a "clunking," light thumping, or noticeable tracking noise can be heard. In some cases, the noise is accompanied by a brief pause in system responsiveness.

This is generally resultant of normal hard drive operation, and should not be cause for concern. Many potential causes exist, including thermal re-calibration, but no drive failure should occur. In fact, as previously noted, Seagate officials recently confirmed to MacFixIt that a new firmware update for the company's drives -- used in most Mac minis -- is in development.

In the second type, the noise is much louder, and more disruptive. User descriptions include "a large marble dropping onto a hard surface." This may, in some cases, be caused by the drive's arm stopping due to a mechanical issue.

If your drive is exhibiting such behavior, backup your data immediately and seek diagnostic services. Many users have reported eventual drive failure beginning with such noises, which are generally astonishingly loud.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

DVI Problems Meanwhile, a handful of readers are beginning to report problems with DVI (Digital Visual Interface) displays including some manufactured by Apple.

Laurent von Allmen writes:

"The Mac mini has some trouble with connections to LCD displays via DVI. For instance I have a Mac mini 1.42 GHz and a Samsung SyncMaster 170T LCD display. This display has two inputs, a DVI and a VGA.

"When connected by DVI there is some color 'snow spots' appearing when the background is black. This is noticeable when running the 'Flurry' screen saver. This does not appear when connecting the display through VGA and the DVI/VGA adapter provided by Apple with the mini."

If you are experiencing similar issues, please let us know.

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