Hard drives can make clicking noises due to various reasons, including mechanical failure, overheating, and power supply issues. Backing up data and seeking professional help is recommended. The “death click” occurs when the actuator arm hits the physical stop on the turntable repeatedly, and it may be caused by a faulty system board or other mechanical problems. Checking for errors and using the drive as little as possible is advised.
Hard drives typically make clicking noises when operating properly, with some models louder than others. If the hard drive is clicking louder than normal, this could be due to a problem that can be fixed. If it clicks unusually loud and rhythmic and is not accessible, it could be the so-called “death click”.
Whenever a hard drive beeps louder than usual, the first concern is mechanical failure and data loss. Assuming the drive is still working, it’s a good idea to back up your data before troubleshooting, in case failure is imminent. If the data is extremely valuable, another option is to shut down the drive immediately and take it to a professional data recovery service, giving them the best possible chance of saving their data.
Starting with more favorable reasons for clicking noises, a drive that is being forced to work particularly hard will tend to make more noise. Data-intensive activities such as gaming, advanced file fragmentation, or having low available space on the drive can cause excessive noise. In these cases, defragmenting and freeing up space may silence the drive.
If the power supplied to the unit is unstable, too little or too much, this can also cause an increase in clicking noise. The cables should be tight and the power supply clean. Swapping the power supply, if possible, or placing the drive in an external enclosure can help eliminate this possibility. If the hard drive clicks into an external enclosure powered by the USB port, make sure the cable is secure.
Most modern enclosures lack a fan, and rely on alloys to dissipate heat away from the unit. If the ambient temperature is quite warm or if airflow around the enclosure is restricted, a drive may overheat, resulting in increased noise and performance errors. If a hard drive is making noise due to overheating, a fan directed at the enclosure could cool the drive and return it to normal operation, assuming no permanent damage has occurred.
If the hard drive clicks but otherwise appears to be healthy, a firmware update from the manufacturer might fix the problem. Backing up before upgrading, also called “flashing,” is crucial, as a bad flash can cause a dead drive. A faulty flash can occur if the instructions are not followed exactly or if there is a voltage surge or interruption during the short flashing process.
In the worst case, when a hard drive clicks, it also gives read and write errors or is not accessible at all. This is sometimes called the death click or death crash. This occurs when the actuator arm repeatedly passes over the turntable, hitting the physical stop on the edge of the turntable. Sometimes turning the unit off for a few moments and then restarting it will cause it to work temporarily.
The click of death can be caused by a number of different mechanical problems. A possible cause is a faulty system board; a replacement card can be purchased online along with a proper tool to remove the screws holding the card in place. The system board is accessible without opening the drive case, which would contaminate the platter and render the drive unusable. However, there is no guarantee that replacing the system board will work, as the problem may lie elsewhere, such as a damaged head or platter.
When a hard drive clicks, and after the backup has taken place, the drive should be checked for errors. Cross clusters or other issues can cause read and write problems and lost or corrupted data. Windows® incorporates the Checkdisk utility, while Mac has Disk Utility. There are also other tools available for verifying the integrity of a disk, depending on the operating system and the disk manufacturer, which may make tools available for specific drives.
When a hard drive clicks, it’s best to use it as little as possible until the problem is fixed, reserving it for the purpose of backing up its data and diagnosing any problems. Searching, downloading, and other peripheral tasks are ideally performed on a bootable machine, device, or CD drive that runs exclusively in random access memory. If a drive becomes excessively loud for no apparent reason, or if it has other health problems, it’s safer to replace it.
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