This MacBook gets used almost daily for Quicken 2007 updates. Hard drive has begun to make scratching noise when I turn it on. I have always turned it off at the end of each day. Will leaving it on delay the failure of the hard drive?
Thanks,
Paula
[Edited by Moderator]
iMac 24″, macOS 14.6
I agree with @Ingo2711 in that you might consider replacing the internal drive of that MacBook.
Replacement is pretty simple and straightforward and inexpensive, and a HDD replacement will cost a little less than an SSD. And a Time Machine backup is essential if you value your data.
Find resources here: OWC internal HDDs & SSDs - otherworldcomputing
To answer your question directly: leaving it on likely will have little impact on the longevity of the drive at this point. If it's the original drive that the Mac shipped with, it is already overdue for failure being 16 years old!
You should also seriously consider upgrading to a newer Mac and perhaps a newer version of Quicken, a program that I gave up on myself many years ago.
I agree with @Ingo2711 in that you might consider replacing the internal drive of that MacBook.
Replacement is pretty simple and straightforward and inexpensive, and a HDD replacement will cost a little less than an SSD. And a Time Machine backup is essential if you value your data.
Find resources here: OWC internal HDDs & SSDs - otherworldcomputing
To answer your question directly: leaving it on likely will have little impact on the longevity of the drive at this point. If it's the original drive that the Mac shipped with, it is already overdue for failure being 16 years old!
You should also seriously consider upgrading to a newer Mac and perhaps a newer version of Quicken, a program that I gave up on myself many years ago.
A hard drive making noise can fail any time.
Did you consider getting the built in HD replaced with a SSD?
And of course, make sure to backup regularly, using Time Machine.
Thank you for the reply. I have checked out the above link for a replacement internal drive which I plan to order. I use this MacBook (MacOS 10.6) for only Quicken 2007 (with Time Machine backup) and have a newer iMac 24" (2021) and iPad Pro 11" (2024) for everything else. I have been using Quicken since 1994 and purchased each new version until the update to Quicken 2007. I did not buy the subsequent updates because either they had many bugs or were re-written from the ground up for Apple's Intel chip and omitted several features that I used. After a few years of not updating Quicken, I realized that the 2007 version provided all the features that I wanted and that updates were unnecessary. However, Quicken 2007 will only run on a computer with Mac OS 10.7 or earlier so I have to maintain my MacBook 2009 with its MacOS 10.6 operating system.
You're welcome.
I completely understand your reason for keeping that Mac around. I keep a handful of vintage Macs and OSs around for similar reasons.
Coincidentally, my experience with Quicken is just about identical to yours, with the exception that I decided to move on because for me it was simply a glorified checkbook. Using it became unnecessary since fulfilling my banking needs online had become so convenient by that time. I haven't looked back.
Good luck moving forward. 🍀
MacBook 2009 - leave it powered up to delay hard drive failure?
