# New setup and hard drive problems

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710>\
**Category:** Plex Media Server\
**Tags:** server-mac\
**Created:** [April 25, 2025, 8:24am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710 "2025-04-25T08:24:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![runekc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@runekc](https://forums.plex.tv/u/runekc)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2025, 8:24am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/1 "2025-04-25T08:24:52Z")

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Hi, I have been using Plex since 2014 with various issues but for most parts it works, I have gotten a new server setup and it is just a mess, I don’t know if it is the latest server software or a combination of new hardware and software.  
My previous setup was a Mac mini 2012 with WD My Book external hard drives and it worked fine, my new setup is a Mac Mini M4 and WD Mybook external hard drive and the drive keeps spinning up and down, even while streaming locally and the Plex player on Apple TV 4K is pausing and playing which is unwatchable, if I use Infuse that problem goes away but still the drive keeps spinning up and down, if I shut down Plex server the hard drive behaves normal, are others having the same issue?

Server Version#: v.1.41.6.9685  
Player Version#:  
\<If providing [server logs](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only [debug logging](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/#toc-1) should be enabled\>

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**Author:** ![runekc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@runekc](https://forums.plex.tv/u/runekc)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2025, 8:42am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/2 "2025-04-25T08:42:42Z")

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I have now downloaded the new Beta server software and will try if that makes any difference

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**Author:** ![ChristianKent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@ChristianKent](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChristianKent)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2025, 9:26am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/3 "2025-04-27T09:26:40Z")

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What does spinning up and down mean? The drives are sleeping?

What do you mean that the hard drives behaves normally when PMS is stopped? What is normal?

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**Author:** ![runekc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@runekc](https://forums.plex.tv/u/runekc)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2025, 9:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/4 "2025-04-27T09:40:51Z")

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Hi, as of yesterday it works but I had to disable all power savings on the Mac and enable sleep timer on the drive itself, I think that the power saving feature on the Mac is coliding with the Plex server 🤷‍♂️ to answer you question, the drive would sleep after a while but before it could spin down It started right up again and that was also while in use, very annoying.

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**Author:** ![ChristianKent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@ChristianKent](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChristianKent)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2025, 9:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/5 "2025-04-27T09:45:41Z")

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That really shouldn’t happen while the file is being accessed unless you have some aggressive settings. You could always find a script or an app that touches the drives every minute to prevent them from sleeping. Theoretically, you shouldn’t need to do that, but there’s something that’s causing it. So, as a band-aid, you could add a cronjob.

```auto
* * * * * touch /Volumes/YourDriveName/keepalive.txt

```

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-setup-and-hard-drive-problems/914710/6 "2025-07-26T09:46:08Z")

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