MacBook Pro (Early 2011): Spotlight indexing makes the fans run
Symptoms
Sometimes you may notice your computer's fans may run on high after you perform a data migration from another computer and Spotlight begins to index your hard drive.
Products Affected
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
Resolution
After you complete your data migration, Spotlight automatically indexes the contents of your hard drive. This activity may increase the CPU utilization and your computer may become warm. Your computer's fans should turn on and run to cool your computer. After Spotlight completes its index, the computer and its fans should return to a normal idle state if no other applications are open. After a file has been indexed, Spotlight updates the index only if that file is modified.
To confirm Spotlight is indexing:
- Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner of your display.
- If your computer is indexing, a message and a progress bar will appear. The magnifying glass will also have a tiny dot in the middle.
