IBM hard drive problems, warning signs?

[nebula]

I have a IBM 40GB 7200RPM Model # IC35L040AVVN07-0, Part # 07N8450 - 120GXP

I know there has been alot of talk about the IBM "click of death", but I don't think that's what I have. I've heard a sound clip of that and my clicks aren't that drastic. What it does is this, when it's accessing data, it randomly clicks like the aluminum pivot arm is smacking against the hard stops. My terminology should be better, I used to work at a company that made the suspension arm assemblies, having brain problems! Anyway, I'm almost sure that it did not do this when I built my system about 2 years ago, I think it started about 6-9 months ago. It doesn't seem to affect performance, just sounds not good. I was thinking of getting a new drive for my primary and use this as a secondary. Should I still keep thinking along those lines?

At the time the IBM was the quietest of the Maxtor, WD, or IBM and they were highly recommended. How about nowadays? I used to use WD exclusively but they were loud when they accessed, I can hardly hear the IBM except for the darn smacking sound.

 

[WarSong]

I would download and run the advanced test in the IBM (now Hitachi) Drive Fitness Test. It can detect if there are any problems and will issue you a code if there are. You will need this code to RMA the drive if you do indeed have a bad drive.

From what I hear, it sounds like the drives to get nowadays are the WD SE 8MB cache drives. They are quite and fast.

 

[nebula]

I guess I should give that a try. I haven't yet, 'cause it seems like alot of people who run the DFT get no errors when in fact they have problems. I'll run it and report back...

 

[kursplat]

I haven't yet, 'cause it seems like alot of people who run the DFT get no errors when in fact they have problems.

then you might want to be backing up everyday.......
good luck

 

[Jeff7]

My IBM drive makes funny sounds sometimes, sort of a click then a squeak - it sounds like it's coming from a tiny speaker actually. The system acts normally though while it does this, and it's been doing this for a few months without problem. Drive heads realigning themselves or something like that?
Nebula - where did you find this sound clip of a dying drive?

 

[Haden]

This is probably normal (if we are talking about same sounds)
I get these "chicken" sounds like every 15min, however if I put load on it (like defrag)
it won't whine. Several 120GXP's I've worked with also had this (no probs with any of them).

I remember asking IBM about weird SCSI disks sounds (5 disks made same weird sound every 10min), they said it's because internal log files are being accessed when drive is idle for some time, maybe same thing here...

 

[FacelessNobody]

Hey guys

I have a 120GB IBM 180GXP that makes a sorta squeaky, short whirring noise now and then when it's idle. Seems normal to me. My friend has the same drive, I can check and see if it does the same thing (presuming he can hear it over his loud fans).

 

[nebula]

Mine doesn't make the whining noises just the clicks. Anyways, I do believe that I found the link to the sound clip on Google Groups when I was looking for info regarding this. I was trying to find it again with no luck yet but I saw another post saying IBM has sound clips of drive sounds on their website. It was a bit older post so not sure if valid and haven't checked it out yet. The given link was dead though... It sounded like a click, then a cat coughing up a furball! My experience, a click then a squeak... doesn't sound happy to me, but who knows... But if you don't get a temporary lock up then it should be OK. Maybe this is why my computer is locking up every so often, hmmm.... but it locks up tight, doesn't recover.

Mine seems to click alot when I load up programs, boot windows, etc... Right now, I'm d/l a huge file and the HD is running almost steady and it's not clicking. Maybe I need to defrag?? Have never done that on this drive. Maybe I'll defrag, see what happens then, then run the DFT tests.

I'll post the link if I find it...

 

[astro]

My IBM drives also make this unusual sound. It's kind of like a click followed by a chirp and it generally occurs when the drive is idle. When I first heard it I was a little concerned, but now, having heard it with 4 or 5 different drives over the last 12 months, ranging from 40gig - 100gig, I figure it's probably 'normal'.


Jeff7/Nebula - Here's a link to the drive noises page from IBM (now Hitachi). These are some typical bad drive/failing drive noises.

 

[nebula]

Boy those sound clips sure sound awful! I defragged and ran the DFT. DFT reported no errors, still get the clicking after the defrag but performance has increased! Now that I think about it, maybe some of us are talking about the same noise. When mine first started clicking, I thought it was coming from the case speaker, I even unplugged it to check! So maybe my clicking is really the chirping that some of you speak of.