Author Topic: Hard drive making grinding noise...  (Read 19274 times)

Zophixan

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« on: 2006-04-30 18:20:38 »
Hey guys.. my hard drive is making a grinding noise, yet the computer is working fine... any ideas on what could be causing it? and how to fix?

Sad Jari

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #1 on: 2006-04-30 18:30:02 »
If you are absolutely sure that it isn't a fan - because most often they make all the weird noises you might hear from your computer - it has either had a headcrash or the bearing is busted.

Since it's working, it can't be a headcrash, so you need a new bearing. Ehm, new drive, I meant to say. Basically; hard drive makes noise, for whatever reason: you get a new drive. For all practical purposes they can't be fixed.

Relf

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #2 on: 2006-04-30 19:34:39 »
From what little I know about the internal workings of hard drives, I assume that if it makes such a noise, it would be cheaper to buy a new one then get one fixed. Warrenty, by any chance?

spyrojyros_tail

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #3 on: 2006-04-30 20:37:18 »
Hmm, I think Jari is right it would sound like your fan is screwed, if your harddrive was making that sort of noise then I would think that your PC would switch off while starting up. In any case if your sure its the harddrive get it replaced,

a good tip is that if cant access any files or the harddrive has stopped working, put it in the freezer, turn it back on, and transfer the files. It worked for one of my mates

Caddberry

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #4 on: 2006-04-30 23:23:05 »
Computers make odd noises all the time.. Just the other day the computer downstairs had the hard drive make a high pitched whirring noise.. Very weird.. I moved all the important data over my network to my main drive, and am going to add another drive for them to store data like that on..

Also my computer started making a weird buzzing noise.. Which I think is coming from this little ventilated gold plated area near my hard drives.. I have no clue what it is.. It's not as loud as it was though, and I'm sure its not one of the case fans..

Everything still works though.. for now...

I'd get a new drive and copy over your important data just incase of a crash..

odo324

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #5 on: 2006-05-01 03:06:07 »
Plain and simple: that hard drive is dying. However, that's only if the HD is at least 2yrs old. The good news is that it may continue on for another year before it finally kicks the bucket. Point being, replace it while you can still read off it.

While it's not garenteed: Its usually the case that it will begin spitting out read errors awhile B4 it dies.

If its still young, then I cant really give any useful information without a more detailed description (age, manufacture/model, better description of the sound, etc...).

AOD

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #6 on: 2006-05-01 15:16:24 »
Quote from: spyrojyros_tail
Hmm, I think Jari is right it would sound like your fan is screwed, if your harddrive was making that sort of noise then I would think that your PC would switch off while starting up. In any case if your sure its the harddrive get it replaced,

a good tip is that if cant access any files or the harddrive has stopped working, put it in the freezer, turn it back on, and transfer the files. It worked for one of my mates


OMFG LOL... You serious?

Zophixan

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #7 on: 2006-05-01 17:45:08 »
sorry, its the fan.. just worked it out.. how would I fix it?

Thrashamatrix

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #8 on: 2006-05-01 17:54:08 »
Well go to your neighbourhood PC shop and buy a new one. :wink:  works for me every time :roll:

Sad Jari

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Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #9 on: 2006-05-01 18:07:55 »
Pretty much.

If you want to be a true MacGyver and the fan has a sticker covering the... ehm... spindle (instead of it being entirely enclosed in plastic), you can peel the sticker off and inject very thin oil into the bearing. Gun oil works, for example.

It won't help for long, so you'll need a new fan sooner or later.

mirex

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Re: Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #10 on: 2006-05-09 13:34:01 »
Yep the weird ticking / clicking sounds can suggest the disk could be dying. I suggest making backups in this case and re-testing the disk with scandisk.

Injecting oil worked very well in my case, though it lasted only for 1/2 year or so, I had to fix it again.

About the fridge trick .. I heard that from few sources too, worth trying it.

spyrojyros_tail

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Re: Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #11 on: 2006-05-09 13:46:16 »
Yeah the fridge thing works, but only for a while. It is worth trying if its broken cuz you really cant break it anymore...

Zophixan

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Re: Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #12 on: 2006-05-09 22:12:58 »
OK its defineately the motherboard fan.... the local supply shop claims it can't get a fan for the motherboard... so I need to know where I can buy a northbridge motherboard fan, anyone have any ideas?

atzn

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Re: Hard drive making grinding noise...
« Reply #13 on: 2006-05-09 22:30:39 »
Can try Overclocker's UK
They only sell this though:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_YS_Tech_60.html

This is from Komplett:
http://komplett.co.uk/k/ki.asp?sku=314282

....and maybe more. I suppose any 40mm fan would do the job. (I have a pair of 40mm Sunon fans cooling my RAM. Both spinning at 9k rpm. Making the loudest noise in my computer case.) You *might* have to mod the fan a bit if the screws don't fit the normal way. *shrugs*