Hard Drive "grinding" noise

[CunderingThunt]

So, my hard drive was making a slight "grinding" noise, like it was being used constantly or something. I thought it was failing so I threw a new hard drive in there. That didn't change anything, the noise is still there. The sound was not occurring when I had my old CPU and motherboard. I bought a new Mobo (Asus z97-a) and a new CPU (4690k) last week as my mobo fried. Ever since, the noise has been there and it's very annoying. I'm completely stuck and have no idea what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions or solutions? Everything is appreciated.

 

[RektSkrubs]

What about the cd/dvd/optical drive?

 

[CunderingThunt]

What about the cd/dvd/optical drive?

Nope, it's not that. It's 100% the hard drives.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to the community, CunderingThunt!

I'd recommend you to test the drive on another computer or hooking it up to a different SATA port and listen to the sounds coming from the HDDs. Unfortunately, the sounds might be an indication of physical damage in the hard drives. However, hooking them up to a different system would be the best way to determine the source of the issue.
Another important thing you should do before proceeding with the troubleshooting is backing up all your essential data from those drives somewhere else. I'd also check your HDD manufacturer's website and use the diagnostic tool there to test the drives' health and SMART status.

Keep us posted.
SuperSoph_WD

 

[CunderingThunt]

I've used the WD diagnostic tool and everything seems fine. I honestly don't see how it could be physical damage as I just got a new one yesterday and it's making the same noise. I have a feeling it has something to do with the motherboard, but I have no idea what would be causing it. I might be able to put the hard drive into an old alienware I have.

Also, the hard drive that I had originally was in my build for months and didn't make any noise until the mobo and cpu was swapped out, so..

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

I see, are you absolutely sure that the sounds you hear are coming from the hard drive though? I'd suggest you to open the case and listen carefully when you power up the rig. This might help you determine what is the root of these 'grinding' noises, because they might as well be coming from the CPU fans. You should also make sure everything is connected properly and there are no loose screws, I'd even re-seat everything once again. The PSU is also something you might want to check up on.

Hopefully the re-seating of the connections will resolve the issue.
Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[CunderingThunt]

I see, are you absolutely sure that the sounds you hear are coming from the hard drive though? I'd suggest you to open the case and listen carefully when you power up the rig. This might help you determine what is the root of these 'grinding' noises, because they might as well be coming from the CPU fans. You should also make sure everything is connected properly and there are no loose screws, I'd even re-seat everything once again. The PSU is also something you might want to check up on.

Hopefully the re-seating of the connections will resolve the issue.
Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD

I've resat everything. I took the hard drive bay out of the machine and booting up the PC. It was clear that the sound was coming from the hard drive. I am 100% certain it is the hard drives. When I can, I will try to get a video of the hard drives.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hi again, CunderingThunt!

I'm sorry to hear about the HDDs then. You've mentioned using WD's Data LifeGuard, so I assume the drives are Western Digital. My recommendation would be to contact our technical support and let them know about this issue. If the HDD is still covered by the warranty, you should be able to send your RMA request and get a replacement.
How to RMA your product: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=WlfA5F
Warranty check: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=iKtPXs
WD Support contacts: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=57KuhZ

Hope these help you. Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD