unpleasant hard drive noize

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Guest

This is not really a Windows question, but I hope somebody heare knows the
answer.

I have a hard drive making a sound like a rachet wrench as soon as power is
applied.

Is this a common sound, and what does it mean?

I guess I hardly need to add that the BIOS can't detect the drive, and it
seems to have reached the end of its life.

Tks in anticipation.
 
Replace your defective hard drive with a new one.

Visit the support web site of the manufacturer of your
hard drive and search for a free drive fitness test program.

Example:

Program to help analyze, monitor, & restore the health of your drives
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| This is not really a Windows question, but I hope somebody heare knows the
| answer.
|
| I have a hard drive making a sound like a rachet wrench as soon as power is
| applied.
|
| Is this a common sound, and what does it mean?
|
| I guess I hardly need to add that the BIOS can't detect the drive, and it
| seems to have reached the end of its life.
|
| Tks in anticipation.
 
Thanks for your reply.

The trouble is that any diagnostic utility requires the drive to be detected
by the BIOS.

I think the drive is probably dead. I just wondered whether any other forum
user knows anything about that ugly ratchet sound.

I once got a similar noize when the jumpers were set incorrectly, but this
one makes the noize regardless of the jumper positions.
 
Any abnormal noise emanating from a hard drive
is indicative of impending or sudden hardware failure.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jonno" wrote:

| Thanks for your reply.
|
| The trouble is that any diagnostic utility requires the drive to be detected
| by the BIOS.
|
| I think the drive is probably dead. I just wondered whether any other forum
| user knows anything about that ugly ratchet sound.
|
| I once got a similar noize when the jumpers were set incorrectly, but this
| one makes the noize regardless of the jumper positions.
 
Jonno said:
Thanks for your reply.

The trouble is that any diagnostic utility requires the drive to be detected
by the BIOS.
Click to expand...

.... and if the drive is not detected by the BIOS, it's either
disconnected or dead.
 
It seems that you've already decided the drive is dead, so maybe you're
asking just because you're curious as to what can be making the noise. If
that's the case, and if there's no data on there that you want to take
heroic measures to recover, you can just take the drive apart and look. It's
not difficult. A few screws, pry off the cover, and you can see how it all
works. The ratcheting sound is the arm moving. You'll see it.

If you *do* want to take heroic measures, there is software available that
will recover data even if the bios doesn't see the drive - sometimes. I've
been able to do it on a couple of occasions.

I have no idea how the software sees the drive if the bios and Windows will
not, but it does work on occasion. The software is pretty expensive, though,
so your best be would be to find a local shop that is good at this sort of
thing.
 
The drive is definitely close to death, but I have a theory that the
immediate problem is damaged firmware. In the process of fiddling around to
get the computer working again (with another drive) I broke a cardinal rule
and plugged the damaged drive back in when the computer was on. It was after
that that the scraping cycle refused to go away, regardless of jumper
positions or drive order.

Can you flash hard drive firmware as you can flash motherboard ROM?
 
Just saying that that software detects the drive the same way the BIOS does,
but in a more effective manner, because the BIOS isn't looking for signs of
a defective drive.
 
It probably means your hard drive has one foot in the grave....and no, it's
not normal.

It may not be the hard drive - could be a noisy cooling fan with worn
bearings.
 
Thanks for the reply, and for your optimism.

I have done a few searches on this now, and I am amazed how many replies on
the subject suggest noizy cooling fans. Sadly, in this case, there is no
doubt. I not only have the back off the computer and my ear to the drive,
but I can report that the noize only occurs when that drive is powered.

I think it was on its last legs, and I might have given it the final death
blow by connecting it to the power when the computer was on. If you read
this post and know of any fixes, I'd be grateful to hear of them.
 
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