Why does the WD Scorpio 2.5" hard drive make clicking noises when installed ?

[webmaster.progitek]

Why does the WD Scorpio 2.5" hard drive make clicking noises when installed
in a laptop computer?

Thank's

 

[Malke]

Why does the WD Scorpio 2.5" hard drive make clicking noises when
installed in a laptop computer?

No one can really answer this without knowing more, but in general when a
hard drive makes clicking noises it is in the process of dying or has
already died.

Malke

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Some drives do when they're brand new. Some do if you don't use insulating
material or bushings to isolate them from the computer/mounting frame.
Others do if the mounting process has warped or distorted the case. Yet
others do when the drive is getting ready to die.

 

[Bob D.]

Has it always made that noise? If so it could be just the heads moving back
& forth.

Bob

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I used a WD Scorpio in a USB case for a detached hard drive case. Every
time I hooked it up I would get a clicking noise and the laptop wouldn't
read the drive. As soon as I used a USB cable that had 2 USB plugs, it
worked. It appears a single hook up USB cable doesn't provide enough
power and that created the clicking noise and unreadability. The drive
works great now with the 2 headed cable.

Tom

The reason is clear if you look at power draw listed on the drive's label,
and the output of a USB port.

The drive draws about an amp. A USB port can supply at most 500mA, or half
of what the drive requires.

This is why 2.5" drive cases come with the 3-headed cable.

You can cause some permanent or temporary damage to the port as well.

HTH
-pk