The hard drive is loud. Noisy or cracking hard drive? What to do? Cracking and noisy hard drive during operation: what to do to reduce the noise level
A hard drive is a key component of a computer that stores information. Recently, more and more active users are abandoning the HDD in favor of more fast SSD, but their cost still does not allow many to place on solid state drives all requied information.
Why are hard drives noisy?
It is generally accepted that the cooler is the noisiest component of a desktop computer and laptop. However, if the cooling system is well thought out, the operation of coolers can be almost inaudible.
The next in terms of the level of emitted noise element of the system unit is HDD. During operation, mechanical heads move inside the device, which read information from magnetic disks, which leads to noise. Sometimes the hard drive starts to crack and make noise so much that it causes discomfort when working at a computer.
Noise level hard drive depends on many factors: the speed of its operation, age and condition, body materials and build quality, as well as some others. Accordingly, it is possible to distinguish software and hardware methods for lowering the level noise hard disk at work.
How to hardware reduce hard drive noise during operation
Usually, the older the hard drive, the more it starts to make noise. This is due to the wear of its elements, and a strong crack from the drive indicates its imminent failure. However, if there are no plans to replace the hard drive yet, you can perform vibration isolation in the computer case. There are two options for how to do this:
Another option to solve the problem with the noisy operation of computer components is to replace the case with a version that has good sound insulation.
How to programmatically reduce the noise of the hard drive during operation
If the hard drive is cracking, buzzing or knocking heavily during operation, you can try to fix it programmatically. As mentioned above, when a hard disk is operating, mechanical heads move inside it, looking for information on magnetic disks. Accordingly, there are two ways to reduce the noise from their movement:
Important: Please note that reducing the noise level of a hard drive implies a decrease in the speed of movement of the head, respectively, a decrease in the speed of the drive. However, in normal user tasks, such a decrease is almost imperceptible.
Read in the article examples of sounds of a failed 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 accessed broken 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 emitted sound.
- 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 in the best case, the diagnostic utility will detect and limit the use of bad sectors of the hard drive, which can cause the drive 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 that you immediately create a copy of the data of such a hard disk or its image for further recovery.
How to create an image of a failed or damaged disk using Hetman Partition Recovery. - If, as a result of using a diagnostic or repair software the sounds of the hard disk 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 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 the 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 is performing some complex tasks or running a resource-intensive game, 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.
I think that users, especially those who are not the first day at the computer, pay attention to suspicious noises from the computer (laptop). The noise of the hard drive is usually different from other noises (like crackling) and occurs when it is heavily 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 the entire important information to other media, this may 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 normal 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 hard drives, 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 it also reduces the speed. work hard disk. 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, 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. For regulation and adjustment of AAM - yes special utilities(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. 😛
Winchester is a storage device that is used in most modern computers and laptops as storage media. However, users prefer to copy valuable data to other media or duplicate it in the cloud in case the hard drive fails. One of the first signs of a breakdown is that the hard drive is cracking. What to do if this happened? The following describes the causes of vibrations and how to eliminate them.
What is noise level?
Noise level is a phenomenon that can be described as the sound emitted by a mechanical structure during operation. This vibration includes two components: spindle (aerodynamic) noise and positioning noise. In the aggregate, the level of reproducible hard drive sound should be twenty-six decibels. If the noise of the component is not blocked by the work of coolers and is clearly audible, this is a reason to think whether everything is in order with the device.
How to set the source of cod?
The hard drive does not always crack when it signals its deplorable state. A certain level of noise may well be the operating mode of the device, but if the situation with annoying sound becomes problematic, then it is still worth disassembling the system unit. To get to the insides, it is necessary to unscrew the mounting bolts and remove the housing cover.
During the repair work, you need to take care of your safety. Better be careful with electrical wires. Not superfluous during disassembly of the computer will be complete shutdown devices and grounding.
What are the causes of excessive noise?
To determine the nature of the problem, you need to start the processor and listen for sounds. Perhaps the reason for the excessive noise level is not at all that the hard drive is cracking. It all depends on the features of the assembly of the computer and the quality of its components. The source of the reproduced sound can be a powerful video card fan or a cooler that is simply dirty. If this was precisely the trouble, then it is worth cleaning the fan from dust.
The likelihood of unwanted vibrations also depends on the type of housing. If the system unit has sufficiently thick walls, then it will not miss any extraneous sounds and will provide proper comfort, a thin-walled case, on the contrary, will resonate the emitted noises. But what to do if the hard drive in the computer still cracks, and not other components?
Why does the hard drive make an excessive sound?
The essence of the problem lies in the very fact that it is the special magnetic components that produce noise during rotation. In a sense, this is a completely normal workflow. But why does the hard drive crack if there were no unusual noises before? It is an uncharacteristic sound that may indicate violations in the operation of the hard drive.
In addition, any device has its own service life. With prolonged use of the part, the hard drive wears out, which is accompanied by a characteristic crack. In this case, it is necessary to copy all the data from the computer as soon as possible and change the broken part. However, there are also less drastic measures.
How to test a hard drive?
One way first aid beaten hard disk is to block them using special programs. If the hard drive is cracking, then, firstly, you can try using two types of complexes:
- Acronis. The most common of this kind of program, which has a number of necessary functions. Chief among them is the creation backup from damaged media.
- Victoria. With the help of the program, you can check the hard drive. If problem areas are found during testing, Victoria will remember them and automatically block them.
How to reduce the noise level with the help of programs?
You can try to reduce the noise level of the hard drive software methods. In this case, AAM or HDDscan programs come in handy.
The first program, the essence of which is to control the speed of the hard drive, will automatically make the necessary settings. It is quite possible that if the hard drive is cracking, then you should just slow down its speed mode, because the faster the magnetic elements rotate, the louder the device works. A noticeable disadvantage of this program is that it may not recognize the storage medium.
The second program - HDDscan - is free from this shortcoming. The principle of operation of HDDscan is absolutely the same as that of AAM, but added benefit is the ability to test the hard drive and select SMART parameters.
How to reduce the noise level manually?
Mechanical noise reduction is advisable only for a stationary computer; with laptops, only the software method should be used.
There are quite a few options for manually fixing the problem. Often a hard drive cracks during operation, not only because of its malfunction, but the reason may be that its case is not attached well. You should make sure that all elements of the fastening structure are in the grooves, and the bolts are not untwisted. For additional sealing of the connections between the parts of the hard drive and the computer, insulating gaskets are used, that is, the joints can simply be glued with insulating tape, which will help ensure that the hard drive mounting basket does not have direct contact. This method quite effective in combating excessive crackling.
Another way to deal with intrusive sound is to change the location of structural elements or the hard drive itself. This can only be done if given displacement will allow the volume of the body. The main goal in this case is to achieve the smallest contact between the hard drive and the case. So, you should ensure the most reliable static position of the hard drive.
There are craftsmen who achieve the location of the hard drive even for which strong and thick wires or wires are used. With the help of such improvised materials, it is possible to achieve a complete absence of vibration transmission to metal parts.
The design and technological methods for reducing vibrations include the use of noise-absorbing devices that help eliminate the consequences, but not the cause of the crackling of the hard drive. In any case, these measures are only temporary. If the problem is really critical, it is better to secure the information and make a complete replacement of the hard drive.
This work was submitted to our "unlimited" article competition and the author received an award - a branded T-shirt of the site and a motherboard provided by the Boston PC company.
Introduction
The last bastion of construction noise quiet computer known to be his hard drive. Component manufacturers have already learned how to make noiseless motherboards, video cards, power supplies, fans. If you have sufficient funds, you can even purchase a complete solution Zalman TNN500AF. However, not everyone can afford such a case, and not so much attention is paid to the hard drive in it. Several materials on the site have already been devoted to the topic of reducing hard disk noise:What has changed lately? First, let's see what they offer us on the market. I note that the article will focus only on completely silent devices, coolers with forced air cooling such as Cooler Master CoolDrive , Spire FlowCooler or Titan TTC will not be considered due to their slightly different purpose. The question was not to cool the hard drive, but to make it less noisy, even at the cost of an increase in temperature. Installing a cooler is contrary to the task.
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Serial HDD coolers
Scythe SBX-1000
One of the popular devices for suppressing hard drive noise from the rapidly gaining popularity Japanese company Scythe. The only cooler available that is made entirely of rubber, namely Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (outer layer) and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (inner layer). The material is specially designed for high noise and vibration absorption. The workmanship is traditionally high for Scythe. Heat dissipation is carried out using an aluminum plate fixed on the top cover cooler. Curiously, the hard drive is installed upside down. The manufacturer does not specify what such an unusual installation of the hard drive will lead to, restrictions are also not reported, although all modern hard drives work without problems in this position. It is stated that it is possible to install any IDE or SATA hard drive with a spindle speed of up to 10,000 rpm. Cost around € 50
