HDD starts "clicking" when computer sits idle

  • Thread starter Thread starter elrous0
  • Start date Start date
E

elrous0

Hi, all. I apologize if this has been asked before (couldn't find it on
Google Groups if it has).

My hard drive starts making a clicking noise when my computer has been
sitting idle for a while (after about an hour or two). The clicks
continue at regular intervals (about 1 click per second or so) until I
get back on the computer and start up a program that acesses the drives
(like Windows Explorer). Then it stops again and doesn't click until it
has been sitting idle again for about an hour or two (same pattern
repeats).

Darned if I can figure it out. My power management isn't set to spin
the drives down or anything. And they all appear to be working fine
(and don't make any clicking sounds at any other time).
Anyone got any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.

-Eric
 
Hi, all. I apologize if this has been asked before (couldn't find it on
Google Groups if it has).

My hard drive starts making a clicking noise when my computer has been
sitting idle for a while (after about an hour or two). The clicks
continue at regular intervals (about 1 click per second or so) until I
get back on the computer and start up a program that acesses the drives
(like Windows Explorer). Then it stops again and doesn't click until it
has been sitting idle again for about an hour or two (same pattern
repeats).

Darned if I can figure it out. My power management isn't set to spin
the drives down or anything. And they all appear to be working fine
(and don't make any clicking sounds at any other time).
Anyone got any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.

-Eric
Click to expand...

XP will defrag your system files when the computer is idle. Also, some
harddrives periodically do thermal recalibration. You might not notice it
when you're using the computer - only when it's relatively quiet.

You can get a program like Everest and check the SMART status of your
drives if you think they are going bad but minor sounds like that could be
perfectly normal.
 
XP will defrag your system files when the computer is idle.

Thanks, that's what it was. I had to download TweakUI to turn it off.
It's a very annoying default feature (typical of Microsoft).

-Eric
 
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