Dell "Hard drive click/tick" thread

Im sure most of you have come across this other notebook sites, it happens for about any drive and any dell laptop. Hwoever i determined, i believe what the program that is causing it. Open Windows Task Manager and click on processes and scroll down to the bottom. The process, "System Idle Process SYSTEM" is running, notice the CPU usage, mem usage 16k. Now this doesnt run on my desktop. I have a Hitachi drive and ive downloaded the bios tweaker and did the acoustic sound and optimization. This just makes the tick harder to hear and less often. Now this process i can't end and it won't let you see any properties on in. Anyone have an idea what this is? Im pretty sure its my culprit, since i will turn everything else off but the OS and its still on.

If anyone has any ideas/opinions, would be much appreciated.

*Dell Inspiron 9200, P-M 2.1ghz 400mhz FSB, 1 GB Ram 333mhz, 17inch WSXGA+ Screen, 60gb 7200rpm HD, 128 ATI M Radeon 9700 (OC: 485/270), XP Pro SP2, Wifi + Bluetooth*

*Sony MDR-G74SL Headphones for music and gaming, best 40 dollar pair i have ever bought!*

 

i'm not sure about the process you mentioned, but i always thought that a clicking drive was a sign of immiment death. is the HD you're talking about new or a couple years old?

 

if it's new, i would definitely return it. i've had two dell laptops and never had a clicking problem.

definitely return it, there's no excuse for a new drive to click.

 

brand new, not even a week old, i have read on other forums of people having problems with dell and the HD doing this. some have gone a few years with the tick and nothing goes wrong. Anyone with this problem have any insight?

*Dell Inspiron 9200, P-M 2.1ghz 400mhz FSB, 1 GB Ram 333mhz, 17inch WSXGA+ Screen, 60gb 7200rpm HD, 128 ATI M Radeon 9700 (OC: 485/270), XP Pro SP2, Wifi + Bluetooth*

*Sony MDR-G74SL Headphones for music and gaming, best 40 dollar pair i have ever bought!*

 

yeah i was thinking that, i already have so much stuff on here though. Damn, o well, got to do what i got to do, i can atleast transfer some of it too my desktop. Ill give Dell tech support a call here later today.

*Dell Inspiron 9200, P-M 2.1ghz 400mhz FSB, 1 GB Ram 333mhz, 17inch WSXGA+ Screen, 60gb 7200rpm HD, 128 ATI M Radeon 9700 (OC: 485/270), XP Pro SP2, Wifi + Bluetooth*

*Sony MDR-G74SL Headphones for music and gaming, best 40 dollar pair i have ever bought!*

 

so i called dell and they are going to send me a new 60gb 7200 rpm hard drive. Interesting fact i found out is that dell, after the first 21 days, any part under warranty comes as a refurbished part. Knowing that, pretty lame support on dell's part doing that. They support guy said a few of the models of hard drives that they ship, encounter this problem and that he has dealt with a few people on this.

*Dell Inspiron 9200, P-M 2.1ghz 400mhz FSB, 1 GB Ram 333mhz, 17inch WSXGA+ Screen, 60gb 7200rpm HD, 128 ATI M Radeon 9700 (OC: 485/270), XP Pro SP2, Wifi + Bluetooth*

*Sony MDR-G74SL Headphones for music and gaming, best 40 dollar pair i have ever bought!*

 

I just got my i6000 2 days back...I don't have the HD ticking intermittently or continously, but I did hear it once or twice? Is it the same thing or is it going to do that sometimes?

Should I call and get a replacement? Also, do they just send it to you? can a normal technophobe (like me!) change a HDD or should I send it out to them?