Why is it cracking HDD
When using a computer (PC), users often complain about the presence extraneous noise or cod. Noises in most cases are caused by the operation of fans (coolers), but the hard drive most likely emits crackling. Then the question arises: why is the hard drive cracking? There may be several reasons, such as a malfunction of the hard drive, and poor fastening, fixing the hard drive inside the computer case, due to which, as a result, extraneous vibrations are created and the hard drive starts to rumble. True, for the sake of justice, it should be noted that the hard drive actually constantly emits a characteristic noise, and this is quite justified, since the principle of operation of the hard drive is precisely that the magnetic heads begin to rotate while reading information. This is especially true for older HDDs.
If the noise becomes annoying or it didn’t exist before, but appeared after a while, then this may be a sign that the hard drive may soon fail. Also, the fact that the hard drive may be faulty may be indicated by the fact that with the advent of noise, the computer began to work worse and slower, periodically freezes, gives various errors, or does not want to boot at all. Therefore, here you need to seriously think about checking the disk for errors.
Below are the main reasons why a hard drive is noisy.
The main reasons why a hard drive is cracking
The first reason is poor fixation in the case of the hard drive system unit. There is only one way out - just disassemble system unit and securely install the hard drive. But often this is impossible to do because of the cheap case. In this case, one of the most common options among users is to hang the hard drive on pieces of a twisted pair cable. It is enough just to pull out the sled on which the hard drive was attached.
The second reason why the hard drive is noisy on a laptop and PC is the specifics of the work. specific model drive. This is the normal mode of operation for him. True, if such noise greatly interferes, then you can resort to the method of reducing it by reducing the speed of rotation of the hard drive heads.
There is such a function hard drives, how automatic control noise - Automatic AcousticManagement ( abbreviated AAM). Its essence lies in the fact that it is possible to reduce the speed of rotation of magnetic heads and, thus, reduce the noise level. But in this case, the hard drive will also read data more slowly. Therefore, here each user decides specifically for himself what is more important for him - the absence of noise or high performance.
This method is implemented in various software tools. There are many such programs on the Internet, so it will not be difficult to find. You can also simply enter a request cracking hard drive what to do and immediately search system will give out a lot of information and articles that mention specific names of programs through which the AAM mechanism can be implemented. The main point of it all software in that there are two numbers 128 and 254. The first is when the hard drive will work quietly, but slower, and the second is fast, but it will make a lot of noise. You can try to find the optimal value for yourself experimentally.
The next most dangerous reason is a hard drive malfunction or evidence that it will soon need to be replaced or taken in for repair.
What to do when the hard drive makes noise through a malfunction?
When excessive drive noise is associated with its malfunction, it is imperative to check for errors. How to do this, we tell in Russian below.
Before checking, it is recommended to do backup all data. It is better for such purposes to purchase external hard disk that connects to a PC or laptop via USB. The check can be performed as standard means of the operating system(OS) Windows XP/7/8/10 and other software:
1. Checking with standard tools of the operating system.
The Windows OS family provides such an opportunity as checking the hard drive for errors and automatically correcting them. It is enough just to highlight desired disk by using right button mice and context menu select Properties. Then select the Service item and click the Check button. Be sure to check the box next to the items: "Automatically fix errors" and "Check and repair bad sectors." It is desirable that at this time no processes and applications are running on the PC, otherwise the system may give an error stating that it is impossible to perform a check, since this disk in this moment time is being used by other applications and processes. If errors are found at the end of the check, then it is advisable to conduct additional diagnostics using proprietary utilities from the HDD manufacturer.
2. Checking with the manufacturer's software allows for more advanced diagnostics and has a number of additional tests. Such programs can also be found on the Internet or downloaded from the hard drive manufacturer's website. If, as a result of such a test, problems are also found, then we can conclude that the reason for the excessive noise of the hard drive is its malfunction.
Determined for sure that the hard drive is defective. Options for action
So, as a result of the tests, it was determined: due to the presence of errors, the hard drive makes noise, what to do in such a situation? There are two options here:
- if the warranty period has not expired, then hand it over for warranty repair to the service center;
- if the warranty has expired, also take it to a specialized Computer service, but you will have to pay money for repairs.
Maybe the worst option is when the hard drive is completely out of order and cannot be repaired. In this case, it is necessary to raise money for new hard disk. That is why it is useful to always have a backup copy of important data, because no one is immune from such situations.
sample question
Hello.
I recently bought a laptop and only after some time I noticed that when I download a file, turn on the laptop, or copy information from disk to disk, the disk starts to crack. The sound is not strong, but extremely unpleasant.
The store said that everything was in order with the disk, as it should be, but doubts remained in my soul ...
If I knew that this model is so noisy, I would have chosen another one ... Tell me, what can be done to reduce noise when the disk is loaded?
Hello.
Crack cod strife. In general, a hard disk drive (HDD) is mechanical device, and during operation, any HDD makes noise. True, on one disc it is barely perceptible and almost inaudible, while on the other it can be somewhat annoying. In addition, in addition to the "working" noise (which should be), an outsider (indicating a problem) may appear: knocking, strong rattle, clicks, etc.
Particular attention to the noise from the disk should be paid in cases where:
- if it starts making noise old disk , which used to work without noise (this is an alarming symptom - first of all, immediately make all important files from disk);
- noise appeared in the form of: knocking, strong clicks, rattle, etc. (this all also indicates a problem with the mechanics);
- if, when a cod appears, the computer starts to freeze, Windows does not respond to your clicks;
- you periodically do not open and read files, the disk is noisy at the same time.
All of the above symptoms indicate possible hardware problems with the drive (in most cases), and without replacing it with new disk, the noise cannot be eliminated. Therefore, I recommend after backup, look SMART readings, check the disk for bad blocks, etc. About checking the disk, I have one small instruction on my blog, the link is below.
How to check your hard drive for errors and bad sectors(bad blocks). How to work with the Victoria program in DOS and Windows -
If your new drive is noisy - then most likely everything is fine with him, and this is his working noise (although no one excludes marriage or failure of a new disk either). Most often, the problem is that when a user bought a disk (laptop, computer) - then in a store (where there is a lot of extraneous noise, music plays, etc.), he simply did not pay attention to the noise of the disk (and in the store, the disk, like As a rule, do not load much). And in the house, in the silence of the night, he appreciated all the characteristics of his device.
But since a computer is a technically complex product, it is easy to change it in a store for another one (as can be done with other goods). In many cases, you may be denied (there must be a more compelling reason, such as a malfunction). Further in the article I will give recommendations on how to eliminate such "working" noise.
Addition!
When buying a new HDD: Please note that the specifications of the device usually always indicate the noise level of the disk. This parameter is measured in dB.
Of course, the lower it is, the quieter the disc. Comparative plate (to find out how and what) with the noise level cited below.
To help!
How to choose a hard disk drive (HDD): 6 points to pay attention to -
1) Swap your old HDD for an SSD (or another HDD)
The first advice is associated with material costs. Ideally, to completely eliminate noise - you need to change the disk. Now SSD drives are gaining popularity - they do not have mechanics, as in HDDs, and therefore, during operation, they are a priori silent (completely silent!).
In addition, they have several other advantages:
- several times higher speed of work (this is the main advantage!), Thanks to this, your applications, games, Windows will load an order of magnitude faster;
- consume less energy (for example, a laptop will work 10-15% longer without recharging);
- not so much afraid of shaking and vibration (again, a plus for laptops);
- they don't get hot like HDDs.
True, these discs have one drawback: a higher cost. But it pays off with a vengeance! You can find out the difference in speed between SSD and HDD from one of my articles, the link to it is below.
How to check disk speed: HDD, SSD. Test, determining the difference in speed between SSD and HDD, is it worth switching to a solid state drive -
2) Check if there is an application that loads the disk up to 100%!
If the disk annoys you with noise not always, but only at moments of heavy loading (this may be indicated, for example, by the LED indicator work hard disk) - then try to find out which application is loading it, and then turn it off.
Very often, the disk can be loaded with applications that you do not need. For example, when Windows boot downloading uTorrent with several hundred torrents: it may take 5-10 minutes before they are all checked! And all this time the disk will be heavily loaded.
The simplest and fast way to find out about applications that load the disk is to open the task manager (for Windows 8, 10), and open the resource monitor (this is for Windows 7). If you recognize an application that is actively working with the disk, try closing it.
To call the task manager- press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc .
In Windows 8, 10 - open a tab "Performance" and see if the disc is loaded. If loaded, then in the tab "Processes" you can find the program (that loads it) and close it.
Windows 8-10 - performance (disk usage 0%)
In Windows 7, in the task manager, you need to open the tab "Performance" , then click on the button "Resource Monitor" .
In the resource monitor, open the tab "Disk": pay attention to sections "Processes with disk activity" and "Disk Operation" .
3) Reduce the positioning speed of the block with heads (Automatic Acoustic Management)
Hard drives have certain options that are usually not mentioned anywhere (we are now talking about Automatic Acoustic Management, often abbreviated as AAM). This option allows you to reduce the speed of moving the heads, and this, in turn, has a positive effect on the noise level (although, besides this, the speed of the disk is somewhat reduced, but "by eye" imperceptibly).
You can change this setting in special utilities, I recommend the following: quietHDD, HDDScan. I will consider the work in both utilities.
quietHDD
A very small utility designed to reduce AAM acoustic noise and APM hard drive power consumption mode. Working with it is simple and fast, an example is below:
Multifunctional program for working with SSD and HDD drives. It will allow you to view SMART, check the disk for bad sectors, find out the temperature of the media, manage acoustic noise, energy, etc.
In our case, you need to run the program, then select the hard drive (if you have more than one in the system), and open the "Features / IDE Features" option.
HDDScan - IDE Features
Further in the section Automatic Acoustic Management- set the value between 128 and 254 (by the way, the program recommends 254, but it is not always optimal). In general, for the minimum noise level - set the value to 128 and press the button SET(install). Thus, you can adjust and find your best option.
Note: Please note that not all drives support this option. In some cases, HDDScan will not allow you to change the values in Automatic Acoustic Management.
Automatic Acoustic Management
4) Securely fix the disk in the block, eliminate vibrations, put soft pads
This advice applies to a regular PC, but if you have a laptop, then almost certainly your hard drive is securely and tightly fixed in the case by the manufacturer (and you can not read this advice).
5) Check for errors and defragment
Well, the last thing I wanted to advise is to check for errors and defragment the disk. Crack - this, of course, will not directly reduce, but it will make your disk more responsive, the speed will increase (which will positively, albeit not much, affect the noise level).
To check the disk for errors and defragment, open "My computer" ("This computer", "Computer" - depending on the Windows versions ) . Then select the desired drive and open it properties(see screenshot below).
By the way, defragmenting and cleaning the disk from garbage can be done in auto mode, for this there is special utilities. Link to the utilities recommended by me - see below.
To help!
The best programs for Windows optimizations -
While working at the computer, many users have noticed noise. It can be created by both a cooler, a video card, and a hard drive. However, the noise from the hard drive is different from other sounds that come from the system unit or the bottom of the laptop. The noise of the hard drive is more like crackling. It appears when you copy large files or play a game. If earlier your PC worked stably and there were no extraneous noises, and now the hard drive is cracking, it is worth copying the entire important information and check.
Get rid of hard drive crash
If your hard drive is cracking, fix this problem can be done in two ways:
- Reduced head positioning speed (since they crack);
- Reliable fixation of the hard drive inside the system unit.
Each hard drive has an option such as Automatic Acoustic Management. It is responsible for the speed of rotation of the magnetic heads of the hard drive. It is impossible to change its parameters and reduce the data reading speed with the usual settings. Required special program. You can find many of these on the Internet. QuietHDD software is popular. However, it is worth warning that by reducing the speed of rotation of the heads, the speed of reading information decreases. The disk starts to slow down. This is a negative factor. Here you have to choose: speed or working hard drive.
We remove the crackle of the hard drive using quietHDD in the following way. Download and run the utility as Administrator.
Open the "AAM Settings" tab. We move the sliders to the minimum position, reduce from 256 to 128 revolutions. Then click "Accept" and "OK".
So that each time before using programs and applications do not run this utility, you should add it to the system startup.
If you are the owner of a PC, not a laptop, the hard drive must be securely fixed in the system unit. You can do this in three ways:
- Bolt fastening. Often, the hard drive is attached with just two bolts, although there are more connectors. In the "sled" the disk "feels" freely and because of this creates a crackle and noise. It is worth stretching the device and securely fasten the hard drive to all the bolts.
- Use of pads. Soft rubberized pads dampen noise and vibration. You can buy them or cut them yourself and install them at the point of contact between the disk and the system unit. However, the material should not be too large so as not to interfere with the ventilation of the disc.
- Mounting with twisted pair. Usually, 3-4 small pieces of wire are used for this purpose and fastened as if the disk were located in the sled. However, in this case, it will be difficult to move the body. There is a risk of damaging the device.
Using the above methods, you can fix the hard drive so that it does not make noise or crack.
I think that users, especially those who are not the first day at the computer, pay attention to suspicious noises from the computer (laptop). Noise hard disk, usually different from other noises (reminiscent of crackling) and occurs when it is intensively loaded - for example, you copy big file or download information from a torrent. This noise is annoying to many, and in this article I would like to tell you how you can reduce the level of such crackling.
By the way, right at the beginning I would like to say this. Not all models of hard drives are noisy.
If your device has not previously made noise, and now it has begun, I recommend it to you. In addition, when noise appears that has never happened before - first of all, do not forget to copy all important information to other media, this can be a bad sign.
If you always had such a noise in the form of a cod- it means that this is the normal operation of your hard disk, because it is still a mechanical device and magnetic disks are constantly rotating in it. There are two methods of dealing with such noise: fixing or mounting the hard drive in the device case so that there is no vibration and resonance; the second method is to reduce the speed of positioning the reading heads (they just crackle).
1. How can I fix the hard drive in the system unit?
By the way, if you have a laptop, you can immediately go to the second part of the article. The fact is that in a laptop, as a rule, nothing can be invented, tk. devices inside the case are located very compactly and you can no longer put any gaskets.
If you have a regular system unit, there are three main options that are used in such cases.
1) Firmly fix the hard drive in the system unit case. Sometimes, the hard drive is not even bolted to the mount, it is simply located on the "sled", because of this, noise is made during operation. Check if it is well fixed, stretch the bolts, often, if it is attached, then not on all the bolts.
2) You can use special soft pads that dampen vibration and thus suppress noise. By the way, such gaskets can be made by yourself, from some piece of rubber. The only thing is, don't make them too big - they shouldn't interfere with the ventilation around the hard drive case. It is enough that these gaskets will be at the points of contact between the hard drive and the case of the system unit.
3) You can hang the hard drive inside the case, for example, on network cable(twisted pair). Usually, small 4 pieces of wire are used and fastened with them so that the hard drive is located in the same way as if it were mounted on a sled. The only thing, with such a mount, you need to be very careful: move the system unit carefully and without sudden movements - otherwise you risk hitting the hard drive, and the blows end badly for it (especially when the device is turned on).
2. Reduction of crackling and noise due to the speed of positioning the block with heads (Automatic Acoustic Management)
There is one option in the hard drive, which by default does not appear anywhere - you can change it only with the help of special utilities. We are talking about Automatic Acoustic Management (or AAM for short).
If you do not go into complex technical details, then the point is to reduce the speed of movement of the heads, thereby reducing crackling and noise. But at the same time, the speed of the hard drive also decreases. But, in this case - you will extend the life of the hard drive by an order of magnitude! Therefore, you choose - either noise and high speed work, or noise reduction and more long work your disk.
By the way, I want to say that by reducing the noise on my Acer laptop- I could not evaluate the speed of work "by eye" - it works the same as before!
So. There are special utilities for regulating and configuring AAM (I talked about one of them in). We are talking about a simple and convenient utility - quietHDD ().
You need to run it as an administrator. Next, go to the AAM Settings section and move the sliders from 256 to 128. After that, click Apply for the settings to take effect. Actually, after that, you should immediately notice a reduction in cod.
By the way, in order not to run this utility again every time you turn on the computer, add it to startup. For Windows 2000, XP, 7, Vista - you can simply copy the utility shortcut to the "start" menu in the "startup" folder.
That's all. All the successful work of the hard drive, and, most importantly, quiet. 😛
Read in the article examples of sounds faulty hard drive and how to identify them. Clicking or rustling sounds, vibration or whistling that were not there before. A working hard drive is a fairly quiet device that can only be reminded of itself by a soft click while accessing it or turning on / off the computer. But if over time, clicking or rustling sounds come from the hard drive, as well as vibration or whistle that was not heard before, then such a hard drive may have failed.
western digital
Muffled sound of faulty hard disk heads.
Failed disk heads slowly click several times, after which the rotation of the disk slows down.
Slowdown of the rotation of the hard disk platters after the production of several clicking sounds by the failed heads.
A hard drive with a stuck spindle cannot spin up.
Clicking sounds from a hard drive with a failed preamp chip.
A disc with unstable heads that stops after a few clicks.
A laptop hard drive with a stuck spindle that is trying to spin up, making a siren-like sound.
A computer hard drive cannot spin up due to bad bearings.
Seagate
Rustling and clicking sounds that a disk with inoperable heads makes.
Sounds that a disk with damaged heads makes during startup (platform spin-up).
Clicking faulty laptop hard drive heads.
A disc with a stuck spindle is trying to spin up.
The boring sound of broken disk heads.
Maxtor
A computer hard drive with a non-working or broken head unit.
Clicks of inoperable heads.
The sound that a disc with a jammed spindle makes.
Samsung
A fast clicking sound indicates the failure of the hard drive heads.
The same as with the previous disc.
The sound of damaged hard disk heads.
A worn out computer disk that makes a scratching sound when accessing bad sectors.
Hitachi/IBM
The hard drive of a laptop with damaged heads clicks on startup, after which it beeps.
A worn out computer disk that makes a scratching sound when accessing an area with bad sectors.
A disc with worn platters and a head unit makes wheezing and howling sounds.
The whirring sound of a laptop drive with a stuck spindle trying to spin up.
Toshiba
The sound of failed laptop hard drive bearings.
The sound of worn laptop hard drive bearings.
The sound of wedged bearings on a laptop hard drive.
Fujitsu
Worn laptop hard drive heads.
Faulty laptop hard drive heads.
The sound of worn out plates of a computer hard drive.
Quantum
Faulty head unit.
What to do if the hard drive starts making extraneous sounds
- First of all, make sure that the hard drive is the source of the sound being emitted.
- After you make sure that it is the hard drive that is making the sounds that bother you, run a diagnostic hard disk. You can use both those supplied by manufacturers with the device, and from third-party manufacturers. Just keep in mind that at best, the diagnostic utility will detect and limit the use of broken hard disk, which may cause the disk to malfunction or become unstable. If there are mechanical damage or wear of the hard drive - it is impossible to fix them programmatically.
- If nothing has changed in the operation of the disk after using the diagnostic software, it is recommended to immediately create a copy of the data of such a hard disk or its image for further restoration.
How to create an image of a failed or damaged disk using Hetman Partition Recovery. - If, as a result of using diagnostic or recovery software, the sounds of the hard drive have partially or completely disappeared, then there may be bad sectors on it. In this case, it is still recommended to create a backup of all data on the hard disk and think about replacing it, since bad sectors may continue to appear on the disk and this will eventually lead to data loss or failure.
Other Sounds Your Computer Can Make
The hard drive is not the only device in a computer that is capable of making sound. It can also be a power supply, cooler, CD / DVD drive, or other devices connected to it. SSD drives don't make any sound because they don't have moving parts. Therefore, before taking any action, it is important to correctly identify the source of the sound.
If the computer performs any difficult tasks or a resource-intensive game is running, it will be normal if the computer starts to work louder - the computer coolers will spin faster to cool it down. Sometimes, a dirty or broken cooler makes more noise than other devices.
It is also normal for the CD/DVD drive to make noise while reading or copying data from it.