The reasons why the hard drive clicks and their solutions. Clicks and extraneous sounds from the computer. Causes and solutions Computer loses mouse and clicks relay
According to statistics, after about 6 years every second HDD stops working, but practice shows that after 2-3 years, malfunctions may appear in the operation of the hard drive. One of the common problems is the situation when the drive is cracking or even beeping. Even if this was noticed only once, certain measures should be taken to protect against possible data loss.
A working hard drive should not have any extraneous sounds during operation. It emits some hum-like noise when information is being written or read. For example, when downloading files, running programs in the background, updating, launching games, applications, etc. There should be no knocks, clicks, squeaks or pops.
If the user observes sounds unusual for a hard drive, it is very important to find out the cause of their occurrence.
Checking the status of the hard drive
Often, the user running the HDD status diagnostic utility can hear the clicks that the device makes. This is not dangerous, because in this way the drive can simply mark the so-called bad sectors.
If the rest of the time no clicks or other sounds are observed, the operating system is stable and the speed of the HDD itself has not dropped, then there is no reason for concern.
Switching to power saving mode
If you have turned on the power saving mode, and when the system enters it, you hear the hard drive clicks, then this is normal. When you turn off the corresponding settings, clicks will no longer appear.
Power outages
Power surges can also cause hard drive clicks, and if the problem is not observed the rest of the time, then everything is in order with the drive. Notebook users may also experience various abnormal HDD sounds when running on battery power. If the clicks disappear when the laptop is plugged in, the battery may be faulty and should be replaced with a new one.
Overheat
Overheating of the hard drive can occur for various reasons, and a sign of this condition will be various non-standard sounds that it makes. How do you know if a disc is overheating? This usually happens under load, for example, during games or continuous recording on the HDD.
In this case, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the drive. This can be done using the programs HWMonitor or AIDA64.
Other signs of overheating are programs or the entire OS freezing, a sudden restart or a complete shutdown of the PC.
Let's consider the main causes of increased HDD temperature and ways to eliminate it:
Damage to servo markings
At the production stage, servo marks are recorded on the HDD, which are necessary to synchronize the rotation of the disks, to correctly position the heads. Servo marks are rays that start from the center of the disk itself and are located at the same distance from each other. Each of these tags stores its number, its place in the synchronization chain, and other information. This is necessary for stable rotation of the disc and accurate determination of its areas.
Servo marking is a collection of servo tags, and when it gets damaged, some area of \u200b\u200bthe HDD cannot be read. At the same time, the device will try to read information, and this process will be accompanied not only by long delays in the system, but also by a loud knock. In this case, the disk head knocks, which tries to access the damaged servo label.
This is a very difficult and serious breakdown in which the HDD can work, but not 100%. You can fix the damage only with the help of a servowriter, that is, low-level formatting. Unfortunately, there are no programs for this that offer a real "low level format". Any such utility can only create the appearance of performing low-level formatting. The thing is that the very low-level formatting is carried out by a special device (servowriter) that applies servo markings. As it is already clear, no program can perform the same function.
Deformation of the cable or defective connector
In some cases, the cable through which the drive is connected can be the culprit for the clicks. Check its physical integrity - if it is broken, if both plugs are tightly held. If possible, replace the cable with a new one and check the quality of work.
Also inspect the connectors for dust and debris. If possible, plug the hard drive cable into a different connector on the motherboard.
Incorrect hard disk position
Sometimes the catch is just incorrect disk installation. It must be bolted very tightly and be perfectly horizontal. If you put the device at an angle or not secure it, then the head may cling during operation and make sounds like clicks.
By the way, if there are several disks, then it is best to mount them at a distance from each other. This will help them to cool down better and eliminate possible sounds.
Physical breakdown
A hard drive is a very fragile device, and it is afraid of any impacts such as drops, shocks, strong shocks, vibrations. This is especially true for laptop owners - mobile computers, due to the carelessness of users, more often than stationary ones fall, bump, withstand heavy weights, shaking and other adverse conditions. This can one day break the drive. Usually, in this case, the disk heads break, and a specialist can repair them.
Ordinary HDDs can also fail, which are not subjected to any manipulation. It is enough for a particle of dust to get inside the device under the writing head, as this can cause creaking or other sounds.
You can determine the problem by the nature of the sounds emitted by the hard drive. Of course, this does not replace a qualified examination and diagnosis, but it can be useful:
- Damage to the HDD head - there are several clicks, after which the device starts to work slower. Also, with a certain frequency, sounds that do not stop for some time may occur;
- The spindle is faulty - the disk starts to start, but in the end this process is interrupted;
- Bad sectors - it is possible that there are unreadable sections on the disk (at the physical level, which cannot be eliminated using software methods).
What to do if you can't fix clicks yourself
In some cases, the user can not only get rid of the clicks, but also diagnose their cause. There are only two options for how to proceed:
- Buying a new HDD. If the problematic hard drive is still working, then you can try to clone the system with all user files. Basically, you only replace the media itself, and all your files and OS will work as before.
If this is not yet possible, you can at least save the most important data to other sources of information storage: USB-flash, cloud storage, external HDD, etc.
- Contacting a specialist. Repairing physical damage to hard drives is very expensive and usually doesn't make sense. Especially when it comes to standard hard drives (installed in the PC at the time of purchase) or purchased independently for little money.
However, if there is very important information on the disk, the specialist will help you "get" it and copy it to a new HDD. In case of a pronounced problem of clicks and other sounds, it is recommended to contact professionals who can restore data using software and hardware systems. Unauthorized actions can only aggravate the situation and lead to the complete loss of files and documents.
We have covered the main problems due to which the hard drive can click. In practice, everything is very individual, and in your case a non-standard problem may arise, for example, a jammed engine.
Finding out on your own what caused the clicks can be very difficult. If you do not have sufficient knowledge and experience, we advise you to contact a specialist or purchase and install a new hard drive yourself.
Clicks can emit both the system speaker and external speakers. At the same time, the system speaker rarely creates problems, but its external counterparts are quite capable of noise "provocations". If the clicks disappear when you disconnect the external speakers from the device, then the malfunction most likely lies in them.
HDD
Clicks with the same frequency and amplitude can be emitted by the hard disk if its mechanism is malfunctioning. This can be drive wear, incorrect head parking, damaged discs, and so on. If the sounds come from the HDD, then it is necessary to urgently look for ways to save information, because the end time of such a hard disk is absolutely unpredictable.
Power Supply
Clicks in the power supply unit, accompanied by a system malfunction, require immediate inspection. Otherwise, there is a high probability of destroying not only the installed OS, but also the computer as a whole. In the absence of proper experience, self-repair of this unit is strongly discouraged. And the most important reason is its subsequent safety, because soldering just one wire in the wrong place can lead to a short circuit, the consequences of which may be the inoperability of the PC, and, even worse, a fire in the room.
Coolers
Coolers can also make noise. Noises appear when imbalance occurs, the lubricant dries out, blades are damaged, clogged with dust, and so on. Having identified the noisiest specimen, you can try to lubricate it, unless, of course, there is no mechanical damage.
Loose wires
The wires disconnected from the factory loops may well cause noise if they touch the fan blades. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully clean the system unit from dust and after carrying out such a procedure, always check the integrity of the wiring harnesses.
After this check, the broken parts should be repaired. It is best to contact a specialized service center. If the components cannot be repaired, they must be replaced.
These are the reasons for the occurrence of extraneous noise can be observed on a personal computer. If they are not ignored, the computer will last longer and be less expensive to use.
If you begin to notice that your computer clicks, or some shuffling is constantly heard from the side of the system unit, it may be worth paying more attention to this.
In general, as you can imagine, the computer is noisy device. For any machine that contains rotating elements makes sounds. And there are dozens of reasons for this. Most of them are objective. However, the sounds of forced air are probably already familiar to you. And by the way, if the sound gets louder, we are talking about dust-blocked radiators. But if the clicks are distinct, with a high pitch?
Computer clicks: it's a speaker
It's easy to check. The system has multiple speakers. one of them, the systemic one, is hidden from your eyes. It is either seated on the motherboard and firmly fixed on it, or it is brought out to the computer case through a two-core wire. It rarely creates problems for the user. Usually external speakers are to blame for computer clicks. Disable them. Do not unplug it from the socket, just unplug the jack for a moment (and the background sound of the characteristic noise tone at the moment of switching is normal). If the clicks continue, we can talk about problems with the speaker (here it has already been removed):
a look from the inside - somewhere there is a built-in speaker jack
However, this problem should not be closed. Frequently appearing clicks in the speakers while working with the system with intensive work with the hard disk (and sometimes it is just moving the mouse) indicates a malfunction of the electronic components of the computer. We are talking about the power supply and the motherboard:
trouble with the motherboard - it's coming to an end
To get started, simply try to reduce the inevitable electrical potential on the computer case. If you live in a modern apartment with a three-wire network, you are in luck: protective grounding on a separate core will remove the leakage potential from drying out capacitors from the metal base of the case. Otherwise, you should think about an additional wire from the case; in such rooms, I advise you to solve the problem simply: one end of a piece of small-section wire on the computer case (usually from the side of the power supply unit with screws), the other end is attached to the metal base of a naturally grounded device or part of communications. I look forward to the angry shouts of electricians and fire safety specialists. But. It is worth trying at least to find out the reasons.
In any case, the speaker problems are solved. Either by switching to a different port, or by purchasing a separate audio card. There is an option with USB speakers.
Computer snaps: cable
Sometimes it happens. If the system engineer has not been in the hands of the round (from rounding - such a pretty design of fixed wired cables inside devices and machines), it is likely that some of the wires, loops or cables touch the blades. The issue is solved by securely fixing the wires inside the system unit:
before the round ...
... and after rounding
Computer clicks: This is a hard drive
A very likely reason. Moreover, such clicks are well distinguished. Usually these are sounds of a distinct tone of the same amplitude and with equal intervals of time. It is a mechanical failure of moving parts inside the disc mechanism. Regular incorrect parking of the head, wear of the drive mechanism - these are the most frequent reasons for HDD failure due to the “mechanical part”. Save vital data urgently - it's just a matter of time before losing it. The situation is often aggravated by the fact that programmatic methods cannot prevent and predict the situation here.
Computer clicks: this is the power supply
The clicks of this device cannot be confused with anything. Loud and extremely noticeable for the system. Are accompanied by a computer malfunction. Moreover, the power supply unit fails both on the system unit itself and on the monitor. And if a CRT monitor lives out its historic milestone on your table, consider that all mounted electronic components have long been working against you. If the monitor, for example, turns off from time to time with a characteristic click, call a repairman or shop for a new model.
