Noisy hard drive

[Antares 531]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

Gordon

 

[gry-lion]

"Antares 531" wrote in message

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

Gordon


Get a new hard drive ASAP. The old one is on its way out.

 

[Eric]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

Gordon

I had one like that and it was fine, ran for 10 years before I replaced
the desktop system with a laptop.

 

[Percival P. Cassidy]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

WD probably has a diagnostics program you could download and check out
the drive, but I'd start saving for a replacement.

All the dead hard drives I have sitting around here are WD. Never any
trouble with Seagate.

Perce

 

[DanS]

All the dead hard drives I have sitting around here are WD.
Never any trouble with Seagate.

That was my experience too. Up until about 10 year ago, WD was
the ticket. Now, you're lucky if they last a few years. (The
less expensive commodity HD's they sell us.)

 

[DanS]

I've had Seagates go belly up. No hard drive will last
forever.

I never said they'd last forever.

At one time, the similarly priced drives from WD & Seagate....WD
had a 1 year warranty and Seagate a 5 year.

I've had 2 WD drives fail @ about a year and a half.

I've not had any Seagate failures since I switched to them over
5 years ago, in multiple PCs that have been built since then.

 

[Ken Blake]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

See the other replies you've gotten, but let me add the following:

Your backup provides you with only a tiny amount of protection. I
don't recommend backup to your only drive or a second non-removable
hard drive because it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of
the original and backup to many of the most common dangers: severe
power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even theft of
the computer.

In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not kept
in the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for example, if the
life of your business depends on your data) you should have multiple
generations of backup, and at least one of those generations should be
stored off-site.

 

[ray]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows 7
Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive failure
is about to happen?

Gordon

Recent drives, almost universally, have 'smart' on board error reporting
- what information can you gather about the drive's health?

 

[Antares 531]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

Gordon

I've been tinkering with this problem off and on for the past two days
but still have not been able to determine which drive is making the
odd noises. This happens when a back-up is under way, and this means
both drives are operating. One is making the thumping sounds, or maybe
both are doing it.

Under normal operating conditions the thumping noise isn't present. It
happens when a back-up or virus scan is under way. These occur when
the computer is idle and if I try to see which drive is active this
brings it our of idle and arrests the back-up or virus scan process.

I guess I should go buy a new hard drive and replace the back-up drive
and see if this cures the problem. If not, I can clear the new drive
and use it for the main drive, and see if this is the faulty one.

Gordon

 

[Tester]

Best thing is to check that all connections are done properly. This
means you need to open your box, and physically un-connect and
re-connect the HD. Also make sure the HD brackets are properly screwed
to the frame otherwise they keep banging the box and this can cause noise.

If you have any important documents then clearly you should save them
online free of charge on Microsoft website. the link is here:

<http://explore.live.com/windows-live-skydrive>

All you need is your own hotmail/live username and password. Also make
sure the stored documents are set as PRIVATE.

hth

 

[Thip]

All the dead hard drives I have sitting around here are WD. Never any
trouble with Seagate.

Perce

I'm sitting here looking at a dead Seagate I just replaced. :-(

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm sitting here looking at a dead Seagate I just replaced. :-(

Every brand takes their turn at the bottom of the barrel.

 

[Andy]

First problem its a WESTERN DIGITAL POS drive trade those junk drives for a
real drive a SEAGATE BARRACUDA
the only drives i use and install in clients systems

 

[Andy]

(All the dead hard drives I have sitting around here are WD. Never any
trouble with Seagate.) I couldn't have said it better my self iam glad
someone knows a quality drive when he sees it

 

[Andy]

I've had Seagate's go belly up. No hard drive will last forever.
I have had ONE segate go bad in 30 years
I have had 12 WD drives go bad in 2 years between my own and clients
systems.
WD used to be number one NO MORE the company got bought out and the quality
went to hell.

 

[Andy]

what model was it was it NEW or used i wont EVER use a USED drive in my
systems or a client's system I use those as test drives for testing only.

 

[McGoningle]

Best thing is to check that all connections are done properly. This

FIRST always (!) unplug the main plug and only then fiddle with the
hard drives very gently, checking setting and connection. of HD.

 

[Rob]

I've been tinkering with this problem off and on for the past two days
but still have not been able to determine which drive is making the
odd noises. This happens when a back-up is under way, and this means
both drives are operating. One is making the thumping sounds, or maybe
both are doing it.

Under normal operating conditions the thumping noise isn't present. It
happens when a back-up or virus scan is under way. These occur when
the computer is idle and if I try to see which drive is active this
brings it our of idle and arrests the back-up or virus scan process.

I guess I should go buy a new hard drive and replace the back-up drive
and see if this cures the problem. If not, I can clear the new drive
and use it for the main drive, and see if this is the faulty one.

If your PC is going into a power-saving state, it may be turning off one or
more of the hard drives and the noise you hear could simply be it/them
being powered up by the OS when access is needed.
You can configure individual devices so that they do not respond to
power saving command from the OS, if you want to test this.
Also worth getting a 3rd-party utility to inspect the SMART data from
each drive to see if any errors have been occurring.
HTH,

 

[Allen]

I'm sitting here looking at a dead Seagate I just replaced. :-(

I'm with you. No trouble ever with WDs, some trouble over the years with
Seagate. WD got a bad reputation with the intro of the IBM AT, factory
equipped with WD 20 meg drives. They gave all sorts of trouble, but IBM
eventually forced to admit that the problem was NOT in the WD drives,
but in the IBM-designed control cards.
Allen

 

[Antares 531]

I have a homebuilt desktop computer with an ASUS P7P55D motherboard, 8
GB RAM, Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @ 2.8 GHz, 64 bit O.S., running Windows
7 Pro.

This computer has two hard drives for its normal function and a third
drive set up for automatic backups. When the automatic backup process
starts that hard drive makes a loud sequence of thumping clattering
noises. These hard drives are Western Digital WDC 5000 AADS drives.

Any ideas as to what is going on, or if this means a hard drive
failure is about to happen?

Gordon

I ran the Error-checking tool and set it to automatically fix file
system errors and also scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

The process went smoothly, but I did hear the hard drive clucking
sound a few times. When completed the pop-up window indicated there
were no problems and the disk was ready to use.

The clucking sounds being present while checking Drive D: seems to
have narrowed this problem down to that hard drive. I will run the
same Error-checking tool on Drive C: this afternoon and see what
happens.

I'm thinking this is a near-bad sector that requires several tries by
the read-write function to get the data onto the hard drive on those
marginally bad sectors.

Gordon