Stop HDD from spinning down rapidly; Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51
Answers
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BTW: I haven't really understood how this whole community works. Are some of you paid staff? What does Trailblazer mean?0
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It is best stay on this thread so we don't repeat some of the same steps already tried. Furthermore, my main operating system on my AN5 and other PC is ubuntu based Mint Cinnamon 19x & 20x so I have familiarity with using the terminal user and sudo command prompts if needed.Your current BIOS v1.13 is an early BIOS version with known issues with a second HDD not appearing in the BIOS Information tab. This may interfere with tools like HDParm or APTimer ability to properly control disk power management features. Accordingly, a phone photo of your v1.13 BIOS Information tab might be helpful.
Jack E/NJ
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I sent you five photos April 4 10:06PM (Swedish time). I must admit the zip-symbol is rather tiny. Is that why you didn't see it?0
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OK, I just forgot about them. I think we should try to temporarily clear the frozen HDD password attributes in the SECURITY tab. Then see if HDPARM can reset the spindown. But we need to be able to disconnect the battery pack for a few minutes. Does your base cover have a battery disconnect pinhole?
Jack E/NJ
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Do you mean the big battery, or that small one on the motherboard (cmos or whaterver it's called)? And what does frozen mean in this context?0
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The main battery pack. Not the small CMOS or RTC button cell. The frozen password attribute sometimes interferes with programs being able to access lower level or hidden disk features. Disconnecting the battery pack is supposed to temporarily clear the attribute. Then you turn the machine on and immediately press F2 to enter the BIOS menu to check if the attribute has clear. Then press F10 to save this clear setting and exit the BIOS menu. Then immediately try HDPARM again because the next boot will change the attribute back to frozen and hopefully freeze whatever spindown time you chose.
Jack E/NJ
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Yes. There is such a pinhole. The first time I had used a needle and pressed for a while, I began with visiting BIOS. The frozen passwords had changed to clear. But when I exited BIOS, the computer almost(?) stopped for a few seconds, before the starting up process began. I wasn't sure if it really stood totally still, so I used that needle again, and started the computer without first entering BIOS. I made the setting using hdparm, and then shut down. Then I started again (entered BIOS; passwords = frozen), but sadly, after a few minutes with GIMP it was obvious that the drive still spins down after 10 seconds.
Anyway, a little bit earlier this evening, I thought that APMTimer would do the job. But Ubuntu says: ”Unknown option ' -g /dev/sdb/ ' ” This makes me believe that the -s option won't work either, but I haven't tested.
Some kind of warnings arose while I used the 'make' command in Ubuntu to compile the real APMTimer file from the six others. But when you look at the screenshot – what conclusion can your draw? The installation/compilation wasn't a total failure, probably? (I like the idea that this could permanently solve the problem, even if I was to move the drive to another computer.)
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Are you booting from a live USB stick to run APMTimer?
Jack E/NJ
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No, not from an USB. Since I installed Ubuntu a year ago the usual way, on another computer, as a program on the hard drive (/SSD), I did the same now.
Should I use an USB instead? (Why?)
According to the screenshot from when I typed the make commando, there were several warnings. I don't know how to look upon this. What do you think? (I hope you can see the screenshot.)
The six original files in the APMTimer folder became nine when 'make' had been executed. I'll post a screenshot of what they look like, in a new post below this one.
Do you think I could change the command ' sudo ./apmtimer -g/dev/sdb ' just a little, to make it work? As far as I can see I followed the instructions, but maybe some kind of circumstances implicate that something has to be altered?
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Six files became nine.
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>>>No, not from an USB. Since I installed Ubuntu a year ago the usual way, on another computer, as a program on the hard drive (/SSD), I did the same now.>>>I am now very confused!!! What are you trying to do on the An515-51??? Are you trying to run APMTimer from Windows?
Jack E/NJ
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But I have the Windows Linux Subsystem. And some commands, at least, are possible to perform. So is it impossible to run APMTimer from Windows? Well, I'm creating an USB-Ubuntu right now, so that I can boot from it, if necessary. Is it necessary? What would you advice me to do first?0
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BTW: Did you see the image that isn't displayed the usual way - warnings.jpg? In the light of how messy everything seems there, should I try to 'make' again using the USB? Do you think the right tools will be included in the USB-version?0
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Yes, you should dual boot to have a chance of success with APMTimer from Linux environment not Windows environment. Or you could boot Linux from a live USB stick if you don't want dual boot. Then try to run APMTimer.You should not try to change APMTimer binary code in the image you posted to try to run from Windows or you risk creating more serious problems.
Jack E/NJ
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This is what I see. Where am I supposed to type sudo ./apmtimer etcetera? I haven't installed it; I run ubuntu from the USB.
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Forget it, I have found the terminal. But I have to change language for my Swedish keybord. This should be done in "system settings", which I cannot find (only "settings", where I can't change language).0
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Is this Mint Cinnamon?
Jack E/NJ
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You know what – exactly the same thing happened when I booted from the USB and used Ubuntu operating system as when I used Ubuntu "inside" Windows! If I type sudo ./apmtimer -g/dev/sdb the Terminal says: "Unknown option '-g/dev/sdb". NOTE: No space here between '-g' and the slash that comes after. If I instaed type sudo ./apmtimer -g /dev/sdb – with space between '-g' and the slash – then Terminal answers: Invalid exchange.0
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Follow these directions to try to install it on the stick from the terminal command prompt.
Jack E/NJ
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