The noise coming from an external hard drive can be concerning, especially when the drive contains important data. Western Digital (WD) manufactures some of the most popular external hard drives, and some users have reported hearing unusual noises from their WD drives.
A WD external hard drive might produce noise for various reasons. Some sounds like low humming or quiet clicking are normal drive operations. However, repetitive sharp clicks, scrapes, knocks or rattles could indicate internal hardware problems. Understanding the common hard drive noises helps determine if your drive needs troubleshooting or if the sounds are typical.
This article will dive into the reasons a WD external drive can make noises. We’ll provide tips to prevent noise issues, suggest troubleshooting steps for problematic sounds and discuss when drive noises warrant data recovery services.
Normal Operating Noises
It’s normal for external hard drives like WD Elements to make some audible noises during regular operation. These sounds occur due to the physical components inside the drive working together to read, write, and access your data.
Some common normal noises include:
- Low humming or buzzing from the drive’s motor spinning the platters.
- Light clicking or tapping when the read/write heads move back and forth.
- A soft whirring from the fan that keeps the drive cool.
- Mild vibrations or rattling as the platters spin.
These types of noises are generally nothing to worry about, as long as they don’t get progressively louder or change in character. The noises may be more noticeable when the drive first spins up from idle, during heavy file transfers, or when accessing a large number of small files.
Some amount of audible mechanical sounds are inevitable with a physical spinning hard drive. But the noises should be relatively quiet and unobtrusive. If you start hearing loud or unusual sounds, refer to the troubleshooting steps below.
Clicking or Ticking Sounds
One of the most common noises coming from an external hard drive is a rhythmic ticking or clicking sound. This is often caused by a mechanical component inside the drive called the actuator arm. The actuator arm moves the read/write heads to different areas of the drive platters to access data. When the actuator arm or heads become slightly misaligned or damaged, the back-and-forth movement across the platters can cause a repeating ticking or clicking noise.
Specifically, a clicking sound usually means that the read/write heads are making contact with the drive platters. The heads are only supposed to come close to the platter surface and never actually touch it. If they are touching the platters, it could damage the drive over time. Ticking noises are generally caused by a stuck or misaligned actuator arm that is not moving smoothly back and forth.
In either case, clicking or ticking noises likely indicate a hardware problem with the actuator arm or read/write heads that will progressively get worse over time. The drive may continue working for a while, but the performance will degrade and it could fail completely. Unfortunately, this type of physical damage cannot be repaired – the actuator arm and heads would need to be replaced, which is not feasible on external hard drives. So clicking or ticking sounds are a sign your drive has a faulty actuator arm or heads that will eventually cause failure.
Buzzing or Humming
External hard drives can sometimes emit a buzzing or humming noise during normal operation. This is often caused by electrical interference from the power adapter or other components. According to the WD Community forums, “The buzzing sound might be an indication of internal/physical damage” (source). A faulty or substandard power adapter is one of the most common culprits behind electrical buzzing noises from an external drive. Using the manufacturer-recommended adapter, trying a different outlet, or plugging into a surge protector may help resolve buzzing from electrical interference.
Excessive electrical current draw can also cause coils or components inside the hard drive to buzz slightly. This tends to happen more with larger high-capacity drives. Some buzzing may be unavoidable with certain models and is considered normal, especially when accessing or writing data. However, loud, persistent buzzing or humming could indicate a problem with the drive’s internals. Inspecting for physical damage and running the manufacturer’s diagnostic software can help determine if the buzzing indicates imminent failure.
In summary, minor electrical buzzing sounds are common with external hard drives, but loud or chronic humming often points to a faulty power adapter or internal electrical fault. Using approved components, surge protection, and manufacturer diagnostics can help isolate the cause.
Rattling Noises
Rattling noises from an external hard drive are typically caused by loose parts or vibration. This can occur when the drive is moved or shaken, allowing internal components to shift slightly and produce audible rattling sounds. Common culprits include:
Loose drive head – The read/write head that moves across the drive platters can sometimes come loose and rattle against its brackets.
Dislodged screws or connectors – Small screws or SATA/power connectors can vibrate against the interior chassis.
Damaged or worn out bearings – The bearings that allow platters to spin can wear out over time, causing rattling vibrations.
Loose casing – If the outer metal casing is damaged or fitted improperly, it may rattle when the drive spins.
While concerning, rattling due to loose parts does not always indicate a larger issue. Gently shaking or tilting the drive to resettle internal components can sometimes resolve minor rattling. However, recurrent or loud rattling likely means a component is loose and needs to be repaired or replaced.
Rattling can also occur due to external vibration or improper mounting. Placing the drive on a slip-resistant surface and using shock absorbers or anti-vibration mounts can help minimize external rattling noises.
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High-Pitched Whining
Some WD external hard drives can emit a high-pitched whining or screeching sound when accessing data. This noise is mainly caused by issues with the bearings inside the hard drive.
Hard disk drives contain spindle motors with ball bearings that allow the platters to spin rapidly. However, these bearings can wear out over time, become unaligned, or lack lubrication. This disruption in the bearing operation leads to friction and vibration, which causes the whining noises.
According to this Linus Tech Tips forum post, bearing spin down issues in WD drives can cause loud whining noises during shut down. The post notes that insufficient bearing clearance is likely the culprit.
Replacing the worn-out bearings may temporarily fix the whining sound. But the bearing issues indicate that the hard drive is failing. So it’s best to back up your data and replace the drive, since the noises suggest it is close to failure.
Troubleshooting Noise from an External Hard Drive
If your WD external hard drive is making an unusual noise, there are some steps you can take to diagnose and potentially fix the issue:
Check cable connections: Disconnect the USB or power cable from the hard drive and carefully reconnect them. Make sure the connections are snug but not too tight. Loose connections can cause noise or interrupt power to the drive.
Isolate vibration: Place the hard drive on a soft surface like a folded towel to absorb any vibration. Hard drives can pick up vibrations from contact with hard surfaces causing audible rattling noises.
Update firmware: Check the WD website for any available firmware updates for your drive. Updates can sometimes fix performance issues that lead to unusual noises.
Test with another computer: Connect the drive to a different computer if available to determine if the issue is with the drive or something specific to your own system.
Listen closely: Pay attention to when the sounds emerge such as when reading, writing, or idle. This can help determine the cause.
Taking the time to troubleshoot can often resolve minor issues and annoying noises without needing to replace the drive.
Preventing Noise
There are several steps you can take to help prevent or reduce noise from your WD external hard drive:
Ensure proper ventilation. External hard drives can generate more noise and heat when airflow is restricted. Make sure your drive has adequate ventilation on all sides. Do not stack objects on top of or around the drive. Allow at least 2 inches of clearance.
Use padding or cushions. Placing your external hard drive on a soft surface like a mousepad or gel cushion can dampen vibrations and noises. You can also try placing the drive in an enclosed space lined with sound damping material.
Use a surge protector. Electrical surges and inconsistent power delivery can sometimes lead to increased hard drive noises. Using a surge protector or UPS can help regulate power and minimize electrical noise.
Upgrade to a newer drive. Newer external hard drive models generally run quieter thanks to improved construction and innovations like adaptive seek technology. If your drive is several years old, consider upgrading to a newer model for a quieter operation.
Disable unnecessary features. Some hard drives come with utilities that perform background tasks like preventative wear leveling. Disabling these features in your drive’s settings can sometimes reduce ambient noise.
Following best practices for setup, care, and maintenance can help minimize avoidable hard drive noise in most cases. However, some amount of audible noise is considered normal operation for a spinning hard drive. If the noise persists or worsens over time, contact the manufacturer for further troubleshooting.
When to Worry
While some noise is to be expected from WD external hard drives, particularly during heavy activity like file transfers, certain sounds can indicate a serious problem.
Any grinding, tapping, or screeching noises are a major cause for concern, as they likely indicate a mechanical failure inside the drive. This can mean the read/write heads are physically contacting the hard disk platters, or there are serious issues with the drive’s hardware like its spindle or motor.
These types of noises usually precede a total failure where the drive will no longer boot up or be recognized by your system at all. The sounds indicate it’s time to immediately backup any important data on the drive and replace it. It’s possible a specialist data recovery service could restore some files after this point, but costs often run over $1,000 and there’s no guarantee of success.
Some common patterns of alarming noises:
- Loud clicking that varies in intensity or speed
- A screeching or grinding sound when the drive first spins up
- Rhythmic or regular tapping
- Whining that gets louder over time
Loud beeping from the drive can also spell trouble, usually indicating a serious firmware issue or failure of the drive’s logic board.
Take quick action if you hear any strange noises like these come from your WD external drive. The sounds likely mean a failure is imminent, giving you a short window to backup data before it’s lost for good.
Conclusion
In summary, external hard drives can make noises during normal operation, including subtle clicking sounds, buzzing, humming or whirring from the spinning disks and motors, and vibrating rattling when active. Many of these noises are to be expected. However, loud grinding, scraping, squealing or loud clicking noises could indicate a problem with the hard drive.
If your external drive is making abnormal noises or louder noises than it normally makes, try the troubleshooting tips mentioned to identify and address any issues. Frequent noises, even if subtle, may indicate pending hard drive failure, so be sure to backup your data regularly just in case. Overall though, some audible noises are perfectly normal for external hard drives.
If the noises grow louder, more frequent or concerning, disconnect the drive and contact the manufacturer’s support team for assistance. With proper care and maintenance, an external hard drive should operate quietly for years. But unfamiliar or irregular noises should never be ignored.