Weird HDD sounds (hitachi 5k500.B)

Since buying new HDD I've noticed weird sounds. Im not a harddisk expert but it sounds like the HDD encountered bad sector. So I run HDTune to check for bad sectors and it didn't find any.

I've had this HDD for one year and it isn't getting worse or better.
SMART analysis from speedfan

example of sounds:
http://muf.servebeer.com/files/hdd1.mp3
http://muf.servebeer.com/files/hdd2.mp3
http://muf.servebeer.com/files/hdd3.mp3
http://muf.servebeer.com/files/hdd4.mp3
it happens very randomly so I've been recording everything and after the sound occured I've trimmed the sound file so you can hear me typing or talking - sorry for that.

Any ideas what to do? HDD is still under warranty.

 

Download and run Hitachi's Drive Fitness Test to run a proper diagnostic on that hard drive. You'll want to run the most exhaustive test's possible to thoroughly test it. That's the only diagnostic worth running and the one that will give you the correct results.

Hard disk drives | Library | Drive Fitness Test

 

oh, sry, I wasn't aware of such a utility. I'll try that. Thanks for the info!

If I've understood it right - I have to boot from the CD image? How long does it take to finish the test? I have a work to do so it would be nice if I could plan the test during night or so.

 

Probably a couple of hours, but it would depend on a lot of variables.

 

I'll do it during night... (CEST)

btw I love your sig

 

I've run the exercise test 8 times with result 0x00 = good, no errors found. Any ideas what should I do?

 

I dont like the sound.
Not sure what it is, but it's unlike any HDD I have ever heard.

 

Open it up and check the screws fixing it in the case / caddy are tight and the HDD is not under any stress

 

Exactly. HDD's have moving parts and should be secured properly.
Otherwise, you will have crackling sounds coming out of HDD and eventually they will give up on you. Imagine leaving a motor running on a table without securing...

 

Im 90% sure I've tighten the HDD caddy properly (not too tight, not too loose). I will check again just to be sure. The sound appears so randomly it is very difficult to examine it.

 

The sound can only be the pick up heads moving . . yet if they were meeting any resistance this would show up in seek errors, data loss etc

But the head flipping back and forward to read fragmented files can vibrate the whole drive.

Regarding screw tightness . . Think this is a vibrating bit of metal and the screws have no lock compound on them normally. So tighten 'quite firmly' but obviously not enough to strip the head or thread.

 

I always put a drop of fingernail polish on the screw threads when I install them. That acts as a locking compound so they don't vibrate loose, but they don't offer enough resistance when you want to remove them. Works quite well.

 

I don't think nail polish will harden inside the threads. Btw screws WERE tightened, but I loosed them anyway and I tightened them again. I don't think this solved the problem.

Any other ideas?

 

Well. I've never heard anyone has ever suggested Hitachi make the quietest HDDs . . I guess your options are

* Watch for any deterioration in SMART attributes
* Wear earplugs
or :
* Forward your mp3 recordings to Hitachi CS asking if they believe the HDD is operating correctly to spec. I think they might exchange it.

 

Trust me, it will harden. I've been doing this for over 30 years on a lot more than just computer hardware.

 

I've done this but still no reply

btw: PapaSmurf69 go get loctite .) I use blue one on bike and it's great

 

Loctite is nice, but even the blue one doesn't work well for the things I use fingernail polish on. Fingernail polis works much better for small items like this, eyeglass screws, electronics, doorknob set screws, etc. as it makes the screw easier to remove when you need it to. Using loctite on small screws like these quite often holds them so tight that one will strip the head trying to remove them when you need to. Plus, you can normally pick up a bottle for less than a buck at the discount store making it much less expensive than Loctite and just about anyone who has a female over the age of 10 in their home probably has at least one bottle laying around that they could use.

On larger screws and fasteners then yes, Loctite would be preferred, but we aren't talking about a bike here.

 

Okay guys, help needed again.

I've tighten the caddy and what not - NO avail. So after emailing with manufacturer I've RMA'd (at the local shop) it and as I wasn't pleased with Hitachi I wanted to try another famed brand.

So Now I have WD50000BEKT.

Guys... Same sounds. I don't know what is wrong. I experience the same "BZZZZT" sounds once/twice a day + rare (heard just twice) head clicks - as when heads are parking.

Even my friend heard it via Ventrilo and asked me if I have backuped my data because that isn't healthy sound of the HDD.

Dunno. What would you do? The guys at the shop where I use to buy PC stuff will start hating me soon ^_^

 

Buy a SSD?

 

for that money I could have 16GB SSD :/ maybe 32, but it is still way to small even for system drive. I don't count photos/games/movies/mp3 in this.

 

Last time I heard a sound close to that from a drive, it was the heads scraping the platter clean of the magnetic surface.

I would backup everything while you can.

While utilities are good, they are very imperfect, particularly S.M.A.R.T. I have only seen it detect two drives before failure... Out of about 75.

 

Return it. I bought a WD5000BEKT earlier and it had that scratching sound immediately.

After returning it and getting a new one there is no sound like that.

 

sound like this? (WD)

 

Chyba 404 - soubor nebyl nalezen

 

I'm sorry about this, bad link. Should be fixed now.

 

How often did you hear the scratching sound? was it something like this: example (WD)?