HDD noise

[upquark]

Hi all i've just installed a new Segate Baracuda 320 gb Sata with perpindicular recording technology. It appears to work fine but it makes werid noise when seeking. can any one tell me why this is. Ty

[minsonngo]

What kind of sounds are you talking about?

Are you sure its coming from the HDD?

[upquark]

It kind of a scraping sound but it doesn't sound like its destroying anything. It only happens when the hard drive light is on and it sounds like its coming from the hard drive.

[minsonngo]

A scraping sound could potentially be a bad thing. Make sure you back up your important data just in case.

You can also download the Seagate Diagnostic tools and run a test on the hard drive... if you think it is coming from the HDD... the program has a feature called the "Acoustic Test" which will spin down the drive just like a power management idle condition. If the drive was the source of the noise then the sound will stop. If the noise continues, you can eliminate the hard drive as the source.

Download it from here:
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=SeaTools&vgnextoid=720bd20cacdec010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

[upquark]

It more of a clicking sound. Is it usual for a intermitent sound to be coming from hard drive. It not all the time just when it doing something. I ran the basic self test on the utility you linked and it didn't come up with any thing. I didn't see the feature you talked about is it under advanced or is it a different program. Does any one else have an intermittent sound coming from their hard drive. THanks for the help.

[minsonngo]

Download SeaTools for DOS... they have the acoustic test whearas the Windows version does NOT.

Also... make sure yor are making routine backups of your HDD too.


If it is not a loud grinding or clicking noise... it may just be the normal noise the HDD makes when working.

[Adams551]

Apparently we are living the same pc build. Didn't you have the C2D temp problem also? I also put the very same HDD in my build and have experienced the exact noise situation. You have to hear it to understand it. It is definitely the hard drive making the noise. I too have been worried if it is "too loud". "clicking" is the most accurate description. It's the accessing of the HDD I know but it does seem a little loud. I don't really remember it being so loud on other HDD installs in years past. "Loud" is a relative term in my case at least. I was expecting virtually no sound. The big question I have is: Should it be silent? silent = not know its there

[minsonngo]

Yeah... the drive is supposed to be silent. If you read the reviews on NewEgg.com... most people say the drive is silent.

Reviews here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140


Are you completely sure that it is coming from the HDD itself? If so... you may want to send the drive back for a replacement.

[Adams551]

I feel like I hijacked this thread. I apologize but it seems to be the same situation. Here are two video clips. The first is while 'clicking', the second without. Poor quality, might need to turn up the volume and the background noise kinda gets amplified in the videos but you will hear the 'clicking'.


Clicking: http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h302/adams551/?action=view&current=Movie.flv


Not clicking: http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h302/adams551/?action=view&current=Movie_0001.flv

[minsonngo]

Are you sure it is not the vibration coming from the HDD when it is working which is causing the noise? Make sure the HDD is mounted properly and securely in the case.


If it is the HDD itself... you may want to back it up and exchange it for another one just in case the noise is a sign of imminent failure.

[Hi Ho]

I have a Seagate 500 GB drive with perpendicular recording and it is very noisy. The Newegg reviews concur. It makes a loud chattering sound when reading or writing. It is normal.

[Cricket]

I recently installed several Seagate 7200.10 320GB HDDs and they were all near silent when in operation (I never consider a HDD to be totally silent when running). In fact all the Seagate HDDs I've installed over the past 3 or 4 years (approx. 30 or so) have been very quiet hard drives. I've had a few Western Digitals that seemed more noisy than normal but the most noisy hard drive I've had was a Maxtor.

If the drive is only making the noise when it's reading or writing I don't think you have to worry about it...but if the clicking noise is constant and you can hear it as soon as you turn on the computer then I think you should be concerned.

:) Cricket

[Dswissmiss]

I just installed my new Seagate 320gb drive and I can't stand it. Sounds exactly like the first links Adams551 posted.
I'm going to RMA it today, just wondering whether I should bother with Seagate or go back to WD (if all Seagates make that noise).

[Nuclear Krusader]

Mine does that on occasion, I notice it mainly when surfing the web: a click and then nothing. My last 7200.9 300GB did that but it was rather fequent and I had to RMA it. I don't know if this clicking comes from the 7200.9 replacement that Seagate sent or the 7200.10 320GB I have as my main drive. Being that the sound occurs when I load a web page I think it's the 7200.10. System runs fine, but I think these will be the last Barracudas I'll buy; I'm switching to Hitachi and its 1TB hdd.