What Causes Hard Drive Noises
There are a few main causes of noises coming from a hard drive:
One cause is the movement of the read/write heads that access data on the drive platters. The heads float just above the platters on an air cushion. As they move back and forth rapidly to read and write data, this can generate audible clicking, buzzing, or grinding noises.
Another source of noise is from the spinning platters inside the hard drive. The platters spin at high speeds, typically 5,400 to 10,000 rpm in most consumer hard drives. Friction between the platters and the air around them can create audible humming or whirring sounds.
Physical shocks, drops, vibrations, or improper mounting of a hard drive can also produce audible rattling noises as internal components shift slightly. Severe shocks can cause major malfunctions like the read/write heads crashing into the platters.
Sources:
https://www.seagate.com/support/kb/identifying-hard-drive-sounds-and-determining-what-they-mean/
https://drivesaversdatarecovery.com/what-causes-hard-drive-clicking/
Normal Operating Sounds
Most hard drives make some minor noises during normal operation. This is completely normal and not a cause for concern. The two most common sounds from a healthy hard drive are:
- A quiet whirring sound from the drive platters spinning. This comes from the small spindle motor that spins the disks at around 5,400 to 15,000 RPM depending on the drive. Faster drives make a higher pitched noise.
- Intermittent soft clicking noises from the read/write heads moving back and forth across the platters. This occurs when accessing data.
These types of noises may be more noticeable in quiet environments, but are a normal part of drive operation. As long as the sounds are relatively faint and unobtrusive, there’s likely no issue with the hard drive.
According to this Lacie article, historically drives have produced some perceptible noise, just from their mechanical nature. The sounds should not be loud enough to be disturbing. If you hear your drive making only minor whirring and soft clicking noises occasionally, it is functioning as expected.
Concerning Noises to Watch For
There are some concerning noises that your hard drive can make that may indicate a problem. Two noises to listen for are repeated loud clicking and grinding sounds.
Loud clicking noises from a hard drive are often signs of mechanical failure. The clicking occurs when the read/write head inside the hard drive is unable to move properly across the drive platters. This repeated clicking is the drive attempting to read data but being unable to do so. Clicking noises tend to repeat in a regular pattern and generally mean there is a mechanical issue with the hard drive’s internal components. According to Seagate, “If you hear a repeating click sound in rhythm with the platters it likely indicates a problem with the drive’s read/write heads or its arm actuator.”1
Grinding noises from a hard drive are also a concerning sign. These noises arise when there is friction occurring within the drive mechanics. They often signal degraded components like bearings or drive heads that are starting to fail. Grinding is usually a metallic, scraping sound and may occur regularly or intermittently. It tends to get worse over time as the mechanical parts degrade further. Hard drive grinding is a serious issue and usually means the drive will deteriorate quickly until it fails completely. According to Stellar Info, “The grinding noise arises when the disk’s platters or read/write heads actually touch each other, indicating that the hard drive heads are severely misaligned or damaged.”2
Read/Write Head Movement
One of the most common noises a hard drive makes is from the read/write heads moving across the platters to access data. The read/write heads are the components that read and write data to the platters. They move very rapidly and precisely across the surface of the platters every time data is accessed. This can result in soft clicking or ticking sounds as the heads move into position.
These types of sounds during data access are normal for most hard drives. The clicking is caused by the sudden stops, starts and redirects of the read/write heads as they move across the platters. Some amount of head movement sound is to be expected during drive operation.
However, if the sounds become loud or excessive it could indicate an issue with the drive. Frequent loud clicking or ticking noises when the drive is idle may signify a problem with the head actuator or motor that controls head positioning. But occasional soft clicking during data access is typical for many hard drives.
Spinning Platters
Hard drives contain circular platters made of rigid aluminum or glass that store data magnetically. These platters spin at speeds ranging from 5,400 RPM (revolutions per minute) in consumer hard drives up to 15,000 RPM in high performance server drives.Source The rapid rotation generates a continuous whirring or wind-like sound coming from the drive.
Faster spinning platters allow data to be read and written more quickly, but also produce more noise. Slower RPM consumer drives run quieter, while fast server drives can be quite loud from wind shear forces generated by the platters slicing through the air inside the enclosed drive housing.
If the platter spin sound becomes louder or changes in pitch, the drive may be working harder due to excessive activity, fragmentation, or other issues. Sudden increases in platter noises can sometimes indicate wear or failure. However, some platter noise during normal operation is completely normal for most drives.
Physical Shocks
One potential cause of concerning noises from a hard drive is physical shock or impact to the drive. Dropping a hard drive or jarring it can damage internal components like the read/write heads or platters. This type of damage often produces scratching, clicking, or rattling sounds as the drive operates.
According to Seagate, physical shock is one of the most common causes of drive failure that produces noise. If a drive makes grinding noises during use, it likely indicates physical damage is occurring to the platters. Continued use in this state risks further damaging the drive and losing your data (Source).
Even impacts that don’t make an immediate noise can sometimes cause problems later on. The heads and platters are very precisely aligned, and any shocks or drops that knock them out of position will eventually produce detectable noises as the drive struggles to read and write data.
Older Drives vs Newer Drives
In general, older hard drives tend to produce more noise compared to newer models. This is because noise reduction has become a greater priority in modern hard drive design. Manufacturers have made improvements to reduce noise from sources like the spindle motor, actuators, and airflow.
For example, Western Digital’s Red Plus drives operate at just 20-21 dB idle noise and up to 24 dB under load. Comparatively, drives from 5-10 years ago might have measured 30 dB or more when idle. Newer drives also incorporate features like NoTouch ramp load technology to reduce the clunking noise when reading/writing heads park.1
Of course, high capacity enterprise-class drives still generate more noise by design than slimmer consumer models. But across all segments, newer hard drives run quieter thanks to smarter acoustic management and vibration dampening.
Diagnosing the Cause
Isolating the specific noises your hard drive makes and when they occur is crucial to diagnosing the cause. Here are some tips:
- Listen closely to pinpoint where the noise is coming from – the drive itself or another component like a fan or power supply.
- Note if the noise only happens during drive activity like boot up, when accessing files, or is constant.
- See if the noise is reproduced when connected to a different power source or SATA/USB port.
- Check SMART drive monitoring tools like CrystalDiskInfo which can indicate mechanical issues via attributes like read error rate and spin up time.
- Monitor drive health over time with tools like HD Sentinel to detect when noises start and if they are worsening.
- Run the manufacturer’s diagnostic software to check for problems.
Pinpointing when noises occur and monitoring with disk tools can help narrow down the culprit to hardware flaws like a faulty bearing versus innocuous noises from normal operation.
Reducing Drive Noises
There are a couple ways to reduce noise coming from your hard drive.
One method is to add external shock dampening. You can place the hard drive on a soft surface like foam or rubber to absorb vibrations. Some people put their external hard drives inside foam enclosures or anti-vibration mounting frames. There are also specialized hard drive vibration isolation kits you can purchase. According to one user on Reddit, placing a yoga block underneath their external hard drive significantly reduced noise coming from disk spin and head movements.
Another option is to upgrade to a quieter hard drive model. Newer drives tend to be quieter thanks to improved engineering and design. For example, Western Digital’s Red series uses technology to reduce vibrations. Solid state drives have no moving parts so they operate silently. Replacing an older clunky hard drive with a new quieter model can greatly reduce noise.
When to Worry
Certain noises from a hard drive can indicate a serious problem. Repeated loud clicking often signals a mechanical failure, meaning the read/write heads are unable to move properly across the disk platters. This clicking tends to repeat rapidly, sometimes multiple times per second. According to the Seagate article, clicking noises occur when the drive is accessed and are a sign the drive is failing.
Grinding noises point to physical damage within the hard drive. As explained on Lifewire, grinding indicates the read/write head is scraping the platter surface, which can destroy data. Any scraping or grinding sound means the drive is deteriorating. These types of concerning noises call for promptly backing up data and replacing the drive before total failure occurs.