Hard Drive Screech

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Both my Western Digital 80 GB and my Maxtor 200 GB HDs are now emitting a very high-pitched screeching noise, similar to nails on a chalkboard. Its not particularly loud; I didn't notice it at all until I moved my case from the floor onto my desk, but now I hear it clearly (and it really hurts). The WD drive is a year old, the Maxtor is about a year and a half. The fact that they are both doing this at the same time, and that they are both fairly young drives, leads me to beleive that I may have cared for the drives incorrectly. Is this noise something I should worry about, or do hard drives always made a noise like this and I just never picked up on it? If there is a problem, what could have caused it and what can I do about it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[helpmeout]

If you don't have the CD's that came with the drives, go to the manufacturers' websites and download their disk diagnostics. Run them and see what they say about the condition of the drives. Some manufacturers have diagnostics that they claim will check any drive, but I'd stick to the true manufacturer. Have you checked your fans to make sure one of them isn't going bad and "throwing" the sound toward the hard drives?

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Yep, systematically unplugged my system fans to make sure the HDs were the problem. I'll be sure to try those diagnostics tomorrow, for now I think I need a little sleep 🙂

 

[zimu]

could be the heat? i've had drives in the past screech, they're interrmittent.