This work was submitted to our "perpetual" article contest and the author received an award - a branded site T-shirt and motherboard provided by Boston PC.

Introduction

The last bastion of noise in the construction of a quiet computer, as you know, is its hard disk. Component manufacturers have already learned how to make motherboards, video cards, power supplies, fans silent. If you have sufficient funds, you can even purchase a turnkey complex solution Zalman TNN500AF. However, not everyone can afford such a case, and not so much attention is paid to the hard drive. Several materials on the site have already been devoted to the topic of reducing the noise of the hard drive:

What has changed recently? First, let's see what they offer us on the market. Note that the article will focus only on completely silent devices, coolers with forced air cooling such as Cooler Master CoolDrive, Spire FlowCooler or Titan TTC will not be considered due to their somewhat different purpose. The question was not to cool the hard drive, but to make it less noisy, even at the cost of increasing the temperature. Installing a cooler is contrary to the task.

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Serial HDD coolers

Scythe SBX-1000

One of the popular devices for suppressing the noise of a hard drive from the rapidly gaining popularity of the Japanese company Scythe. The only cooler available made entirely of rubber, more specifically Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (outer layer) and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (inner layer). The material is specially designed for high absorption of noise and vibration. The workmanship is traditionally high for Scythe. The heat dissipation is carried out using an aluminum plate fixed on the top cover of the cooler. Curiously, the hard drive is installed upside down. The manufacturer does not specify what such an unusual installation of the hard drive will lead to, and no restrictions are reported either, although all modern hard drives work without problems in this position. It is stated that it is possible to install any IDE or SATA hard drive with a spindle speed of up to 10.000 rpm. Cost approx € 50

It could be a creak from your interior door.

Hard drives are nearly silent, but some of them make a muffled clicking sound when the read head is accessed or the computer shuts down - this is normal. If the sound appears only occasionally or noises that have not been heard before - clicking, grinding, vibration or squealing - then the hard drive is likely to be malfunctioning. There are several types of audio glitches.

The following steps will help you determine if the hard drive is really making noise, and if so, what to do next before your precious files disappear forever.

What to do if the hard drive is noisy?

Internal state of HDD

Takes time: This troubleshooting takes anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the cause of the strange sound.

Make sure the hard drive is the sound source and not another hardware component.

• If you unplug the power cable of the drive, and the data wire of the hard drive. Do you still hear a startup noise? The problem is not with the hard drive!
• Try another option to correctly identify the source. If the noise stops when the power cable is connected, but returns when connected or using other interfaces to the hard drive, you will probably need to replace the data cable.

If, in fact, the hard drive is in a faulty condition, run the free diagnostic program for hard drives, which is available on the Internet. Professional diagnostic software is also available for purchase from third party developers.

• When starting the diagnostic program, it is better to close other programs and disconnect drives or devices that you are not testing, so that the results are not distorted.
• Diagnostic applications will only mark hard disk sectors that fail as "bad" and prevent the computer from exploiting the damaged areas in the future. In reality, the sectors will not be healed in the event of a physical failure.

If the corrections made by the diagnostic programs do not temporarily eliminate the noise, perform a full backup of the computer and replace the hard drive.

If the diagnostic apps help you fix clicks (noises), grinding or squealing sounds, remember that this is a temporary solution. Probably, during operation, the noise will continue until the serviceability for operation is completely lost.

The permanent solution when the noise starts is to make a full system backup and replace the hard drive as soon as possible.

In rare cases, noise appears when you access the desired areas on the hard drive, these are probably the damaged sectors that are under threat. This problem can be corrected by diagnostic applications.

Hard drive still not working properly?

External drives, like internal ones, also emit sound. These noises are heard when the drive is first connected to a computer and is often caused by a faulty power or cable connection.

There is no panacea for recovering a faulty hard drive, it is important to protect your files by performing regular backups. With an updated backup, recovering from a failed hard drive is as easy as installing a new one and restoring files.

There are no moving parts inside the solid state drive () such as a traditional hard drive and no mechanical sounds can be heard during operation.

Bad disk backup

The best way to create a backup is with an online backup service on the Internet, because the files are stored in the cloud and are less prone to loss or damage. A quick way is to use a free backup program - some of these programs can even clone files from a faulty hard drive and put them on a new working hard drive.

Try to correct the noise from your external hard drive by plugging the power adapter directly into a wall outlet using either USB 2.0 + ports. You can connect a hard drive to the USB port on the back of your computer. Make sure the USB port is working properly.

Defragment a noisy hard drive

Defragmenting HDD tracks

A fragmented hard drive provides a better speed for moving files than one that is not fragmented. Free defragmenters are available to extend the lifespan, but this probably won't fix the problem on most noisy hard drives.

If the hard drive makes a sound, it means that it is turned on. However, it may not be possible to boot into the operating system to use the files normally. This is not a common occurrence, it is possible that the sound is due to a defective device.

Other computer-generated noises

Winchester is not the only computer component that makes a strange sound. Power supply, fan, and other devices that can generate noise during operation. It is important to know where the noise is coming from in order to understand what needs to be fixed.

For example, if the computer is running in overdrive for a specific task. Let's say when starting a video game, you can hear the fan spinning faster to keep the hardware cool. There may be something stuck in the fan blades causing a strange noise.

Hear and analyze noise

When you open a program or a computer window, it is possible to hear a noise getting louder and louder - it's easy to make a mistake. This probably means that a disk is spinning in the drive, which is spinning faster than before, so that the computer can receive data, this is normal.

Popping or static sounds from speakers can also be mistaken for noise (cable not securely attached to the computer connector), as can some BIOS beeps.

Sometimes every PC user can face the problem of extraneous noise in the process of hard disk operation. Winchester is a mechanical structure, inside of which rotating discs are located. Reading information from a hard disk is carried out using magnetic heads, which, while moving, create a certain noise. The kind of extraneous sounds depends on the model of the hard drive and on the case of the system unit. If the computer case is made of inexpensive materials, inside it is assembled poorly, then unpleasant sounds will be emitted throughout the system unit.

The hard drive stores all the information on the computer. Therefore, you need to take measures to save data as soon as you hear the noise during the operation of the device. Since this is the first "bell" that it may break down soon.

However, sometimes the simple operating state may be accompanied by noise. Here you need to figure out why the hard drive is bursting.

1. Replace the hard drive.
2. Modify the acoustics level using the AAM option.
3. Take measures regarding soundproofing the case or buying a better one.
4. Secure the hard disk with soundproofing pads.
5. Defragment the disk.

The biggest question is, apparently, the second solution to the problem. Consider what it is.

Reducing noise from the hard drive using AAM

Any HDD is characterized by the function of regulating the level of noise generated by it through the built-in Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM) option. Its task is to reduce the noise of the device by decreasing the speed of movement of the heads. But there is one negative factor here: using this option, the speed of the hard drive will automatically drop.

Which of these two options (speed or noise) will create more inconvenience, in whose favor to give your preference is up to you. You may not feel the slowdown in hard disk speed, but the annoying noise volume will noticeably decrease. If you do decide to fix the noise problem using AAM, then you need to download the WinAAM application. It is available for download and is completely free. He speaks the Russian-language interface and works without the obligatory installation. You can get this program by following the link: http://www.withopf.com/tools/aam/winaam-292.zip.

In the window that appears, click "Continue". Adjusting the security settings is completely useless when getting rid of the noise of the hard drive, so it is better not to touch it.

In the first line you can read that at this moment in time the noise level control is not activated. Click on the "Quiet / Standard (128)" option to adjust the silent AAM level. Its value can range from 0 to 255. It is noted that only extreme levels have influential abilities, that is, "quietly" or "loudly". Most hard drives do not pay attention to intermediate levels. This is most likely the reason that the WinAAM application allows you to solve the noise problem with a click on one option.

After adjusting the noise level, the application will close. Reopen it, select Continue, then Check.

A window will open showing the disordered movement of the read head.

At this moment you will have the opportunity to hear the process of the hard drive with the updated AAM option. The difference is huge. In order to compare with the previous state of the hard drive, press the parameter "Loud (254)". This action will speed up the hard drive and return the previous noise volume.

Mechanical methods of getting rid of HDD noise

When using the application to get rid of the noise, you need to manually solve the problem.

1. First, check the hard drive fixation quality. The winchester must be firmly fixed and firmly held on the grooves, all the bolts must be sufficiently tightened.
2. Consider which parts of the HDD are mechanically touching the computer case. At the joints, it is necessary to install special gaskets with an insulation function. You can slightly move the hard drive mounting basket so that the part does not come into contact with the computer case. Doing so can help reduce noise.
3. If it is possible to change the location of the hard drive, do it. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the vibration of the hard drive does not transfer to the case.

If you cannot reduce the noise in this way, contact technical support.

The hard disk is also a "hard drive" - ​​an important component of any computer. It has not only an operating system installed, but also stores important documents and files (music, video, photos). Like any other component, over time, it wears out and breaks down and breaks down. And the main symptom of this is the appearance of noise and hum of the hard disk. In this case, the first thing to do is to help avoid sharp breakage.

However, this may not always be the reason. New drives of some brands and models also have an increased noise level, and this is their normal operating condition.

Below we will consider several options for reducing the noise of the hard drive: manually and programmatically.

AAM

Newer HDDs support the special function “ Automatic Acoustic Management", With its help you can adjust the speed of movement of the read heads, thereby reducing the noise of the laptop hard drive.

This feature is disabled by default, so to enable it we use a utility called "WinAAM", it's free and very lightweight. You can find and download it on the Internet.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that after setting the quiet mode, the speed of the drive also decreases. However, it is very difficult to notice this by eye.

CrystalDiskInfo

If for some reason the previous program did not suit you or did not help you, the hard disk still makes noise under load and because of this, then I recommend using this utility. With its help, we will more flexibly configure the AAM function. But it also has other useful features, for example, you can view detailed HDD parameters, the current state and check for errors.

So what needs to be done:

After that, the hard drive will start working with the new settings in quiet mode.

There may be several reasons in CrystalDiskInfo:

• The HDD is old and the utility simply does not support it
• Physical or logical malfunction

How to diagnose HDD, it was said at the beginning of the article.

Defragmentation

Another way that can help you if the hard drive of a laptop or computer makes a lot of noise or buzz during operation. As mentioned above, this is due to the moving mechanical heads, or rather, to their speed.

To do this, we will reduce the distance that they need to cover in order to get to the desired section of the disk and read information from it. This is done quite simply using a regular defragmentation. It will arrange the clusters with information in order, reduce the distance between them, thereby increasing the speed of access to them. Simply put, it will be easier for the hard drive to read the information it needs, the load on it will decrease, and then the noise and hum of the hard drive will decrease.

But you can also use the built-in utility:

This will eliminate the hum and buzz of the drive.

Manual way

If you have a desktop computer, and not a laptop, you can use one of the following methods.

Now you know what to do when the hard drive starts making third-party sounds (noise, buzzing and buzzing) during operation, and you can solve this problem yourself using the methods discussed above.

If before he did not make noise, but now he makes noise - this is not normal. A properly working disk can emit a slight uniform noise / whistle and frequent, not too loud clicks during reading / writing (such a slight uneven rattling, this is the movement of the magnetic heads).

If the disc rattles, vibrates, this is very bad. Most likely, he will not last long. In theory, the reason could be that it is not properly secured (and then it rattles along with your drive bay, the walls of which (the bay) are not strong enough to hold the drive while it is running). I have seen such a mention. But it's hard for me to imagine how fragile, "cardboard" the walls of the mountings must be for this to happen. Unless you installed a 3-inch hard drive in a 5-inch bay in a homemade way (a special adapter mount must be used for this, such a 3-inch bay that fits inside a 5-inch bay). In this case, bounce is just likely.

If it's not about the mount, then (discarding all the super-exotic options that happen once in a million) the disk is faulty. If it's under warranty, change it. If it clearly rattles (not evenly buzzing, namely rattling), this is a malfunction, so they must change. If the disc is out of warranty, then you can no longer count on it. Back up all your important data and be prepared for the fact that he could die at any time. When my hard drive began to make a suspicious noise, I immediately bought a new one, rewrote all the important information on it, and put the old drive in the cabinet (in case I forgot to rewrite some important information).

You can also check the state ("health") of the disk (this information is collected by the disk itself during operation, the technology is called S.M.A.R.T. or SMART). It contains information about the number of different errors during the disk operation (a small number of errors is completely normal). To display this information, you will most likely need a special program. I cannot suggest a convenient program (if you know English, you can search for hdd health check). However, caution should be exercised. If the disk is out of order, prolonged active disk operation during an in-depth check (not just showing statistics collected by SMART, but testing disk performance) may turn out to be that drop that will lead to a sharp deterioration in the disk's condition.

If the disc is just a little noisy, then this is the noise from the drive (motor) (or maybe the bearings). Considering that the disc spins at about 10,000 rpm, it is quite expected that it is slightly noisy.

I have an old computer at work. Several times today I have heard some kind of vibration. Toist something rattled in the system unit. Since the system is open, I looked in there, listened, something was really buzzing, it looked like vibration, it would buzz a couple of times and continue to work. What is it buzzing, I can’t figure it out, but I have Vord turned on and during its operation the cooler buzzes very much, the sound is like a ringing sound. And in the morning, after turning on and loading the computer, for some reason, we rebooted ourselves. Moreover, I did not include anything on it. What could it be, I would like to know. I save everything that I type on the computer in the Word to a USB flash drive. But this is after the end of the working day. But now I will probably save everything on a USB flash drive after vibration of the hard drive. Since my work computer is likely to break down soon.

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