hard drive clicking rather loudly

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jenny
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J

Jenny

It is clicking like something is hitting the case. It did this about a week
ago
and I just turned the system off, bought a new hard drive just in case and
backed up everything. Is it possible that this can be fixed. It is a
western
digital wd400. It is only year and half old. Would spinrite software maybe
help it? Any experience with this out there?
Thanks much,
dancer (Jenny)
 
Jenny said:
It is clicking like something is hitting the case. It did this about a week
ago
and I just turned the system off, bought a new hard drive just in case and
backed up everything. Is it possible that this can be fixed. It is a
western
digital wd400. It is only year and half old. Would spinrite software maybe
help it? Any experience with this out there?
Click to expand...

That sounds like the symptom referred to, descriptively enough, as the
'click of death' and if it follows the pattern of my WD drives the best you
can do is administer pain management; which you've done by buying a
replacement and backing up your data.

Next is to run the WD diagnostics to get the error code, or wait till
complete failure if it passes for the short term, and get a warranty
replacement.

In the mean time I'd check case temps because it may be you have a hot spot
around the hard drive that's causing premature failure.
 
It is clicking like something is hitting the case. It did this about a week
ago
and I just turned the system off, bought a new hard drive just in case and
backed up everything. Is it possible that this can be fixed. It is a
western
digital wd400. It is only year and half old. Would spinrite software maybe
help it? Any experience with this out there?
Thanks much,
dancer (Jenny)
Click to expand...

Is it a clank-clank-clank sound? I know it seems silly to ask that,
but it happens that such a sound indicates a damaged or defective
drive head. You will need to get it replaced if so.


---Atreju---
 
How do I run the WD diagnostics??
I think you are right about temperature. I put in a new one and
it already seems hotter than usual. This is in a dell 4100 and they
mount the drive vertically against the front. I don't see a way to
mount a fan but there is certainly space and it seems to need one.
Thanks,


That sounds like the symptom
referred to, descriptively enough, as the
 
I would describe it as more of a click than a clank.
Is it a
clank-clank-clank sound? I know it seems silly to ask that,
 
Jenny said:
How do I run the WD diagnostics??
Click to expand...

If you don't have the disk go to the western digital site and download
their 'lifeguard' disk.
I think you are right about temperature. I put in a new one and
it already seems hotter than usual. This is in a dell 4100 and they
mount the drive vertically against the front. I don't see a way to
mount a fan but there is certainly space and it seems to need one.
Thanks,
Click to expand...

That seems to be a popular mounting style these days. I just worked on an
HP machine that was the same way. Had a dead western digital hard drive
too, and guess what the symptom was: click, click, click, click, click.
 
I had exactly the same problem about 4 months ago. The WD diagnostics said
it was a damaged IDE cable.

Sceptically I replaced it, and lo and behold, no more clicking.

Although we are backing evrything up to CD and made sure SMART was turned on

the_gnome
 
I've heard hard drive clicking many times, and that's an indication
it's about to fail. Good reason to backup now !
 
the said:
I had exactly the same problem about 4 months ago. The WD diagnostics said
it was a damaged IDE cable.

Sceptically I replaced it, and lo and behold, no more clicking.

Although we are backing evrything up to CD and made sure SMART was turned on
Click to expand...

Glad it wasn't the drive.

The one I referred to, though, was checked in three other systems.
 
Your hard drive is about to kick the bucket. I've seen this happen on 2
hard drives before, and both were WD drives.
 
That sounds like the symptom referred to, descriptively enough, as the
'click of death' and if it follows the pattern of my WD drives the best you
can do is administer pain management; which you've done by buying a
replacement and backing up your data.
Click to expand...

To this I would add that while the old drive is still operable, wipe the
data from it after you've confirmed the validity of your backup.
Next is to run the WD diagnostics to get the error code, or wait till
complete failure if it passes for the short term, and get a warranty
replacement.
Click to expand...

I think the WD400 series has only a one year warranty period. Refer to
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/current/drives.asp?Model=WD400BB
 
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