hard drive - PC HDD is making loud noise when shutting down

08
2014-07
  • Dralax

    Every time my HDD turns off - whether because I shut down my PC or Windows turns the HDD itself due to Power Plan settings - it makes a clicking noise, similar to the sound of fan lightly hitting a cable. I really can't remember when did this start. Is this normal or a sign of incoming drive failure? I do have backups.

    [UPDATE]

    Recording - the noise I'm concerned about occurs at about 6 seconds in. Also at about 4-6 seconds regular operating sound of the HDD in question is audible at higher volumes. Background sound is my PC's frontal fan running.

    • Answers
  • Renegade91127

    If you have important data on your hard drive, then back it up immediately. Hard drives should never have a noticeable click, period. I'm not saying it is going to go anytime soon, but its not worth the risk. If you need to hold out on getting it a new drive, then at least make sure the most important information is safe.


    • Related Question

    Idle hard disk makes noise
  • ULTRA_POROV

    Like a fan or something. I checked it. I stopped all fans (cpu, video, psu) and the noise was still there.

    I read online that it might be a motor or something. I have put a great deal of effort making my pc quiet. Installed a quiet psu and cpu fan, reduced the fan speed of my video card, bought a ssd... But my drive for data makes this noise. I would never have expected that.

    Do all hard disks make this kind of noise? I guess most people won't notice it because of the other fans they have in the system, I however can hear it quite clearly because all my other fans are almost silent.

    So should i get a new one or should i just live with it, considering that i might end up with a drive that also makes this noise.


    • Related Answers
  • sblair

    Some hard drives are quieter than others. Silent PC Review covers this quite thoroughly:

    Until about two or three years ago, the majority of hard drives on the market used ball-bearing motors, which had a characteristic high pitched whine and other objectionable airborne noise. Since then, the industry has shifted to much quieter FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) motors, with the result that most recent drives are significantly quieter than older drives ... All major drive manufacturers now use FDB motors in their current lineups. If you have a typical non-FDB drive that's more than a year or two old, the simplest way to achieve lower noise (and improved performance) is to swap it for a new drive, almost any new drive.

    There are three other factors that affect drive noise:

    • The number of platters in the drive
    • The difference between idle and seek
    • Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM)

    They also recommend some drives, and strongly recommend 2.5" notebook drives for the best reduction in sound (other than switching to an SSD). There are also several techniques for dampening hard drive noise, many of which are listed here.