What are signs of a HD going bad?

[Gina Stevenson]

Awhile back the silly thing was making noises [forget which variety now], then quieted down. Then the last day or two it has sounded like someone wheezing -- a rather deep sound.

However, today it's a frequent so-shrill-my-ears-can-hardly-take-it(!) sound. Wondering if it's closer to the danger point when it gets this high-pitched one, instead of the low wheezing one yesterday. Hope not! But if it is, UGH!

Returned to add that it quieted down to wheezing for a short several seconds a time or two, but then back to the high-pitched stuff that hurts badly enough that between using my one hand to type, it's at my ear trying to block it out! [not a good sign, is it?]

[Billy Cox]

Awhile back the silly thing was making noises [forget which variety now], then quieted down. Then the last day or two it has sounded like someone wheezing -- a rather deep sound.

However, today it's a frequent so-shrill-my-ears-can-hardly-take-it(!) sound. Wondering if it's closer to the danger point when it gets this high-pitched one, instead of the low wheezing one yesterday. Hope not! But if it is, UGH!

Usually the 'death rattle' of a hard drive is metallic clicking sounds. There are other noises that a computer can make that are very annoying, but those usually come from a fan going bad, not from the hard drive.

[Gina Stevenson]

But these sounds seem to coordinate with however much is going on here ... or not ... whether on the web, or perhaps "saving" a file, etc. Or maybe there's a bit of paranoia mixed in, too ... vehicle, computer, too? ;)

[Glenn Harris]

It could be the hard drive if the brushes are wearing out, but like Billy said, a hard drive failure is usually a metallic clunking noise.

The most probable cause is the fan going out. (either the external fan in the back of the cpu or the little processor fan inside the computer. If someone knows something about computers the easiest way to verify it is to unplug the power to the hard drive and turn it on. If it still makes the noise it's a fan.

If it is the main fan, it's tied to the Power on sequencing test so if it goes out the computer won't boot up. The more dangerous one is the internal processor fan. If it quits working it stops making the noise and people think the computer has healed itself right up to the time it cooks the main cpu board and makes the computer a 40 pound paperweight.

[Gina Stevenson]

It could be the hard drive if the brushes are wearing out, but like Billy said, a hard drive failure is usually a metallic clunking noise.
Well, actually, can't recall what noise there was awhile back, but didn't remind me of a fan I replaced years ago in an old, old computer.


The most probable cause is the fan going out. (either the external fan in the back of the cpu or the little processor fan inside the computer. If someone knows something about computers the easiest way to verify it is to unplug the power to the hard drive and turn it on. If it still makes the noise it's a fan.

Oh, dear ... getting inside it again? Fun, fun, fun ... but this doesn't sound anywhere near the fan ... unless one fan is so much quieter than the one you hear that sounds nowhere near this high-pitched noise. How far apart are these fans?


If it is the main fan, it's tied to the Power on sequencing test so if it goes out the computer won't boot up. The more dangerous one is the internal processor fan. If it quits working it stops making the noise and people think the computer has healed itself right up to the time it cooks the main cpu board and makes the computer a 40 pound paperweight.

How exactly do I unplug the hard drive & not the rest of it? Unplug it from one of the 2-inch-wide flat tape-like cord, or ... ?? [as said, I've put a fan long, long ago in an old relic, but have only stuck more memory in this one, taking it from 512MB to 1GB, and nothing else inside].

(oh, yeah ... thanks, too, to whomever moved it from "general" to this forum I forgot about)

[Pete Hohmann]

To unplug your hard drive power, unplug the smaller connector with the yellow, red and black wires coming out of it, NOT the ribbon connector. That smaller cable is the power cable and connects directly to the power supply at the back of the computer case. It sounds more like a fan than a hard drive, but some things to consider are the age of the HD and how often you back it up. Before you do anything like unplugging the drive, I would suggest backing it up to a portable USB hard drive - they are relatively inexpensive - just in case it is the drive... they can get finicky and not want to get back up to speed after they've been shut down if they're going bad.

[Gina Stevenson]

I would suggest backing it up to a portable USB hard drive - they are relatively inexpensive - just in case it is the drive... they can get finicky and not want to get back up to speed after they've been shut down if they're going bad.

Thanks. As for back up, thanks to Susan Unger's post re using that "safely remove hardware" deal that I've not consistently used, the 40GB little drive I got 2-3 years ago that I tho't was done for has been recognized once again. Phew! [didn't want to trash $30+ I paid for it]

As for fan or otherwise ... I noticed when it booted up this time [hibernation has not worked in a month or so] that it said the CPU fan was x-degree Centigrade, and RPMs were @ about 1088 (think that was the #), so it's still wailing away, tho' the fan RPMs are way up there yet.

One time it does it is when that little hour glass thing is going in windows -- indicating the HD working more than when I'm, say, typing this. Once I go to "post reply," it'll probably get louder again, if it does what it's been doing, which makes me think that it might just be the HD after all. [I put something in my good ear, which happens to be nearest the tower/noise, to help block it, it's so irritatingly hurtful.]

Also, when it's scanning/defragging/etc ... things that are working the HD at a constant place for a good while ... it'll make sure it keeps it up, so ...... sadly don't think it's a fan, but will try to check, anyway.

As for its age ... it's nearing five years (got it on a good Labor Day sale in 2005). First new computer I've had; others were hand-me-downs. So, not sure just how long a new one lasts. ;)