What is clicking?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Clark
  • Start date Start date
C

Clark

My computer, since RC1 it seems has been "clicking" about every 10 minutes
or so, but I don't know what it is. The sound is like a relay being
activated and seems to be coming from the front where the drives are.

It doesn't seem to be the same sound as when the video mode changes, but it
might be related. I will try to find out exactly where it is coming from,
but I look a little strange sitting next to a computer with the cover off.

Thanks,
Clark
 
Would be helpful to hear the actual noise, but, my first thought is the hard
drive -- it could be going out.

Do you have a floppy drive? Some program could be trying to read it. Have
you noticed if any disk access lights are on at the same time?
 
I think that noise is turning off the hard disks or CD drives. For me it is
similar to the noise when shutting down. Look in your power options.
 
I have a floppy but this noise is a single click, not the type of something
being accessed. I changed my power settings to Performance and it is still
clicking.

Currently I am trying to time the noise to tie it to some event, or at least
when I can be close enough to the computer to pin down where it is coming
from. For now, I will have to agree it is something to do with the drives,
but I need to find out more accurately where it is coming from.

Thanks,
Clark
 
Clark said:
I have a floppy but this noise is a single click, not the type of something
being accessed. I changed my power settings to Performance and it is still
clicking.

Currently I am trying to time the noise to tie it to some event, or at
least when I can be close enough to the computer to pin down where it is
coming from. For now, I will have to agree it is something to do with the
drives, but I need to find out more accurately where it is coming from.

Thanks,
Clark
Click to expand...


Likely one of your hard drives spinning down when it is inactive for a
period of time.

I get the click also. In Windows XP I can set the drives to sleep after 5
minutes. In five minutes I hear clicks as my various drives spin down (I
have 4 in this computer). Note that I did this just for a test. I normally
have them spin down after one hour in XP.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Posted using Vista RC2 5744

(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
Did you go into power settings and insure that Turn Off disk drives is set
to Never as a test as suggested by another poster?
 
No I hadn't. I am glad you said that since I had not seen the advanced
power settings dialogue.

I will see what happens now.

Thanks,
Clark
 
I am currently sitting next to my PC with its cover off, my wife thinks its
strange when I put the cover on. Any way my PC is clicking as well but a bit
more regular than 10 mins, mines about 10 secs, my new 250gig H/D I bought
off eBay is dying after 8 weeks of use. I would look at the H/D.

Adrian
 
It appears the suggestion about the power settings and the hard drives going
to sleep is correct. I changed the setting to never sleep and I haven't
heard it since. I am still amazed I had not noticed the "change advanced
power settings" dialogue options.

Clark
 
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