hardware making resonating noise

[MDX]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when it is
actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like now, i am just
typing), it is constantly making this resonating noise, which is driving me
nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all the time. Do you guys have any
idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy or what? Is that because it's a
7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my
pc is extremely quiet(because the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the
hardrive turns on, man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?

Thanks in advance.
Jay

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when
it is actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like
now, i am just typing), it is constantly making this resonating
noise, which is driving me nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all
the time. Do you guys have any idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy
or what? Is that because it's a 7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up
when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my pc is extremely quiet(because
the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the hardrive turns on,
man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?
Thanks in advance.
Jay

First off it's a 'caviar'. Secondly, it has nothing to do with the hardware.
When you leave the computer idle, it will find something to do. It may be
indexing the files, it may be performing a background defrag. It's nothing
to do with the drive because those are quiet (I have two 15,000rpm drives
and I can hardly hear them).

 

[Bert]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when it is
actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like now, i am just
typing), it is constantly making this resonating noise, which is driving me
nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all the time. Do you guys have any
idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy or what? Is that because it's a
7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my
pc is extremely quiet(because the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the
hardrive turns on, man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?

If it is really your HD, I would exchange it quickly.
But I suspect that the source of the noise is something else.
A fan with a worn out bearing or some piece of metal of your PC
resonating.
No, there are no fans in the harddrive.
Open up your PC and listen where it comes from.

Bert

 

[kony]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when it is
actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like now, i am just
typing), it is constantly making this resonating noise, which is driving me
nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all the time. Do you guys have any
idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy or what? Is that because it's a
7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my
pc is extremely quiet(because the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the
hardrive turns on, man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?

Thanks in advance.
Jay

Either your drive is defective/damaged/etc (failing) or your
case is vibrating due to loose parts somewhere.

Figure out which it is... put your hand on the side of the
drive cage, maybe even firmly grab the drive and see if the
noise stops. Take drive out of case and lay it on a desk to
see if it still makes noise. If it's just the case you
might need to tighten screw(s) or slightly bend some metal
or put a patch or two of foam tape somewhere.

 

[Paul Murphy]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when it
is actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like now, i am
just typing), it is constantly making this resonating noise, which is
driving me nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all the time. Do you
guys have any idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy or what? Is that
because it's a 7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up when i turn on my pc.
for 2 seconds, my pc is extremely quiet(because the HD actually get turned
on). As soon as the hardrive turns on, man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the
noise it produces when writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?

Thanks in advance.
Jay

The simplest way to determine if your drive is causing the noise it to set
it to shut off after a brief period in power saving options and leave the
machine inactive until it shuts off. If this brings silence then hey presto
your drive was to blame. I've had a new drive turn out to be noisy and had
it replaced under warranty without any problems. As long as its not caused
by a loose mounting and is actually due to a vibrating drive, replacing it
under warranty shouldn't be difficult.

Paul

 

[dfrog]

SNIP


Either your drive is defective/damaged/etc (failing) or your
case is vibrating due to loose parts somewhere.

Figure out which it is... put your hand on the side of the
drive cage, maybe even firmly grab the drive and see if the
noise stops. Take drive out of case and lay it on a desk to
see if it still makes noise. If it's just the case you
might need to tighten screw(s) or slightly bend some metal
or put a patch or two of foam tape somewhere.

Kony,
I have the same problem (mine's aWestern Digital 40gb...only 18 months old
in a Compaq Presario)
When I move the mouse, the noise becomes more pronounced, which to me means
its not a fan noise.
I just bought a Seagate Barracuda 80gb, cloned the W/D onto it, run this
drive 'fitted into a bay/ not fitted into a bay' and I still have the same
noise (doesn't sound fatal, just damned annoying).
I've also done the 'touch-feel-hold the little bits' method, unsuccessfully.
So, if the noise is still there, and I'm using a new drive, then it possibly
wasn't the W/D making the noise, but, why does mouse movement enhance the
noise?
Will follow this thread with interest.
dfrog

 

[dfrog]

Kony,
I have the same problem (mine's aWestern Digital 40gb...only 18 months old
in a Compaq Presario)
When I move the mouse, the noise becomes more pronounced, which to me
means its not a fan noise.
I just bought a Seagate Barracuda 80gb, cloned the W/D onto it, run this
drive 'fitted into a bay/ not fitted into a bay' and I still have the same
noise (doesn't sound fatal, just damned annoying).
I've also done the 'touch-feel-hold the little bits' method,
unsuccessfully.
So, if the noise is still there, and I'm using a new drive, then it
possibly wasn't the W/D making the noise, but, why does mouse movement
enhance the noise?
Will follow this thread with interest.
dfrog

Sorry,
that should have been to Jay not Kony
dfrog

 

[MDX]

it is the hardrive that's causing the problem. I turned on my pc without
connecting the power to the HD, my pc was so quiet.
damn HD..

 

[Paul Murphy]

You have an answer then - do you know what your next step will be?

Paul

 

[kony]

Kony,
I have the same problem (mine's aWestern Digital 40gb...only 18 months old
in a Compaq Presario)
When I move the mouse, the noise becomes more pronounced, which to me means
its not a fan noise.

So it definitely comes from within the case, not speakers?
If so, probably a noisey inductor. Could be a failing fan
that goes into a resonant RPM range based on voltage drop
due to CPU utilztion/current-draw, but that's more rare,
more a theoretical potential than something I've seen happen
often.

I just bought a Seagate Barracuda 80gb, cloned the W/D onto it, run this
drive 'fitted into a bay/ not fitted into a bay' and I still have the same
noise (doesn't sound fatal, just damned annoying).
I've also done the 'touch-feel-hold the little bits' method, unsuccessfully.
So, if the noise is still there, and I'm using a new drive, then it possibly
wasn't the W/D making the noise, but, why does mouse movement enhance the
noise?
Will follow this thread with interest.
dfrog

Open up the case and probe around more. Put a straw or
length of ear to your hose and direct it around the case to
find the noise source.

 

[kony]

it is the hardrive that's causing the problem. I turned on my pc without
connecting the power to the HD, my pc was so quiet.
damn HD..

That is not conclusive.
Any HDD will vibrate ever-so-slightly. This vibration is
absorbed by the chassis. The chassis will produce noise if
there are parts unsecured and close enough to rub together.

It may well be the drive, but it could still be something
else... or even a combination of the two, that the drive is
vibrating more than it should and thus the case makes more
(or some) noise when it wouldn't otherwise.

You might also run the HDD manufacturer's diagnostics.

 

[badgolferman]

Hi

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when
it is actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like
now, i am just typing), it is constantly making this resonating
noise, which is driving me nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all
the time. Do you guys have any idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy
or what? Is that because it's a 7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up
when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my pc is extremely quiet(because
the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the hardrive turns on,
man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading). Is it the fan in the hardrive?

Thanks in advance.
Jay

If you really suspect the hard drive and want to eliminate case
vibration you can remove the drive from its mounting area and set it on
a box or something where it doesn't touch the case and boot up your
system. This will help you isolate the drive from the rest of the
system.

 

[Spajky]

I have a WD carnivar 80GIG 7200RPM harddrive. It is pretty quiet when it is
actually reading/writing data. However, when it's idle(like now, i am just
typing), it is constantly making this resonating noise, which is driving me
nuts. I feel like I am next to a drill all the time. Do you guys have any
idea why? Is this hardrive just noisy or what? Is that because it's a
7200RPM HD? I can feel it reving up when i turn on my pc. for 2 seconds, my
pc is extremely quiet(because the HD actually get turned on). As soon as the
hardrive turns on, man, noisy as hell.. (it's not the noise it produces when
writing/reading).

go to my site under comp/mods, may be a solution for that "drilling
noise" there ... ...

 

[dfrog]

So it definitely comes from within the case, not speakers?
If so, probably a noisey inductor. Could be a failing fan
that goes into a resonant RPM range based on voltage drop
due to CPU utilztion/current-draw, but that's more rare,
more a theoretical potential than something I've seen happen
often.




Open up the case and probe around more. Put a straw or
length of ear to your hose and direct it around the case to
find the noise source.

Kony,
Thanks again for your input, I'll follow your advice, BUT.............
I might have a problem with the "length of EAR to my HOSE" ;-)

dfrog

 

[DaveW]

There is no fan in the harddrive. The noise is most likely caused by the
mounting of the harddrive in the case causing a resonance.

 

[dfrog]

Kony,
Thanks again for your input, I'll follow your advice, BUT.............
I might have a problem with the "length of EAR to my HOSE" ;-)

dfrog

Kony,

FYInfo :- Still cannot identify noise source, but need to leave it alone for
a while - anxiety right now, trying to find source and fix, is greater than
anxiety listening to the noise. I 'will' fix it, but it needs to be later.
Thanks again for your help

dfrog

 

[Paul Murphy]

Kony,
I have the same problem (mine's aWestern Digital 40gb...only 18 months old
in a Compaq Presario)
When I move the mouse, the noise becomes more pronounced, which to me
means its not a fan noise.
I just bought a Seagate Barracuda 80gb, cloned the W/D onto it, run this
drive 'fitted into a bay/ not fitted into a bay' and I still have the same
noise (doesn't sound fatal, just damned annoying).
I've also done the 'touch-feel-hold the little bits' method,
unsuccessfully.
So, if the noise is still there, and I'm using a new drive, then it
possibly wasn't the W/D making the noise, but, why does mouse movement
enhance the noise?
Will follow this thread with interest.
dfrog

I've seen this mouse movement related noise before when working as a
computer tech. I cant remember exactly what was causing it but the noise was
emminating from the system speaker (you could try temporarily disconnecting
the system speaker and sending the mouse on a quick run to see if the
problem is still apparent). Many machines (particularly those from large
OEMs) have hidden partitions on their HDDs. Perhaps the process you used to
copy the old drives contents to the new disk hasn't correctly coppied across
all the data. The other option is that its copied it across OK but the BIOS
isn't correctly detecting (or coping with) all of the drives
characteristics. Normally such large OEMs provide restore CDs - does this
work with your new drive? If not, that may be because the hidden partition
isn't there and a full reinstall from the Windows/Software CDs should fix it
(it fixed the machine I came across with a similar problem). Some HDDs do
include tiny piezo speakers these days (in the air filter area) but its an
issue that HDD manufacturers aren't very open about. I rember reading about
someone who had a beeping HDD and it turned out this was where the noise was
coming from.

Are you willing and able to (eventually) perform a full reinstall of the OS
and software (if the restore CD option isn't available)?

Paul

 

[dfrog]

I've seen this mouse movement related noise before when working as a
computer tech. I cant remember exactly what was causing it but the noise
was emminating from the system speaker (you could try temporarily
disconnecting the system speaker and sending the mouse on a quick run to
see if the problem is still apparent). Many machines (particularly those
from large OEMs) have hidden partitions on their HDDs. Perhaps the process
you used to copy the old drives contents to the new disk hasn't correctly
coppied across all the data. The other option is that its copied it across
OK but the BIOS isn't correctly detecting (or coping with) all of the
drives characteristics. Normally such large OEMs provide restore CDs -
does this work with your new drive? If not, that may be because the hidden
partition isn't there and a full reinstall from the Windows/Software CDs
should fix it (it fixed the machine I came across with a similar problem).
Some HDDs do include tiny piezo speakers these days (in the air filter
area) but its an issue that HDD manufacturers aren't very open about. I
rember reading about someone who had a beeping HDD and it turned out this
was where the noise was coming from.

Are you willing and able to (eventually) perform a full reinstall of the
OS and software (if the restore CD option isn't available)?

Paul

Paul,
Thank you so much for your help and advice.
This thing is a bit like chasing a 'ghost' at the moment, it seems to come
and go at will. I make a decision to 'bottom it' and the damn thing goes
away (a bit like having toothache - go to dentist and it stops hurting). Be
sure that I will keep your posts and refer to them appropriately.
thanks again
dfrog

 

[Paul Murphy]

Paul,
Thank you so much for your help and advice.
This thing is a bit like chasing a 'ghost' at the moment, it seems to come
and go at will. I make a decision to 'bottom it' and the damn thing goes
away (a bit like having toothache - go to dentist and it stops hurting).
Be sure that I will keep your posts and refer to them appropriately.
thanks again
dfrog

Fair enough. Might be worth running it with the case side cover off so when
it does next occur you can immediately unplug the system speaker and see if
that shuts it up.

Paul