Hard drive clicking for 16 times during startup

23

4

Sometimes when I boot my laptop the hard drive makes a clicking sound (every time 16 times), Windows does not start and I am stuck on the boot screen (note: F2, F4 or any other key do not respond).

The problem happened the first time a month ago and now it has become more frequent. I am able to boot my windows 8.1 after a few attempts. The number of attempts are also increasing now, from 2-3 earlier to 10 or more now.

I have performed disk check up from disk properties, it shows no error (maybe due to the disk working fine at that time). My hard drive is a Samsung HN-M750MBB 750.1 GB.

Can you suggest me something that I can try to stop the clicking sound and save my drive?

Additional information:

  1. I have tested using crystaldiskinfo 6.52 and hd tune pro. Crystaldiskinfo shows 1 error that is with "current pending sector count" showing raw values as 0000002. HD tune pro shows 2 errors: the one above and second: calibration retry count. Pictures here. (Last night when I checked my disk using the above two software: there was no "current pending sector count error" in both of the software.)

  2. Active smart found no errors.

  3. The sound is like a clicking bomb timer. Listen to it here: http://1drv.ms/1N5JP9j

shreyansh

Posted 2015-11-24T05:11:27.057

Reputation: 241

48This is a bit like your car is on fire but you think you can save it because the engine light hasn't come on yet. The SMART readings are irrelevant when you can hear a fault directly. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T10:37:08.613

i think the problem is with the power supply. I think so because, when i am trying to boot my system out of the clicking sound (by turning off and trying again), the laptop will turn on immediately after the battery is run out and power cord is attached. NO MORE TRIES it boots in one go! This has been noticed from last 2 times. So i am not sure if this is the reason. What do you have to say about that? Thanks – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T12:19:25.520

1Any non zero "current pending sector count" is always an indicator that the drive is no longer in prime condition; in servers, you would replace the drive at short notice for that alone, clicking or not clicking. – rackandboneman – 2015-11-24T12:34:16.487

2"Can you suggest me something that I can do to stop the clicking sound and save my drive?" - Get a new HDD your current HDD is not functional. It does not matter if no errors are being reported, your drive is clicking, that means there is a mechanical failure. – Ramhound – 2015-11-24T12:38:54.963

1Shreyansh when there is not enough power the drive will fail to spin up, it does not cause clicking. People have told you what is wrong. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T13:35:56.807

@JamesRyan Are you saying that the system would not boot in the first place if it were Power related issue? – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T13:47:53.623

Meanwhile it is more common with external HDD connected via USB [ 1,2], the insufficient power supply as cause of the HDD clicking is reported on official producer sites e.g. HP for unplugged laptops. It doesn't mean that this is the present case, but the OP can check testing with another battery or HDD.

– Hastur – 2015-11-24T14:07:46.330

@Hastur the type of click with inadequate power is totally different and not what the OP described – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T14:59:25.717

@JamesRyan He already posted its own noise, not a perfect audio but still better than only our words. You can listen it and form your own opinion. I had an external HDD, I repeat external, that did a really similar noise if connected with one USB port on my old laptop and no problem at all if connected to the second one. It still works. Even more with another orientation it started with no problem at all. On the opposite side if you listen the [s2] sound linked in my answer is not so different too. It has to be tested & there are tests the OP can do. I didn't exclude it a priori. – Hastur – 2015-11-24T15:22:01.367

@Hastur that is simply not the circumstances the OP has described. You have fed his wishful thinking. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T15:40:50.080

2It certainly could be a power issue. I once ran into a "server" while doing some volunteer work whose hard drives trashed most of a track whenever a power brownout happened. I replaced the power supply with something better than a $20 "sparkle" and added a UPS and the hard drives were fine after that. A hard drive demands either 5V power or 0V power. 2V is right out. – Zan Lynx – 2015-11-24T17:35:47.790

I thought it was funnier when this question had exactly 16 upvotes, but it's grown since then. – allquixotic – 2015-11-28T23:17:09.370

Answers

52

Backup. Backup. Backup.

(Just to be sure you hear me).

According with datacent [1] this is the sound of a Toshiba laptop drive with bad heads making clicking or sweeping sound on boot up. [s2]. This one [s6] instead it is not the record of a motorbike but what you risk to listen in a near future. (see note).

As spotted before the clicks you are listening at the start-up are the sounds produced by the heads in the attempt to align properly. If you listen each time exactly 16 times it means that this the limit defined in its firmware. It stops because continuing it will break more quickly (or it can scratch the surface of the disk creating problems more difficult to be solved).

It can be generated by a mechanical failure, incoming or just come, as well as by an inadequate power supply. It means that it is getting to be broken or is not getting enough power to fully spin up.

If there are no reason to think that the cable is faulty, or not securely plugged, this lack of power can be due to the computer power supply if you recently added other devices (or substituted) and you have increased the overall request. But in a laptop this is a rare case.

As alternative it can be the laptop power supply that is ending its life, rare too if compared with the average life of an HDD.

The fact that this problem is becoming more frequent usually means that a bigger one or an irreparable one is approaching.

If you want to be sure you can try to identify the sound of your HDD [1] [3] and the problem you are up to face giving some interpretation to the SMART[4] report [5] you provide.

An HDD will not break only because the disk surface is damaged, but even because the head can be: check for example on the wikipedia page about SMART [4] which data is reported as potential indicators of imminent electromechanical failure, but remember that many of those indicators are not absolute ones. In general an increasing value spots a problem even if not reported as a red one.

Note
The links with an s are sounds in mp3 format and you may need to download to listen or to go to the reference page [1] .

ps> Did I just said you? Backup, now.

Hastur

Posted 2015-11-24T05:11:27.057

Reputation: 15 043

7

ps> backup now :-) It is always more wise.

– Hastur – 2015-11-24T11:55:38.790

I have my data backed up again. Thanks to you :D. As you said i think the problem is with the power supply. I think so because, when i am trying to boot my system out of the clicking sound (by turning off and trying again), the laptop will turn on immediately after the battery is run out and power cord is attached. NO MORE TRIES it boots in one go! This has been noticed from last 2 times. So i am not sure if this is the reason. What do you have to say about that? Thanks. – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T12:10:39.027

What can I said? Backup! :D. Seriously, It can always be a lack of power... but it happens more often for the external HDD connected via USB than for the internal ones. Did you added or substituted components recently? Did you tried with another battery? Unfortunately each of us experienced an HDD failure before or after... (and the backup is never enough updated!). BTW find the time to give it a look (or better a listened) to that zoo of sounds [ 1, 2] in order to quicker understand the problem.

– Hastur – 2015-11-24T12:23:32.633

@shreyansh Moreover now that you started to be familiar with SMART system, you can monitor the trend and the statistics related to the HDD heads values. As they move you just know what to do. Remember that in the case of a the mechanical failure of one head there is few to monitor. When it happens is done (almost ;) but the solutions are partial and expensive). – Hastur – 2015-11-24T12:31:16.990

I have not added or replaced any part of the laptop since purchase. The sound is like this http://1drv.ms/1N5JP9j sounds like ticking bomb clock.

– shreyansh – 2015-11-24T13:04:44.800

1I think that is the noise of the heads. It seems similar to the one reported as a head failure (see in the answer the link to s2). If you have the possibility to test your computer with a different working battery (before you go to buy it) and you will not listen this noise it could be only a power problem. If you can test instead with a different working HDD (It should have similar power requirements) and you listen again the noise, you can suppose it is a power problem. But remember that to listen this sound is not a good omen so try to fix the situation and be ready to accept the fate :) – Hastur – 2015-11-24T13:20:12.113

This answer is not very helpful because it simply feeds the OP desire for a different explanation than his drive has failed. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T15:03:34.343

@JamesRyan Feel you free to have your own opinion but try to read unbiased the answer. It starts presenting the sound of a broken HDD at the boot up, threatens a worst and close end, explains why firmware stops it, then continue giving the steps to exclude other possible causes, that are stated as rare even if possible. After gives more links to broken HDD sounds and reference to read the SMART data related to Imminent electromechanical failure underlining that even the variation of the other can be bad omen. And you still assert it is not helpful and want simply to feed the OP desire? – Hastur – 2015-11-24T15:52:51.033

@Hastur you heard a disc click once, I've dealt with numerous failing drives and psus. everything the OP describes points to a failing drive yet you have fed his desperation that it might be a power supply instead. It's very easy to test that by replacing the drive or by trying the drive in a different machine. Nothing you've suggested with SMART or messing around comparing sounds actually works to fix the problem and you've thrown in a big red herring ie. you are not being helpful. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T16:01:45.607

@JamesRyan You state your assertion with an excessive impetuousness or maybe simply with carelessness: how can you state anything about the my personal experience?! You didn't get that it was only an example. Maybe here too it's full of HDD that prefer to suicide instead to stay around me. You simply doesn't know. BTW your impetuousness led you to miss the OP sentence the laptop will turn on immediately after the battery is run out and power cord is attached. NO MORE TRIES it boots in one go!. This evidence is enough to explore the power hypothesis too. (continue) – Hastur – 2015-11-24T16:54:07.733

(continued) Moreover two comments before your first one on this answer you miss the suggestion to test with ___"a different working battery"___ (since with the power cord it works) and ___with a "different working HDD (It should have similar power requirements)"___. If he can, because I don't know if he can unmount a laptop, if he has access to similar hardware or if he can spend easily $100 to buy a new HDD. (For example In GB 100$ are 1/30 of the average salary meanwhile in India are more then 1/3). About SMART? Did you really think you can listen the click of one HDD inside a IBM z10? – Hastur – 2015-11-24T17:14:31.143

@JamesRyan I dedicated you all the time that I can, even more than you deserved, in the attempt to explain my answer, the process that bring me there and the need to avoid any (even honest) bias. You instead prefer to originate personal invectives. I'm sorry for you. I like my answer (it's seems I'm not the only one). It should be better but I like it even so. It born so nice... instead you created around pollution. It's a pity. Let's stop it here. Have a nice evening. – Hastur – 2015-11-24T17:39:25.890

2@JamesRyan Your opinion on the Question is appreciated, but its definitely not the answer. Hastur on the other hand tried to present an approach by which I can try and find if the fix is possible or not(he maybe wrong or not). You (like many others) do not show a problem solving attitude at all, which is sad. I wish you success in life. – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T17:39:26.643

@Hastur thanks for the effort again. Its not about only money i am concerned of. Its just that i like fixing things thats it. – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T17:41:28.793

@shreyansh ignoring reality is not the right answer – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T17:57:51.107

@JamesRyan "THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY". I understand that everyone have their own time constraints, but with the give up attitude one cannot bring a change, which is okay because not everyone is expected to do so. I am sorry for bad english. – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T18:10:04.940

@shreyansh You're welcome, again. I like to fix too. It's more easy to destroy than to create, but this will not protect you from an hardware failure... and all this overtiring discussion allow me to realize that I didn't stress enough at least one point... backup, backup and again backup!!! :-)

– Hastur – 2015-11-24T18:13:07.503

2@shreyansh there is a way. First you need a cleanroom because the slightest spec of dust inside will destroy the drive. Then you need an identical drive with a working motor/head mechanism and swap the platters. OR you could just put the 2nd identical hard drive in your laptop and use it! – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T19:53:54.967

You forgot to mention to leave the drive as still as possible, and to avoid ANY movements. If it is an hardware fault (misaligned heads, dying motor, ...) or even a power failure (not enough power on the motor, ...), leaving it still will help a lot. – Ismael Miguel – 2015-11-25T18:46:14.673

@IsmaelMiguel thx for the spot. I suppose I leave it too much implicit in the "Backup Backup Backup " part. Maybe it was better to add "... and breath softly if you cannot just hold your breath until you finish the backup !" :-) After the backup I can suggest to find the cause and to fix it as soon as it is possible just to live with one less worry. Ps> Just a feedback: are you able to listen the audio from the link? – Hastur – 2015-11-26T15:22:03.420

Actually, it is different. Just moving the computer 1 inch can cause damages to the heads, depending on their condition. If the computer works, just backup and back up (copy everything and stay the hell away from it)!!! Preferably, if it is a laptop, use wireless keyboard and mouse. And I didn't tried to listen to it. But I've once received a DOA drive (Barracuda 7200RPM, the model ended in 6) and it did some clicking noises and beeped. So: abnormal clicking = dying. – Ismael Miguel – 2015-11-26T17:45:27.140

@IsmaelMiguel: :-) Well we all agreed on the need of back-up. :-) What you said is wise. I add that if it is possible to do the backup from _"remote"___ it's even better. In general: 1 back-up, 2 Understand, 3 Fix (if needed change HDD). In this case the backup was performed and the problem was not yet so heavy. The OP said: computer worked fine once started, for weeks; no noise with started HDD; no problem recognized by software(s); __problem disappear when the laptop was plugged with the power cord So what: heads? spindle motor? inadequate power supply? Time to see. Form here we cannot. – Hastur – 2015-11-26T18:08:06.363

Still, it could be mechanical. It could be that the motor needed that extra bit of juice to start properly. Could be that the data connection was being made before there was enough current to start anything, it could be that something was loose/worn out and needed that extra power to start harder. It could be anything. But in case of doubt, stay away. Doing it remotelly would be awesome, but some people only have 1 computer. Also, accessing remotelly to a computer can cause an harder use of the CPU, RAM and hard drive. Not 100% advisable. – Ismael Miguel – 2015-11-26T18:40:14.860

21

Clicking indicates a mechanical problem with the drive, or a faulty platter where the heads cannot align properly. They are seeking to the limit defined by the drive's firmware. The drive is defective; time to get a replacement.

acejavelin

Posted 2015-11-24T05:11:27.057

Reputation: 5 341

3I'd also limit how much you're using it until you can backup the data. The more you keep at it, the faster it will push towards death. – Papa – 2015-11-24T05:21:02.030

i want to save the drive, it works absolutely fine when the windows is booted. I think there is some issue that can be fixed please help! – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T05:24:23.447

9The drive is failing, the clicking is a classic symptom of impending failure, there is no fix... One of these times it will not boot. What you are describing is a classic case of "impending doom", backup your data as soon as possible and get a replacement, the drive cannot be saved. – acejavelin – 2015-11-24T05:27:13.243

@shreyansh - Is the data on the drive really worth less then the cost of the replacement? If you really don't care about your data, you can leave your drive on all the time so it doesn't spin down. Of-course, over the course of a few months that will cost you more in power then a replacement drive. – davidgo – 2015-11-24T05:38:07.507

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I have backed up my data already. I used another software, Active smart this time to analyse the problems AND THERE WERE NO ERRORS .(http://1drv.ms/1NMzW1b)

– shreyansh – 2015-11-24T05:43:13.187

8@shreyansh You don't understand, this is a mechanical problem, the platters, sectors, and blocks may be perfect, but the drive will fail to spin soon due to a mechanical failure, not a logical or data failure ...there is no "fix", replace the drive – acejavelin – 2015-11-24T05:47:06.700

The SMART values are an indication that there may be a problem, but are not definitive - particularly as the problem occurs on startup. Look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiction#Hard_disk_drives which explains the problem you are most probably seeing. I guess you could prolong the inevitable by keeping the drive worn - but your derive is on borrowed time.

– davidgo – 2015-11-24T05:49:36.187

Thanks for the Replies @ davidgo @ acejavelin. What could be the probable cause of this clicking sound in my hard drive? Thanks again – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T06:01:21.963

4@shreyansh The cause is that you have platters spinning at 5400 revolutions per minute and at least one is making contact with something it shouldn't, most likely a head. It happens to HDD as they age or get dropped or if they have minor defects. Thankfully yours gave you warning before its demise, which is now inevitable. – None – 2015-11-24T07:07:02.043

1The most likely cause is the bearing has partly seized and the drive motor is unable to overcome the torque required to get the drive moving. Sometimes you get lucky and it manages to start. There's no way to fix this without opening the drive, which will destroy it unless you're in a professional cleanroom. It will gradually deteriorate until it's unable to ever start. – pjc50 – 2015-11-24T09:44:37.467

1If it isn't too old you can get it replaced on warranty. Clicking is a warning sign that it will fail very soon, you can't fix it, you need to replace it. – JamesRyan – 2015-11-24T10:30:20.433

4

Looking at your text and comments, I think you may misunderstand what a "hard drive is". The hard drive is the bit inside the computer which stores the information, not the laptop itself.

You need to replace the hard drive in the laptop - which is probably worth about US$50-US$100 excluding labour - you don't need to replace the whole laptop.

[ I get the impression you misunderstand because you quote the hard drive as "samsung NP300E5Z-AOJIN 750GB" - which is a laptop model, rather then the actual hard drive - which is displayed in the CrystalDiskInfo snapshot, but too small for me to read).

davidgo

Posted 2015-11-24T05:11:27.057

Reputation: 49 152

I understand what a hard drive is. I have tried to pull it out and confirmed the sound is coming from the drive itself.The hard drive model is Samsung HN-M750MBB 750.1 GB. – shreyansh – 2015-11-24T05:48:55.960

@shreyansh as you know how to pull it out, I'd say that it is time to switch to a new drive. I recommend you to get a SSD. – Ave – 2015-11-25T15:17:07.603

@ardaozkal Your recommendation is inappropriate for this question. The choice of SSD or HDD should be based on the individual's specific needs after taking into account the various trade-offs between factors such as speed, capacity, cost, and reliability. It is simply not the case that a SSD is a "better" choice than a HDD, as it depends on the requirements, and in many cases a HDD will be better. We can't possibly know the OP's requirements based on his question. – Jon Bentley – 2015-11-25T19:08:19.420

2@JonBentley SSDs don't have moving parts, the issue shreyansh had was caused by the heads of HDD. If s/he was using a SSD, this issue wouldn't happen at all (other issues might have happened, but not this one). While it is totally up to him/her, as I stated in my comment, it is a recommendation, however, I should have clarified it. I will be more careful in the future. – Ave – 2015-11-25T19:26:15.413

Asked: 2015-11-24T05:11:27.057

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