Hard drive runs

[dfbuchanan]

When I start up my imac core duo, it often runs for five up to five minutes after start up before settling down. the desktop has finished loading but the hard drive keeps working and slowing everything down.
Any ideas?

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Have you recently installed OS X, or has OS X been on the machine for a while?

More than likely, it's Spotlight indexing your hard drive (in the case of a recent OS X install)... you can tell this by opening Activity Monitor and looking for a process that's consuming CPU cycles called "mdimport".

 

[jbarley]

Another easy way to tell if your drive is indexing, is to look for the flashing little "dot" in the Spotlight search spyglass, top right of your menu bar.
Click on this Spyglass and it will tell you if indexing is happening or not.

jb.

 

[dfbuchanan]

Have you recently installed OS X, or has OS X been on the machine for a while?

More than likely, it's Spotlight indexing your hard drive (in the case of a recent OS X install)... you can tell this by opening Activity Monitor and looking for a process that's consuming CPU cycles called "mdimport".

Thanks for the info, yes sometimes it is spotlight indexing but sometimes after indexing is complete i can still hear the hd running.