For me, running Win10 64-bit (ver 1607), I tracked it down to a scheduled task which runs periodically and launches the Power Efficiency Diagnostics System Analyzer.
If you think this may be the cause, you can quickly check it's the same sound by running powercfg.exe -energy
from an elevated command prompt. After 60 seconds you will hear an audible "click" from the CD- / DVD-ROM drive.
Further checking Task Scheduler for the AnalyzeSystem task under \Microsoft\Windows\Power Efficiency Diagnostics would reveal in the History tab whether the task fired off at the time the click was heard, remembering to allow for the 60s run-time.
Unfortunately the task does not readily lend itself to having its' configuration altered so that it fires less frequently or at more convenient times, but it is possible to disable it, which is what I have chosen to do.
An alternative approach would be to disable the stock MS task and create your own Task with all the parameters you desire.
The usual MSDN searches will provide information on the Analyzer and whether you need or want to have it running on you system.
Hope this helps....
I cannot think of a time ever when my optical drive "spins" or makes any spinning noises without a disc in the drive, even when performing an operation that relies on the device. The drive itself (without OS interference) detects and spins up when there is a disc. Perhaps the drive's disc detection mechanism is malfunctioning. – horatio – 2011-12-30T18:54:05.383
1p.s. by way of expanding the comment, one can connect an optical drive to 12v power without any motherboard connection, insert a disc, and it will detect and spin up. I once did this as a joke with an old CD ROM drive and PSU, connecting the CDROM headphone out to speakers and used it as a CD player. Your drive may be erroneously signaling to the OS that there is media inserted, and then Explorer attempts to enumerate the volume info. – horatio – 2011-12-30T19:05:07.690
I have the same problem with Windows 7 x64. I've disabled my CD/DVD drive via Device Manager but it still randomly becomes active for a few seconds. How can I permanently silence it (short of physically tampering or removing it) – user – 2014-03-24T07:18:14.910