Clicking
Hard Drives
Few sounds are
as nerve shattering
as a steady click...click...click
followed by your
computer's inability
to boot up. The
first thing you
may wonder is...."did
I have a backup?".
This is usually
followed by a
heavy feeling
of dread when
you realize you
didn't, which
is then followed
by a more ominous
feeling of panic,
as you quickly
inventory what
was on your computer.
Even to the computer
novice, there
is no mistaking
that something
is very wrong
when you hear
that awful "click
of death"
as it is sometimes
called. Most often,
this noise is
caused by the
actual read/write
head sweeping
back and forth
along the platter
searching for
it's starting
point. The clicking
noise is the limiter
on the head hitting
it's stopping
point. If that
was not in place,
then the head
would either crash
into the spindle
axis, or throw
itself completely
off the platter
region.
 Typically
this noise is
a result of either
a physical failure
of the head (where
the head actually
starts to come
apart and can
no longer read),
or there is an
electronics failure.
There can also
be issues with
severe corruption
within the system
area of the drive
that can cause
clicking.
Whether you consider
our firm for your
data recovery
needs or not,
whatever you do,
if your data is
worth anything,
DO NOT attempt
to power up a
hard drive that
has been clicking.
Permanent and
irreversible damage
can occur that
can prevent the
data from ever
being recovered.
We have included
the following
sound files as
examples of what
you may hear when
your hard drive
has failed:
Hard
Drive Crash 1
: Hard
Drive Crash 2
: Hard
Drive Crash 3
: Hard
Drive Crash 4
: Hard
Drive Crash 5
: Hard
Drive Crash 6
If
your hard drive
starts to sound
like any of those
above, or if it
is making any
unusual noises
at all, shut down
your computer
right away. DO
NOT attempt to
restart the computer.
In most cases
this is a serious
failure of the
hard drive that
only a data recovery
professional can
assist you with.
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