Noisy HDD – Forumite.site

This topic has 26 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 9 months ago by Boris.

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May 25, 2018 at 8:34 pm #21141
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Noisy HDD

1TB WD Sata HDD

Well not so much noisy as a little clicky.

It’s never let me down and still performs as it should, I never noticed till I swapped drives around.

Does it mean on it’s way out.

Cheers
John
May 26, 2018 at 4:20 am #21144
The Duke
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@sgb101
Forumite Points: 5
Any new noise isn’t good. I’d get anything backed up that isn’t, and retire the disk ASAP.

There are tools you can run to see the hdd health. Even if they turn up good, I still wouldn’t trust a hdd that started to make a new noise

However in my life I’ve never had a hdd or ssd fail (touch wood). Well I had one, (or wife did) but that was from a dropped laptop. So I don’t blame the hdd. Also the laptop was under warranty, and dell done a hdd swap on my doorstep. Them days dell gave you all the os and driver disks (how times change) so as I said I was capable of installing the os, they had no issue with a straight hdd swap on the door step and I’d install windows.

I could of waited an extra day or so and a tech would come out and do it. But that was a few extra days wait. Also Dell fixed, at my house, my overheating gpu on my xps1130 almost 4 years into ownership, apparently it was a recognised issue.

So always a fan of Dell. But I’m going back 6 to 8 years ago last time I used them.
May 26, 2018 at 6:05 am #21145
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
Don’t panic just yet John. I have had noisy drives last years but it can be a bad sign. If it’s running slow, and I mean really chugging, that’s more critical.

One easy way to find out, download and run WD Datalifeguard from here

The Quick Test will look at the drives SMART diagnostics. If it’s really on it’s last legs you’ll find out very quickly.

If it passes that then run the Extended Test to search for bad sectors, this is usually the issue with old drives. With a 1TB it will take a while, just let it get on with it.

Every drive comes with spare sectors, if the test finds a bad sector it will take it out of use and bring one of the spares into play. If it runs out of spares it’ll tell you that it’s time to retire the drive.
May 26, 2018 at 9:08 am #21149
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Duke

I have everything backed up

Thanks Dave

I think it came with the click (was the originall Dell 760 HDD) from IT Buffs.
I thought it may have been as so.

I have since put a (old) 250GB in the Dell and it so peacefull running the Dell.

It’s more a tickety boo clickerdy click than a chug, I will dl WD Datalifeguard and see if it’s time to retire cheers.

Cheers
John
May 26, 2018 at 9:11 am #21150
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
Best do that on the 250GB if it’s old too. If it’s not a WD you’ll need the diagnostics from whoever the OEM is.

I know where to find them.
May 26, 2018 at 9:37 am #21151
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Dave

The 250GB is a WD I will run it, while I am re installing Windows to test the TB.

Edit:

Extended test running on the 250GB (1hr 30 to complete)

Cheers
John
May 26, 2018 at 9:46 am #21153
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Just to say I usually only use WDs to use Acronis True Image WD Free.

Sadly the SSD on the HP you suggested isn’t WD so I have to use paragon.

Cheers
John
May 26, 2018 at 11:49 am #21155
Ed P
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@edps
Forumite Points: 39
If you do not like Paragon, Dave did a lot of testing of backup options: here
May 26, 2018 at 6:57 pm #21177
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Ed

I did see that thread and dl ToDo, I think it’s what your used too.

I used to use paragon before Acronis Paragon will do.

While I am posting, the results are in for the 250GB WD

Just running the test on the TB, results in a couple of hours?

Cheers
John
May 26, 2018 at 7:06 pm #21181
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
That’s good news John. Let’s hope the 1TB is the same.
May 26, 2018 at 10:23 pm #21185
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Dave it is great news.

The test on the TB is still going (4hrs so far) the results won’t be in till tomorrow, it hasn’t clicked yet.

Cheers
John
May 27, 2018 at 7:09 am #21187
Ed P
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@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Clicking can also mean a re-read of data. If the tests turn out OK, try doing a simple chkdsk on it. You may have cross-linked or simply a few bad sectors. Spinrite fixes such non-mechanical read problems but it is quite expensive unless you already have a copy.
May 27, 2018 at 7:51 am #21188
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Ed

I will run a chkdisk, as you say spinrite is expensive. It could be cheaper to buy another TB.

The results are in (after 5 hours)

It may not be clicking as it was a blank slave while on test?

I thought it would have clicked on the scan. It is now clicking now and again once as a slave.

I will clone the OS to it and see if click on full use.

Cheers
John
May 27, 2018 at 8:49 am #21192
Richard
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@sawboman
Forumite Points: 16
I wonder if you can hear the drive being parked and restarted while it is not the primary drive? My machine has several drives that are not really active and for the most part have only old and possibly orphaned data from previous uses. They quite often spin down and park before starting up again with a whine.
May 27, 2018 at 9:18 am #21194
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Richard maybe it is parking, its now running on it’s own with the OS

The OS is now on the TB it’s clicking (below is the click on startup)

It doesn’t sound very healthy yet the report says it is.

Turn your volume up high (low sound record) and press play on this link

Cheers
John
May 27, 2018 at 9:41 am #21196
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Having listened to the noises I would agree with Richard, but also WD have had a very bad reputation for excessive parking that causes drive wear at the parking point. (I believe the ‘Blacks’ are particularly bad, and can cause the early failures that dwynnehugh has experienced in the past). If you want to look into it Google for wdidle3.
May 27, 2018 at 10:03 am #21198
johnbarry
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@johnbarry
Forumite Points: 13
Thanks Ed

Looking on your link it looks more about parking, I will have to put up with it.

I have now wiped the TB and I am installing Windows / Apps on my WD 500GB.

Once Completed I will clone the 500GB to the TB and decide which one to use permanent.

As I say the TB came with the Dell 760 (up for sale on ebay) It was then I noticed the click and thought I didn’t want to sell it with the TB clicking. It goes back on tonight with the 250GB WD.

Meanwhile I can’t decide what to use the TB on or should I sell it stating the click and the WD test.

I need to get some ££ back for the HP I purchased.

Cheers
John
May 27, 2018 at 10:13 am #21201
dwynnehugh
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@dwynnehugh
Forumite Points: 0
Yes my association with WD Black HDDs has certainly not endeared me to them – despite having a 5yr warranty and also costing a small premium because of that, mine have had a fairly high failure rate in the first 18 months in a domestic environment.

The more you meet people the more you understand why Noah took animals instead of humans
May 27, 2018 at 10:53 am #21202
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
If you read the link I gave it says that parking issues are excessive if you use a WD drive as an OS drive. Just use it for data and put a cheap 128GB SSD on for the OS. It parks a lot as it read/writes the swop space then parks excessively when it is used for the OS/swop. Alternately use wdidle3 and stop the ‘greenie’ noisy spin up/spin down park cycle.
May 27, 2018 at 1:41 pm #21215
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
That’s exactly what happened with the office PC my business partner uses. I’ve not been to his office for probably a year and was shocked when I turned the PC on. I had one of the 128GB SSDs with me, that was the reason for the visit, but the PC sounded like a bag of spanners and took ages to boot. Clearly I had got there just in time ?

Once home I ran the WD diagnostics, perfect. I also ran HDD scan on there and the sector response times were absolutely fine and it was quiet. So it went back in as a backup target (the only way to make sure at least some backups are done).

Since then I have had a similar experience twice. I wouldn’t trust the HDD as system drive but for backup or storage there seems to be plenty of life left in them.
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