Refraining from moving your Apple portable while it is active

Though it's not a topic we've often discussed, several readers have recently reported issues that occur with various Apple portables if they are moved while active -- particularly the hard drive is being accessed.

MacFixIt reader Freya Katkowsky writes:

"I was reading this article, and I have an iBook G4 running Tiger that often goes to sleep when I pick it up with one hand. Have you heard of this problem?"

There are several references to not moving your MacBook Pro while it is not asleep or turned off in the new portable's accompanying documentation, to wit:

"Warning: Wait a few seconds until the white sleep indicator light on the display latch starts pulsating (indicating that the computer is in sleep and the hard disk has stopped spinning) before you move your MacBook Pro. Moving your computer while the hard disk is spinning can damage the hard disk, causing loss of data or the inability to start up from the hard disk."

As such, it's a good idea to avoid moving your portable until it is a sleep or turned off to avoid potential damage.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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