Ticking Seagate HDD (Hard Disk Drive) like a clock noise.

[Taranjeet]

I have an Acer Aspire U5-710, I got this PC with a ticking hard drive exactly like the sound of a clock, it ticks at any random time for 1-2 minutes, I just got it repaired by Acer and they replaced the hard drive but it still ticks like a clock at random times when I use my desktop.


Is this ticking noise meant to happen in a hard disk drive or is it faulty even after getting it repaired??? Because it still came back with the same thing I noticed before.

Note: it sounds exactly like a clock that ticks with its moving hand, no other noise, and it's a 2TB 5400rpm Seagate HDD preinstalled.

 

[ChaoticWolf]

If the Hard Drive is doing what it's supposed to do and it's not doing anything else bad besides that, then it should be fine. But you never know. You should try testing the hard drive with some software like Crystal Disk Info just to be sure. If it finds any problems, it will tell you. Maybe it's just your computer. If it sounds like clicking, if hard drives click, then it's dying, but it's not EXACTLY like a click, and it's just a tiny tick, then it could be fine. Just do a few tests just incase. Other than that, if it's running fine, and it does what it should do, then it might be good, if they replaced the hard drive with a new one, and it still does it, then it might be that the hard drive just does that normally

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Welcome to TH Community, Taranjeet!

I'd advise you to backup all your data from that HDD somewhere else immediately. These noises could be indicating internal hardware failure which is something that cannot be fixed. Once you have a copy of your files elsewhere, use your HDD manufacturer's diagnostic tool to check up on the health and SMART status of the drive. I'd also recommend you to check the warranty on your PC and see if it's still covered. If it is, you should be able to RMA it and get a replacement from the manufacturer's customer support.

Either way, backup all your data beforehand. Better safe than sorry, right?
Keep us posted!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Taranjeet]

I did test it with Crystal Disk and the Seagate SMART diagnosis tool, they said the drive is completely good and healthy and that there are no problems, yes everything on my PC works just fine, I had no errors with performance or drivers as such it's all running fine as expected it's just the clock ticking noises I'm wary about.

I really don't know if it is normal, it's hearable from a distance and sounds exactly like a clock, and my dad keeps on thinking it's faulty.

Acer did replace the hard drive during the repair process and found that the hard drive was faulty when I purchased this product but I don't know why after replacing it the ticking noises still happen.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there again, Taranjeet!

This sounds a bit concerning. If the replaced HDD was not mounted properly, it might cause extra vibrations when you power up the system. This could also be the cause of the clock-like ticking of the drive. Either way, I'd still get in touch with the manufacturer's customer/technical support for assistance.
I'd advise you to keep your files backed up somewhere off-site. Unfortunately, there are some hardware failures that might get detected by the software diagnostic utilities, so I'd strongly recommend you consider replacing/RMA-ing your system again. It would give you some peace of mind.

Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Taranjeet]

Everything still works perfectly fine, performance wise and drivers and bootup they're all fine, It's just the ticking noises that seems a little unusual.

I'm starting to guess it's at normal operation seeing as everything else works fine, and I've even checked the disk status using CrystalDiskInfo and even the Seagate seatools utility and even chkdsk on CMD Prompt, all found no problems.

 

[ChaoticWolf]

Everything still works perfectly fine, performance wise and drivers and bootup they're all fine, It's just the ticking noises that seems a little unusual.

I'm starting to guess it's at normal operation seeing as everything else works fine, and I've even checked the disk status using CrystalDiskInfo and even the Seagate seatools utility and even chkdsk on CMD Prompt, all found no problems.

I mean, 2 drives ticking like that, it's very unlikely that both drives are failing already again, not impossible though, but still unlikely, if they said that they replaced it with a brand new one, I don't see how it could fail. You could try to see inside the computer to see if everything is mounted correctly, and probably backup some files

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Everything still works perfectly fine, performance wise and drivers and bootup they're all fine, It's just the ticking noises that seems a little unusual.

I'm starting to guess it's at normal operation seeing as everything else works fine, and I've even checked the disk status using CrystalDiskInfo and even the Seagate seatools utility and even chkdsk on CMD Prompt, all found no problems.

I suspect an improper mounting of the drive inside your all-in-one PC. This basically causes extra vibrations which could explain the unusual noises coming from it. However, if you tamper with it by yourself you might void the warranty on the computer. If it's still covered take it to an authorized-by-the-manufacturer PC repair service and let the guys there check it out.

Hope it helps. Best of luck!
SuperSoph_WD

 

[Taranjeet]

I can't see inside my PC, because it's still in warranty and it might void the warrently, also I don't know how to open it, there's no screws anywhere on the PC and I don't want to break anything.

Are there any other solutions available?

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

In this case, @Taranjeet, the best thing to do is get in touch with the computer manufacturer's customer/technical support and let them know about this issue. Like I said, they would be the best solution since the rig is still covered by the warranty! Of course, you shouldn't tamper with it because you will void it for sure. You should still be able to RMA it and get a replacement from them again, if that is necessary.
However, in terms of DIY troubleshooting, there's not much you can do without voiding the warranty. 🙁

Best of luck! Sorry, I couldn't be more helpful!
SuperSoph_WD