A hard drive that is clicking and not working properly is a common issue that can have several underlying causes. When a hard drive starts clicking and is no longer detected by the system, it usually indicates a serious mechanical or electrical failure.
The “clicking” noise is generally caused by the read/write heads inside the hard drive physically moving back and forth over the platters and being unable to properly access the data. This repetitive clicking is the heads attempting to move into position and make contact with the platters.
A clicking hard drive will typically not show up in Disk Management or be detected by the system BIOS. It may attempt to spin up and then quickly power back down. The clicking sound itself can range from faint to loud depending on what is causing the issue.
This overview covers some of the most common reasons a hard drive might start clicking and stop working properly. Identifying the specific cause is crucial for determining if the drive can be repaired or if data recovery is required.
Possible Causes of a Clicking Hard Drive
One of the most common causes of a clicking hard drive is a mechanical failure inside the drive. This can be caused by a few different issues:
A head crash occurs when the read/write head inside the drive makes physical contact with the platter. This can damage the platter surface and cause the head to get stuck. The repetitive clicking sound is the head trying to move but being unable to (Source).
The read/write heads can also get stuck or misaligned so they can’t properly access data on the platters. The heads will try to reset themselves, causing a repetitive clicking (Source).
A faulty or damaged platter inside the hard drive can also prevent the heads from being able to read data, again causing repetitive clicking as it tries to reset.
Issues with the motor or bearings that spin the platters can also produce a distinctive clicking noise and lead to mechanical failure.
Head Crash
A head crash occurs when the read/write head of the hard drive makes forceful physical contact with the disk platters inside the hard drive. This usually happens when the head hovers too close to the platter surface. Even the slightest contact can damage the platters and corrupt data (https://www.harddriverecovery.org/hard-drive-crash/how-to-identify-a-hard-drive-crash/).
During normal operation, the read/write heads float on a cushion of air incredibly close to the platter surface without touching it. But sudden impacts, vibration, contamination, manufacturing defects or component failures can disrupt the head position causing it to crash into the platter. This instantly damages both the head and platter surface at the point of contact.
A head crash usually produces a loud clicking or screeching noise as the heads collide with and bounce off the platters. This repetitive clicking sound as the damaged head keeps crashing into the platter is the most common audible symptom of a head crash failure (https://datarecovery.com/rd/what-is-a-hard-drive-head-crash/).
Read/Write Heads Stuck
One common cause of hard drive clicking is the read/write heads getting stuck on the platters inside the hard drive. When this happens, the heads cannot properly move across the platters to read and write data. As the drive motor spins, the stuck head scrapes against the platter, causing a repetitive clicking or tapping sound.
According to Data Recovery, common symptoms of stuck heads include beeping sounds, whining noises from the actuator assembly trying to move, and of course, clicking. The heads may get stuck due to impact damage, wear and tear over time, or issues with the drive firmware telling the actuator where it should move.
Stuck heads will prevent the hard drive from being able to fully function and access data on the platters. According to Yellow Brick Data Recovery, clicking does not always mean the heads themselves are bad, but rather just stuck and unable to move properly. However, stuck heads generally mean a mechanical failure has occurred with the drive.
Damaged Platters
One potential cause of hard drive clicking and failure is physical damage to the platters inside the drive. Hard drive platters are made of very thin and delicate aluminum or glass material that stores your data magnetically. If the platters become scratched, dented, or warped, it can prevent the read/write heads from accessing data properly, resulting in clicking noises and drive failure.
Scratches on a hard drive platter are most often caused by the read/write head touching the surface of the platter. This can happen due to shock, vibration, or a head crash. Even very fine scratches on a platter can interfere with data reads and writes. According to data recovery experts Gillware, scratched platters are one of the most common hardware problems they see.
Dents or warping of the platter can be caused by physical impacts or drops. Theprecision engineering of hard drives requires platters to spin perfectly flat and smooth. Even a slight warp or dent on the edge of a platter can throw off the fly height calibration and cause the heads to crash into the surface.
In most cases, scratched or damaged platters result in complete drive failure and make data recovery extremely difficult and expensive. Services like Gillware can attempt platter transplant or specialist recovery, but with no guarantee of success. This is why it’s critical to avoid physical impacts to your hard drive and always maintain backups.
Motor or Bearing Failure
A hard drive’s motor spins the platters and allows the read/write head to access data. If the motor fails, the drive will make a clicking sound as it tries unsuccessfully to spin up. This is one of the most common causes of a clicking hard drive.
Issues with the motor bearings can also lead to clicking noises and failure to spin up properly. The bearings allow the motor spindle to spin smoothly. If the bearings become worn out or contaminated with dust, they can seize up and cause the motor to fail.
Symptoms of motor or bearing failure include:
- Clicking noises on startup
- Failure to spin up or spin inconsistently
- Grinding, buzzing or squealing sounds
- Overheating
Repairing a hard drive motor or bearings requires a clean room environment and replacement parts. For this reason, professional data recovery is usually needed. The technicians will transplant the platters into a donor drive in order to read the data. If the platters are damaged, specialized platter imaging tools are required.
Preventing motor or bearing failure involves avoiding physical shocks and operating the drive in a cool, clean environment. Regular backups are also essential in case the drive fails unexpectedly.
Circuit Board Issues
One potential cause for a clicking hard drive is a faulty circuit board, also known as a PCB (printed circuit board). The PCB controls the movement of the read/write heads and connections between the drive and computer. If the electronics fail on the PCB, it can cause the heads to get stuck or the drive to not function properly, resulting in clicking noises.
According to research, only about 25-30% of hard drive failures are due to failed electronic components on the PCB (Source). Faulty capacitors, blown fuses, or burned out controller chips on the PCB can prevent the drive from spinning up or communicating with the computer. This can lead to the clicking sounds as the heads reset and attempt to move across the platters.
In some cases, the PCB can be repaired by skilled technicians. But often, replacing the circuit board with a matching donor PCB from the same make and model drive allows the data to be recovered. PCB swaps account for only about 5% of data recovery cases, as most failures are mechanical in nature (Source).
Preventing Clicking
There are several ways you can help prevent your hard drive from clicking and potentially failing. Here are some tips:
Keep your hard drive cool. Overheating is one of the most common causes of drive failure. Make sure your computer is in a well-ventilated area and that the fans are working properly. Consider adding additional cooling fans if needed (ComputerCPR).
Handle hard drives carefully. Dropping or jarring a drive while powered on can cause the heads to crash into the platters. Always turn off and unplug the drive before moving it (PCWorld).
Use a surge protector. Power surges can fry the sensitive electronics in a hard drive. Plug your computer and external drives into a high-quality surge protecting power strip.
Keep drives dust-free. Dust particles can interfere with the drive heads reading and writing data. Clean out dust from your computer regularly using compressed air.
Run disk checks. Tools like CHKDSK in Windows can scan your drive and repair certain errors, helping prevent problems.
Backup your data. Maintaining current backups ensures you won’t lose important files if a drive fails.
Data Recovery
If your hard drive is clicking and not working properly, recovering the data on the drive should be a top priority before attempting any repairs. There are several options for recovering data from a clicking hard drive:
Use data recovery software – Specialized software like Ontrack EasyRecovery can help extract data from clicking hard drives. This is a good first option to try.
Use a professional data recovery service – For difficult cases of hard drive failure, a professional data recovery service may be able to recover data where software cannot. Success rates can be 70% or higher for mechanical failures like clicking. Services like Secure Data Recovery offer multiple techniques for hard drive data recovery.
Replace the circuit board – If the circuit board is damaged, replacing it with one from an identical hard drive may allow data recovery. This is an advanced DIY option.
Repair the hard drive – In some cases, repairing the mechanical or electronic issues causing the clicking can stabilize the drive enough to extract data. This requires technical skill and precision.
Recovering the data before attempting any repairs is critical, as further damage can occur if the drive is powered on repeatedly. While clicking hard drives present challenges, various professional and DIY options exist to recover valuable data.
Conclusion
In summary, a clicking hard disk drive that is not working properly can often be a sign of mechanical failure inside the HDD. The clicking sound itself is usually the read/write heads getting stuck or tapping against the platters. Other common causes include a head crash event, problems with the platters themselves becoming damaged, issues with the spindle motor and bearings, or a faulty circuit board.
While clicking HDDs often cannot be repaired, steps can be taken to prevent issues in the first place, such as proper handling, sufficient cooling, avoiding impacts, and monitoring SMART status. Should a drive start clicking, quick power-down and stopping any disk access is recommended to prevent further damage. Professional data recovery services may be able to rescue data from a clicking drive, but often require disassembly in a dust-free cleanroom environment.
In conclusion, clicking and not working properly are signs of mechanical failure in a hard disk. But being aware of the causes and taking preventative measures can help avoid catastropic data loss in many cases.