Herbie Murray
The 'Put hard disks to sleep when possible' setting is a power-saving feature available on Mac computers. It is designed to conserve energy and reduce power consumption by allowing the hard disk to enter a low-power state during periods of inactivity. While this setting can help extend battery life and reduce power draw, it may cause a brief delay when accessing stored data after a period of inactivity. Additionally, some users have reported that this setting does not always work as intended, with external drives occasionally going into sleep mode even when the setting is disabled. To prevent external drives from sleeping, users can utilise third-party software or specific terminal commands.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To conserve energy and reduce power consumption |
| Function | Allows the hard drive to enter a low-power state when not in use |
| Compatibility | Available on macOS, Windows, and possibly other operating systems |
| Settings | Can be enabled or disabled; options include "Always", "Only on Battery", "Only on Power Adapter", and "Never" |
| Performance Impact | May result in a slightly longer wait time when accessing the hard drive after a period of inactivity |
| Noise Reduction | Can reduce noise from hard drives |
| Hardware Longevity | May help extend the life of notebook hard disks and reduce wear on drives |
| Synchronization | Sleeping hard disks may not spin up concurrently with the rest of the system |
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What You'll Learn
Disk utility settings for macOS
Disk Utility is a macOS feature that allows users to manage their internal and external storage devices. It can be used to manage APFS volumes, test and repair disks, erase disks, and more. To open Disk Utility on your Mac, click on Launchpad, type "Disk Utility" in the search field, and click again. Alternatively, go to Finder, choose Go > Utilities, and double-click the Disk Utility icon. You can also find it in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
One of the settings within Disk Utility is "Put hard disks to sleep when possible". This power-saving feature is designed to conserve energy and reduce power consumption by allowing the hard drive to enter a low-power state during periods of inactivity. It can be enabled by going to System Settings, clicking on Energy Saver or Battery (for desktops or laptops, respectively), and selecting "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" below the Battery or Energy Saver options.
It is important to note that this setting may cause a brief delay when accessing stored data after a period of inactivity as the hard drive will need to "wake up" and spin back up to speed. Additionally, some users have reported that disabling this feature can solve the "Disk not ejected properly" error that sometimes occurs with external SSDs for Time Machine backups.
Another setting within Disk Utility is Power Nap, which can be found in the Energy Saver or Battery section of System Settings. Power Nap allows your Mac to perform tasks like checking for new emails or system updates while it is asleep. To enable this feature, simply check the "Enable Power Nap" option. Make sure that "Wake for network access" is also toggled on if you want your Mac to be accessible on the network even when it is asleep.
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Reducing power consumption
Computers have different power modes, including sleep and hibernation, which can help reduce power consumption. Sleep mode puts the computer in a low-power state, while hibernate mode shuts down the system completely while saving all open documents and programs to the hard drive.
Sleep mode is useful when you will only be away from your computer for a short period, such as during a coffee break. It uses very little power, and your computer starts up faster when you return. Additionally, it automatically saves your work and turns off the PC if the battery gets too low. However, it does use more power than hibernate mode, and there may be a slight delay when accessing stored data after a period of inactivity.
Hibernate mode is designed to be highly efficient and is best used when you know you won't be using your laptop or tablet for an extended period and won't have a chance to charge the battery. It uses less power than sleep mode and still allows you to resume your work when you return. However, it takes a little longer for the computer to start up again compared to sleep mode.
You can enable these modes by clicking on the power button in the start menu and selecting the option you want. For Mac users, you can find the "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" setting in the Energy Saver section for desktops or the Battery section for laptops. This setting helps conserve energy by allowing the hard drive to enter a low-power state during periods of inactivity.
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Extending hardware longevity
Power Management
Proper power management is essential for hardware longevity. The "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" setting is a power-saving feature available on macOS and Windows that allows hard drives to enter a low-power state during periods of inactivity. This not only helps conserve energy but also reduces wear and tear on the drives, optimizes power usage, and prolongs battery life.
Temperature Control
Temperature control is crucial for hardware longevity. Maintaining cooler temperatures can increase the lifespan of your hardware. Avoid extreme temperature conditions, and if necessary, invest in aftermarket coolers to keep your components within the optimal temperature range.
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance can significantly extend hardware longevity. This includes keeping your hardware physically clean and well-maintained, as well as performing periodic firmware and software updates. Updates can optimize performance, enhance battery efficiency, and fix vulnerabilities, ensuring your devices remain secure and efficient.
Decentralized Computing
Decentralized computing involves distributing computational tasks across a network, reducing the strain on individual hardware components. This approach can extend the lifespan of devices by minimizing heat and mechanical stress while enhancing overall performance.
Digital Minimalism
Embrace digital minimalism by removing unnecessary applications and data from your devices. This practice improves performance and enhances cybersecurity. It's also important to avoid overcharging your batteries and to maintain battery charge levels between 20% and 80% to enhance device longevity.
User Education
User education plays a vital role in extending hardware longevity. Teaching users best practices for using their devices can help them make informed decisions that keep their hardware functional for longer. This includes understanding the hardware's intended use and adjusting expectations accordingly.
By following these strategies and maintaining your hardware with care, you can effectively extend its longevity and delay the need for costly replacements.
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Preventing external drives from sleeping
The "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" setting is a power-saving option on Mac computers that allows the hard drive to enter a low-power state during periods of inactivity, conserving energy and reducing power consumption. However, if you want to prevent your external hard drives from sleeping, you can adjust the settings on your device.
For macOS, you can try the following methods:
- Open a Terminal. Type the command "sudo pmset -a disksleep 0" and press Enter. Enter your macOS password when prompted.
- Download and install drive utilities software, such as WD Drive Utilities. Connect your external drive and use the software to toggle the Sleep Timer off.
- Open System Settings. Navigate to Battery or Energy Saver options, depending on your device. Find the “Put hard disks to sleep when possible” setting and select your preferred option to prevent the disks from sleeping.
- Enable Power Nap: Navigate to the Energy Saver or Battery section in System Settings. Enable Power Nap to allow your Mac to perform tasks while it's asleep, such as checking for new emails or system updates.
For Windows, you can try these methods:
- Open Device Manager. Locate the Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Right-click on USB Root Hub, then click Properties. Click the Power Management tab and uncheck the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option.
- Install the latest version of the software that came with your external drive. Ensure that your drive is connected directly to your computer's USB or Firewire port. Configure the Windows power settings appropriately.
By preventing your external hard drives from sleeping, you can avoid interruptions in data access, downloads, or transfers. However, it's important to balance this with energy-saving considerations, as keeping drives active consumes more power and can impact battery life.
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Quieter operation
Hard drives can sometimes get noisy, so putting them to sleep can reduce noise. The power management setting "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" can be found in computer operating systems like macOS. It helps save energy by allowing the hard drive to enter a low-power state when not in use. This feature is located in the Energy Saver section for desktops or the Battery section for laptops.
You can also try to repair disk permissions from the Disk Utilities program, which can help alleviate problems on the hard drive. To repair your disk permissions, start by opening the Utilities folder and clicking on Disk Utility. Select the drive you wish to repair from the menu on the right, then click "First Aid" on the toolbar at the top of the window.
Another way to reduce noise is by decoupling the hard drive from the hard surface with a vibration-dampening pad. This will eliminate the vibration transfer and stop its amplification, resulting in a significantly quieter hard drive.
Some drives also allow you to set an AAM (Automatic Acoustic Management) value to make the drives quieter. This can be done by booting your laptop into BIOS and looking at the Storage subsection. Many desktop motherboards also have this setting.
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Frequently asked questions
It is a power-saving option on Mac computers that aims to conserve energy and reduce power consumption by allowing the hard disks to enter a sleep state during periods of inactivity.
Enabling this feature can help extend battery life on portable devices, reduce power draw on desktop computers, and reduce noise from hard drives. It can also help extend the life of notebook hard disks as they are designed to be frequently turned off and are not intended to be continuously operational.
Enabling this feature may cause a brief delay when accessing stored data after a period of inactivity as the hard drive needs to "'wake up' and spin back up to speed.
To enable this feature on your Mac, go to System Preferences > Energy Saver or Battery > Power Adapter/Battery > Put hard disks to sleep when possible, and select your preferred setting.
To prevent your external hard drive from going to sleep, you can use the Terminal command "sudo pmset -a disksleep 0" or download and install drive utilities software, such as WD Drive Utilities, to toggle the Sleep Timer off.
