The hard drive is knocking. The hard drive makes sounds: what different HDD sounds can mean
The full name of a hard drive is hard disk drive (HDD). Information is stored on a ferromagnetic layer deposited on round plates of metal or glass. The disk may consist of one or more plates separated by separators made of non-magnetic material, which regulate air flows inside the HDA and suppress noise from the operation of the hard drive (another name for HDD).
Recording and reading of information is carried out using magnetic heads mounted on the ends of the brackets. The head is held at a distance of several nanometers from the magnetic surface due to the air flow that is generated when the disks rotate.
Rotation speed is one of the main characteristics of a hard drive. The higher it is, the faster access to information occurs.
At rest, with the disks stationary, the magnetic heads return to the parking zone, where they cannot damage the magnetic layer. This zone is usually located near the spindle around which rotation occurs, or outside the disks. Contactless recording and reading ensures the safety of the device.
Why does the hard drive click?
Clicks are heard when the heads are positioned. If the system's power saving mode is set to turn off drives or enter sleep mode, the clicking sounds will sound quite often. Another reason for repositioning the heads may be an increase in temperature inside the HDA.
Unstable power also affects the positioning accuracy of the heads and can cause clicking noises. In the most unpleasant case, the cause of the clicks will be defects in the magnetic surface or the fact that the magnetic head does not see the servo layout of the hard disk sectors.
The clicking sounds may be a result of the hard drive self-testing, during which the firmware flags bad sectors.
What to do
To eliminate power supply problems, try replacing the computer's power supply or connecting the hard drive to another system unit. Inspect the appearance of the power connectors - if they are darkened, there may be poor contact and a short circuit.
Check the hard drive for overheating - it may need forced cooling. If the HDD indicator located on the front panel lights up and the hard drive makes clicking noises, this is evidence of difficulties with positioning the heads.
Test the disk using Victoria or MHDD programs. If the results of S.M.A.R.T. turn out to be disappointing, it is better to save important information to another medium and replace the hard drive.
It happens that tapping is added to the hum of the computer. Why? Most likely the hard drive is to blame. This article will help you find out why your hard drive is knocking, what to do with your computer in such a situation, and how to avoid similar problems in the future.
To avoid confusion, it must be said that the hard drive is not the only name for this part of the computer. It is also called a hard drive or HDD. It’s just that when you talk about computers in Russian, you still use the term “hard drive” more often.
Why is the hard drive knocking?
Tapping is not necessarily a sign of a breakdown, so if you hear a suspicious noise, don’t get upset ahead of time. You may not need to do anything. Even a working hard drive sometimes knocks in the following situations:
When it overheats. The knock triggers the thermal calibration process.
When the computer goes into sleep mode.
When the hard drive is scanned. In this case, the cause of the sound is bad sectors.
If the computer knocks in other cases, most likely, one of these faults is present:
The power supply is not working well.
The voltage "jumps".
The Winchester shifted.
The magnetic layer of the disk has mechanical damage.
The switching amplifier is broken.
Damage to the hard drive head, which is supposed to read information.
It is quite difficult to understand why a hard drive is knocking by ear, especially for a beginner. Even when the breakdown is the same, one model of hard drive sometimes knocks differently than another. So, if you need to know exactly why there is a knocking sound, you will have to study the issue, perhaps with tools in hand, or go to a service center.
What to do when your hard drive is knocking?
If the hard drive is knocking, but the computer is still working, the first thing you need to do is secure your important data. Almost everyone has files that are not worth losing, even during repairs. Copying data to a flash drive, moving it to online storage, or saving it using an external hard drive is a matter of taste. Although, of course, if we are talking about hundreds of gigabytes, the last option will be optimal.
Then you should use one of the programs for diagnosing and managing the hard drive. For example, HDD life will do. It will show what condition the hard drive is in - how much wear there is, whether there is overheating. Further actions depend on what the results are.
If the program shows that there is overheating, you need to replace the thermal paste and clean the computer from dust. Did not help? This means that the fans are probably faulty and need to be repaired. Once the temperature returns to normal, the tapping of the hard drive will most likely go away.
If the program claims that the hard drive is too worn out, it makes sense to replace it with a new one. However, you can try to replace only the most damaged parts.
The program didn't show anything, or it couldn't start because the computer wouldn't turn on? So, we'll have to look into its insides. You will have to check the condition of not only the hard drive, but also the power supply.
If the power supply is not working properly, it needs to be replaced. The same goes for damaged hard drive parts.
And finally, you need to check whether the hard drive is level and secure. If this is not the case, the situation needs to be corrected. Sometimes this is enough for him to stop knocking.
If you have doubts that you will be able to carry out repairs yourself, you should carefully weigh everything. Do you want to improve your skills and don’t mind damaging your computer even more? So, we can start. Do you have any desire to risk your computer? Then it’s better to contact a specialist.
To prevent the tapping from returning after repair, you need to follow a few simple rules. Compliance with them will extend the life of your computer.
Firstly, defragmentation should be carried out once a month. Secondly, it is better not to let your computer overheat. Usually it is enough to change the thermal paste and repair the fans on time, but the laptop may need a cooling pad. Thirdly, you cannot hit the computer, even if it works disgustingly - this is not good for the hard drive, or for other parts either.
Artem Makarov aka Robin
18.11.2010
On ICQ, via e-mail and Skype, users often ask questions: why does the hard drive make clicks, why is my hard drive knocking? The question is so popular that, following the example of previously written recommendations on the topic, I decided to write a separate material so that later everyone interested could be given a link to this page.
So why is the hard drive clicking? First of all, an explanation should be given of the nature of the origin of this sound. The positioner makes clicking sounds in the HDD when it hits the limiter. In my article “” you can look at the internal circuit of the hard drive and find these parts of the HDD. But this is not important; it is much more interesting to figure out why the hard drive clicks. There may be several reasons for this, and you immediately need to divide the situation into two options: the HDD is broken or is working.
A working hard drive may make clicking noises due to so-called thermal calibration, when the drive, in response to an increase in the temperature of the case and its components, reinitializes the read/write head positioning system. In addition, the hard drive also clicks due to a bad, “rattling” or unstable power supply, when the heads go into the parking area and the HDD electronics restart. Another reason why a working screw clicks may be putting the hard drive into sleep mode, and if such settings are explicitly specified in the system's power saving properties, then a similar effect can occur quite often. It makes sense to mention offline scanning of the disk surface as one of the reasons why the HDD clicks. True, in this case, extraneous sounds from the hard drive will be caused by bad sectors of the hard drive, which off-line scanning tries to replace or exclude from the broadcast.
Now let's move on to analyzing the situation when the hard drive is knocking due to a malfunction. As a rule, in this case, the positioning system, for one reason or another, is not able to receive signals from the drive heads indicating that the head “sees” the servo markings. In this case, the hard drive creaks, whistles, knocks or makes other sounds that excite the soul. The actuator moves the block of heads over the entire available amplitude, hence the entire set. The HDD also makes knocking noises if there is a failure during the firmware loading process and it freezes, preventing the processor from controlling the internals of the screw.
In all cases when a hard drive is knocking, qualified diagnostics are needed to determine the causes and develop an action strategy to successfully recover data from a knocking hard drive.
The general procedure for locating and attempting to eliminate extraneous noise in a hard drive is as follows:
- Make sure that the disk receives normal power. Check the drive on another PC, with a different power supply.
- Make sure the drive does not overheat during operation.
- Check the electronics board, replacing it with a known good one, transferring the contents of the ROM
If the hard drive on which important information is stored is knocking, contact our hard drive recovery laboratory for help.
Computer components periodically begin to malfunction. If your hard drive is clicking, you most likely need to think about replacing the device. Sometimes this problem can be resolved in another way.
A hard drive crackles usually as a result of a serious problem. The cause cannot always be easily determined at home. Sometimes the hard drive beeps if it wants to report an emergency situation. Samsung devices are equipped with this functionality. The drive may be humming, but still remain operational. This situation is typical for equipment with a high rotation frequency when processing large file arrays.
The clicking noise may be due to a broken disk or may be the result of a system failure. They are caused by one of the following reasons:
Adjusting the temperature of other computer components to changes can be a factor in why the hard drive clicks. For prevention, it is necessary to measure the general temperature of devices using special programs.
Constant reboot due to power outages. If the hard drive beeps and is not detected, you need to check the tightness of the wires from the power supply. You need to do the same if the drive is suddenly not detected by the system. The hard drive can be connected to another power supply and check how it will work on it. If there are no changes, it will most likely have to be changed.
Force the device into sleep mode using system settings. In this case, the heads are recalibrated. This can be corrected in the system energy saving settings by disabling sleep mode for the drive. After reboot everything will work normally.
Search for bad sectors during the scanning process. During operation, the hard drive makes sounds and freezes periodically. In this case, a message may be displayed that the device is not found or is not responding.
If the drive knocks for a long time and is not detected, the system operation is interrupted by a blue screen of a fatal error.
Damage to the drive head or positioning system. In the process, the hard drive cracks. What to do in this case? It is best to turn off your computer immediately to avoid damaging other components. Next, dismantle it and check it at a service center.
HDD management program failure. Due to a hardware failure or virus influence, the system cannot calibrate the memory management settings. As a result, the hard drive knocks when the positioner hits the limiter, or the device creaks, since the system cannot receive signals from the drive heads and forces them to search for markings. This problem cannot be solved by simply replacing the disk; you will need to conduct a full diagnostic of the computer’s operating environment.
Fault diagnosis
Since there may be several reasons why a hard drive cracks, you need to find out what exactly causes the failure. You need to do the following:
Check power supply. Test the device on another computer. If the device clicks and does not start, you need to contact a recovery service.
Measure the temperature of the drive while running special software. If the device clicks, it may be due to overheating. Normal temperature is approximately room temperature.
Replace the microcircuit on the device. A control board failure may cause the hard drive to click and not be detected. This action cannot be carried out at home. You need to contact a service center where they will carry out a comprehensive diagnosis.
What to do in case of breakdown
The hard drive is designed for a limited number of rewrite cycles. With active use, it will start to work slower and make noise. You need to prepare a spare device in advance, and also make backup copies of important files. When purchasing, it is better to choose a small-volume device than to overpay for a more capacious disk that will wear out at the same speed. You can even purchase two hard drives at once and use the second one as a backup device. Moreover, prices for this computer element remain low.
If your hard drive is making strange sounds, it is best to take it to a service center for diagnostics. Don't delay and hope that the damage will go away. Sometimes the reason why a hard drive is noisy is the way it operates with a certain file format. A technical feature of some devices allows them to function normally, but still buzz. In this case, a good solution to the question of how to reduce the noise of a hard drive would be to purchase special soundproofing pads.
If your hard drive is clicking, it may indicate a serious problem with your PC or laptop.
A hard drive is the main data storage device in any PC, be it a desktop computer or a laptop.
The safety of data and the possibility of their recovery directly depend on its serviceability and normal operation.
Therefore, it is very important to monitor the operation of this device. What to do if your hard drive is clicking, why does it happen, and how to deal with this problem?
This is discussed in the material below.
Hard drive structure and operating principle
Often the appearance of extraneous and atypical sounds when a hard drive is operating is associated with its design.
Accordingly, to resolve the problem you also need to familiarize yourself with the hard drive structure.
The device can be glass or metal. These materials are used to make round plates on which a special ferromagnetic layer is applied.
It is on the ferromagnetic layer that information is directly recorded.
One device may include one or more plates. If there are several of them, then they are separated by layers of non-magnetic material.
This material and these layers play an important role in the distribution of airflow within the unit.
They also largely absorb the noise that appears when the hard drive (hard drive) is operating.
This structure has a part that directly stores information. But there is another part of the hard drive – one that reads and transmits existing data.
They are read using magnetic heads mounted on relatively movable bases.
The head is fixed a few nanometers from the ferromagnetic layer.
It remains at this distance due to the air flow that is formed during the rapid rotation of the plate with the information layer.
The faster the plates rotate, the faster information can be accessed. It is the speed of their rotation that is one of the main operational characteristics of the layer.
At rest, when the computer is turned off, the read heads return to a special parking zone.
This zone is located at the center of rotation (spindle). Being in it, the heads cannot damage the disk.
Such discs have a fairly long service life. This is ensured by the fact that information is recorded and read contactlessly.
Rice. 1 How a hard drive works
Normal and abnormal sounds when the device is operating
In fully working condition, the new hard drive should not make any sounds during operation. However, there are acceptable deviations in this area.
This may be a quiet and short-term hum that appears when the program starts.
However, there cannot be knocks or clicks in a working disk. Therefore, if such sounds occur, then this is a reason to be concerned about the safety of the recorded information.
Also, acceptable noise occurs when the disk does not receive sufficient power.
In this case, you need to install a new power supply or connect a charger.
And also sometimes the disk can make noise when the system overheats.
Previously in our materials we wrote about how to cope with system overheating using simple steps:
In this case, you need to connect a cooler. If the hard drive overheats, it may not be detected by the system at all.
However, if such problems are not observed, and the disk continues to click, then it is necessary to take care of the safety of information.
Since there is a high probability that it will soon become unavailable. You need to save everything important on removable media and take the computer for diagnostics.
Without qualified diagnostics, it is impossible to determine whether certain clicks are dangerous or not.
There is a possibility that their causes are not so serious and can be easily eliminated, but it is worth being on the safe side for the safety of important information.
The principles of their operation and access to the media and system are such that in case of some breakdowns they can only aggravate the situation.
This applies to an even greater extent to programs for debugging the hard drive.
Causes of clicks and creaks in the hard drive
Why does the hard drive click or knock? Technically, this sound occurs when the read heads are positioned.
That is, they return to the spindle, to their parking place.
The hard drive clicks for a number of reasons. The most harmless of them are:
- Device self-test, during which the hard drive “marks” bad sectors;
- Switching to power saving mode causes the hard drive to turn off (with appropriate power saving settings);
- Power outages are also a cause (can occur due to a faulty laptop battery or power surges in the network);
- Increase in temperature inside the thermoblock.
One of the most unpleasant and difficult to eliminate causes of clicking is damage to the ferromagnetic layer or servo marking of the disk.
Because of this, the positioning of the read heads occurs. This state of affairs threatens the loss of all information stored on the disk.
Not only knocks and clicks, but also squeaks occur when the heads stop “seeing” the servo markings due to a malfunction.
They receive no signals from it, and they begin to move and “search” for this marking.
As a result, extraneous sounds arise. Similar sounds occur when loading the hard drive firmware fails.
The HDD brand is also important. Although their devices are similar, they can signal a particular problem in different ways.
Also, the hard drive may knock after the laptop is dropped. In this case, this indicates that the heads have failed.
You might be interested in:
Why is the hard drive clicking? Main causes and solutions to the problem
Troubleshooting yourself
It is very important to at least approximately establish the reason why the problem occurred. To do this, you first need to exclude all the most likely causes.
Check what power saving mode settings are set on your computer.
Perhaps it turns off the hard drive when it enters this mode. Because of this, the read heads return to their place.
If you suspect a power outage, try installing a different battery in your laptop.
Or, on the contrary, install a known-good hard drive into your device. If clicks are heard in this case, then problems with the HDD can be ruled out.
You can find out the status of the hard drive using the system resource:
- Left-click on the hard drive image;
- Select "Properties";
Rice. 2. Local disk properties window
- Open the “Service” tab;
- Run the function "Run check";
- Check the boxes "Automatic troubleshooting" And "Checking and restoring sectors".
Fig.3. Checking the local disk
After completing this check, you must restart the computer. In some cases, no other measures are required. Such an impact can eliminate the problem.
However, immediately after rebooting the operating system, all data on the disk must be saved. And replace the disk itself with a new one as soon as possible.
Checking the hard drive temperature is carried out using the HDDlife or HWMonitor programs.
The normal hard drive temperature is 40–50 degrees. If its temperature is higher, then most likely the knocking appears precisely because of it.
By the way, in order to accurately determine the normal temperature for your iron, read our materials:
If the scan reveals that the temperature of the hard drive is above 45–55 degrees, then it needs to be lowered.
To do this, you need to carry out the following set of measures:
- Clean the device from dust and dirt;
- Connect an external cooler for general system cooling;
- Raise the laptop above the table, place it on legs or a stand so that the external openings are not blocked by anything and air passes through them freely.
In any case, the hard drive itself, after the first clicks appear, is already beyond repair.
Therefore, the main actions in this case should be aimed at saving important data. Since at any moment such a disk can turn off at any moment.