Clicking Noise issue *resolved*

I downloaded this program, but I'm not exactly sure what to do with it.

There are a few options. Should I start the benchmark, should I run the error scan, etc.? What do I set to stop the clicking? Thanks.

 

You don't need to do anything, just minimize to tray.

 

Well that appears to be a problem. If I "X" out of it, it closes and the temperature icon in the tray disappears. The only way to keep it on (it seems) is to leave it open. I can a Benchmark scan and got this: Any thoughts?

 

Red: minimize to tray
Blue: options, so you can choose to start with windows.



PS: looks strange on vista...

 

I don't have that second block to minimize to tray. I wonder why? Also, what is a good critical temperature to use? (Fahrenheit)

 

Hmm. Well I don't have the second minimize button, but if I close it and then reopen it, it opens and just stays in the tray. I suppose that will have to do. Thanks. Now we will see if this prevents the clicking.

 

Okay and it just clicked so this program does not appear to work. Thanks anyways.

 

Strange, works 100% of the time for me.
For example, a few minutes ago my HD started clicking while i was studying, so i just run the program and as always click is gone.
Well good luck because that's an annoying click.

 

Yeah I really am running out of ideas. No one seems to be able to figure out a solution. Thanks for your help anyways.

 

how about using hdparm like i did,
just download it somewhere to keep it, make a shortcut to it, and edit the shortcut so you can use "E:\Util\hdparm\bin\hdparm.exe -B 254 hda"
it does the same thing as NHC but does not need to be keep running like hdtune

 

Where do I download that from?

 

In the past I've never been able to get many of the Windows ports of these useful Linux apps working well (or with all features enabled). I just came across a version/port of hdparm that actually has all the supported features you need, and doesn't require any screwing around to get working (unlike in the past).

Link is here: http://hdparm-win32.dyndns.org/hdparm/

( hdparm-6.9-20070516.win32-setup.exe is what you are after)

 

I did install this, but I'm not sure what to type into it to get APM to 255. Could you please let me know what I need to input? Thanks.

 

Not 255, but 254. As webtax hinted on the previous page, drop in a command prompt and type:

hdparm.exe -B 254 hda​

If you have more than one drive, do it on hdb also. sda seems to work also. This Windows version seems to be very lenient about the target device (also allows the regular linux /dev/ prefix).

 

I ran that command and what seems like a main menu popped up. Is there any way to verify that APM is now at 254? Thanks.

 

In another post someone said to do this:

Typing "hdparm -B 254 /dev/hda" should work. You will want to run this in a console so you can see if it works. To open a console, press Start -> Run, and enter 'cmd'.

I did that and it said that it is now changed to 254. Thanks.

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to make the 254 power setting remain set once you resume from sleep mode?

 

rofl damn it actually worked,
edit: nm i can still hear it

 

Hey guys, I got a dell vostro 1400 3 weeks back and started having the "clicking problem" a week back. I was really relieved to see this thread.
I followed the instructions to install dot net 2.0 and nhc 2.0 pre release version 6. But after installation, when I try to run the nhc 2.0, I get this error , "Object reference not set to an instance of the object".
I saw another thread on the same topic ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=150717) with no replies. Since you guys have got the nhc working, I was wondering if someone could help me out in fixing the error.

Thanks a lot,
P.S. This forum rocks!

 

I forgot to mention: My laptop came with .net 1.0. I installed .net 2.0, noticed that there was a 1.0 version already existing and therefore I unistalled .net 1.0.
Having done that, I installed nhc 2.0 pre release 6. Running NHC gave me the error message I mentioned before. I tried unistalling, reinstalling both .net and nhc, restarting the computer many times but to no avail.

Would really appreciate a fix to this error because that clicking is getting to my nerves.

-Thanks,
amax

 

When you say you followed the instructions, you clicked the exact Dell bugfix version of NHC in Post #1 or did you navigate to the NHC site yourself?

 

Make sure to get the "DELL FIX" version off the author's site. The normal version doesn't work and produces the object not found error

 

Hey deadsimple and stisev,

Thanks for pointing out the Dell fix version. It was right in front of me, but I thought it was some other tool and I didn't really read it right.

Ofcourse, the Dell fix worked and this forum (a.k.a. you guys) rocks.

 

hi friends

don't have "Max. Peformance Mode"

(Click Show all NHC options and settings)
NHC USER INTERFACE >> hide all nhc options and setting

can you help me ?

Dell 1520 useing

 

my new replacement notebook came with the fujitsu 160gb 7200 rpm HDD and there is no clicking or noise like there is on the seagate one i had before...

 

here's my problem
i got the XPS1730 and as you all experience i get the same clicking noise.
but when i try to fix it like you say, i cant change anything in the harddisk tab. its all gray and cant use it?
might this be linked to the face that i'm using multiple disks in raid?
ty for your solutions.

 

Do you need to have NHC running once you change the accoustic setting to performance or can you terminate/uninstall fully?

 

yay...!!! no more clicking!! thanx...

 

You have to run it once per boot after which you can close the program, but no you can't just run it once and then uninstall the program completely.

The setting is lost after a shutdown. I find 50% of the time after you resume from suspend or hibernation the setting is not active and you either have to rerun NHC (if it was closed) or change the setting to Quiet/Silent then back to Performance (if NHC is still open but you still hear clicking).

The Windows version of hdparm is much easier to deal with. Just make a shortcut to set the parameter and it's just a double-click to active the performance mode.

 

well, i just tried setting my asus g2s-b1 to high performance, alas it was set to something else... quiet office or something...

i'm hoping this will heal my clicking, it has been driving me nutts the past week or so!! thank you!!

i'm happy to say asus already comes w/ a damn handy hardware control toolbox but i'll give this one a try as welll.. thankyou!

 

Ive never had any clicking from Seagate drives anyways TBH....

 

Wow...this was a nice read, learned a lot of interesting info along the way.

Fortunately the Vostro I got doesn't seem to have that problem. Speedfan says my hard drive is made by Fujitsu.

Seagate is known for making quality drives and I believe some time back they gobbled up Maxtor. Stay tuned for updates from them because I've heard they MAY enter the flash drive market soon...for notebooks. Don't put me on record, I am NOT a Seagate employee, haha.

 

Thanks a lot for this solution Cyanize, I had been looking to resolve this mega annoying clicking- issue for over two months without any success. Last week I actually sold my brand new HP laptop (G7000 series - two months old) because I was so fed up with the clicking noises it kept making. Luckily I got a good price for it and did not lose a whole lot of money. I got myself a brand new laptop a few days later (Packard bell, Easy Note series) and thought I would finally have a nice quiet laptop, turns out I was wrong…

After five minutes out of the box the clicking was back, it was the exact same dreaded sound my HP notebook would make in the exact same pattern. After trying a lot of different things and doing a lot of online research I realized both my old HP notebook and my Packard Bell had the exact same hard drive; a Seagate Momentus (ST9160821AS) and I started directing my online research in that direction which finally brought me to your post.

I don’t understand why Seagate sells a drive that makes such loud annoying noises. No more Seagate for me in the future….

Anyway, I followed your instructions and installed NHC with the settings you recommended .Thanks to your advice I can now enjoy my laptop without being stressed out by the dreaded clicking sound, thanks again !!!

 

If you read more carefully the 100 threads about the "clicking sound" you'll understand it's not Seagate.
I have a Seagate and makes that sound; previous i had Hitachi with that sound (louder and more frequent).A friend of mine has WD and makes that sound.
No more Seagate, Hitachi, WD, Samsung... What's left?

 

Yes, you make a valid point there slowdive. What amazes me is that all these harddrives made it to the market. One would think they would be extensively tested in the factory, including a test about the noise level they produce. Anyway, I'm glad the clicking is gone now.

 

Hey Guys,

I have followed through the entire post in here. I really appreciate how Cyanize has provided leads and solved the clicking issue.

I have a Vostro 1500 (2 months old). I get this HDD clicking noise but quite low to bother.
I have a Toshiba HDD (TOSHIBA MK1637GSX). I have a different issue though. My Notebook Emits Audible High-Pitched Sharp sound at random intervals from front left section.
I have tried muting audio to no effect, the sound still comes. It comes randomly, at a very high scale/pitch, irrespective of the fact of the operation being performed on the system. It is random in nature and can happen 2-3 times in a day. No operation is hampered but is very irritating in nature.

I tried the following - Rebooted, took out battery, ran on adapter only, muted audio, enabled/disabled bluetooth, tried all that seemed a cause, but the sound still comes.

I am at my wits end. I recently had to rack my brains with the DELL guys to get my LCD replaced. Not sure if I can handle it again. Please see if you can diagnose what is wrong with my system.

Thanks

CK

 

The noise you describe is called CPU whine it's a manufacturing/design issue with the c2d processors and there's "magic" solution. There are hundreds of threads on this subject in this forum, but unfortunately the only thing that helps is a motherboard exchange or a new laptop (praying you get a combo that doesn't have this issue). Some users have reported that switching to XP seems to have eliminated the noise, but this didn't work for everyone.

good luck

 

I'll let you know in a week if its gone on both of my Samsung HM250JI's :-D :-D :-D.

 

Thank you. The clicking noise is gone =D

But one thing, why I can't change the CPU Speed (I can't enabling the Custom Dynamic Switching menu). Why's that?

Also the same with the voltage setting..

Thanks.

 

C2D processors aren't fully supported in the current NHC version, that's why you're missing those options. Plus dynamic switching isn't even supported in Vista.

 

aw... If that's the case, I have no choise other than combining NHC and RMClock management =3 (boo for running 2 same-purpose programs at once tho).

I tried to use hdparm but it doesn't work =/ -B -M,

 

So "hdparm -B 254 hda" didn't work?

(The -M switch does nothing for me)

 

wasnt worked here, both M and B. it was quiet for like 20 mins before it started again. ^^

 

I have had two Seagate drives on m1530 and they have both been pretty loud. SO, I think it really depends on what notebook your using.

 

-- Auto-run hdparm --

For anyone who doesn't want to run NHC, but wants hdparm to be auto-run when you resume from suspend/hibernation on XP (if, like my computer, it doesn't always keep the power management settings), follow these steps:

0. Make sure you have hdparm for Windows: Link (install into Windows path, e.g: C:\Windows)

1. Download Auto-it: Link

2. Grab my script: Link

3. Compile script and either run or put the resulting EXE in your Start Menu Startup folder.

Basically the script detects when you resume from suspend/hibernate, it runs hdparm automatically, then displays a 3-second message notifying you of this. To make sure it actually runs hdparm, either turn the clicking back on manually before testing suspend/resume to make sure the clicking stops, or uncomment the testing line in the script I wrote and do a suspend/resume cycle, and the command-prompt should stay open telling you of the success.

 

Hi and firstly sorry about my english because im from spain.

I received my XPS last friday and i hear noise. I think its the same noise of this topic but i dont know if solutions are valid for my pc.

Besides,pc makes a terrible noise when i play a DVD in windows media but there is no noise in Dell media . Do you know something about this?

Thanks for your help

 

Hi everyone

i'm here with the same problem as everyone else...i've got that clicking issue on my Vostro 1500...i tried the NHC thing and it doesn't really seem to solve this problem the clicking sound became a little less noticible but it's still there...after reading this thread it seems that NHC has tottaly solved most of people's problems but it doesn't seem to work properly for me...might it be that it works properly on Seagate drivers and on others not? i've got Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 ATA Drive device. has anyone got the same problem with it? is it possible to get this one replaced by DELL and get Seagate which tends to be better? thanx

 

Oooh thanks thread creator, it WORKED

 

does anyone with samsung HM320JI 320GB hard disk noticed that it clicks loudly awfully a lot? when i first got it, it clicked once every 1-2 days.. then progressed to once every 30-40min. recently it clicks as often as once every 10-20secs! it's soo annoying. the loud clicking does not affect functionality or performance at all, but it sure does make my heart sink everytime it does that clicking noise. hard drive should not be making such sound at the first place. i wonder if it's because of the so-called load/unload head technology featured in samsung drives. NHC does not help at all. is there a firmware upgrade for the drive? besides the clicking issue, that drive is aggressively fast (arguably aster than 7200RPM drives).

 

Hi everyone,

I have the same problem on a seagate ST9120822AS drive under Vista. The hdparm command gives an error message saying that the acoustic management is 'not implemented'. However it works perfectly in linux, so I know that my drive is cabaple of this.

Any ideas on what I should tweak or update (firmware, driver) and where to look for it?

Thanks a bunch!