Are funny sounds from a hard drive a sign of different types of failures?

Before we answer that, just a reminder – if a hard drive makes any unusual sounds, turn it off immediately. Failure to do so could cause irreparable media damage, making the drive completely unrecoverable.

Indeed, each kind of sound may indicate a different kind of failure. For example, a drive that makes a repetitive clicking sound may indicate that there is media damage. This typically happens when a drive is powered on and it performs a self-test; reading areas of the platter that contain information such as the drive’s model number, capacity, number of sectors, etc. If this area is damaged, the drive will attempt to re-read it which causes the repetitive clicking sound.

To hear some real world examples of failing hard drive sounds visit Drive Savers’ website here.

If you need to use Drive Savers services, please use our reference number to save money: DS14665.

Of course, ideally you want to protect your data BEFORE anything happens!  We want to help you create a data backup plan that is effective, reliable, and economical.  One option that is very popular with our clients who have smaller data backup needs is iDrive. Click for more information on iDrive’s automatic on-line data backup service.

To discuss your backup needs and get a customized recommendation, give us a call or contact us.

If you think you’ve lost data, call Raymond Rent-A-Nerd first! The first recovery attempt is very important. Multiple attempts can overwrite the data.