HDD Squeals More Than My Brother

[xRyokenx]

I have this 200GB Maxtor HDD and I was playing Fury, which takes a toll on my PC apparently, and it started squealing constantly until I turned off the computer... it squeaked a little bit about six months ago or so and then stopped. It's also been taking about five to ten minutes to boot up. I'm figuring I need to replace this sumbitch, but want a final word from you guys before I go spending money I don't have.

-Anthony

[XcOM]

does it squeel from startup,

If so, remove parts one at a time till you find the item squeeling,

[xRyokenx]

No, it doesn't squeal from startup... it's just been getting slower and slower to boot this machine up. I pressed my ear against the case and it was coming from where the HDD was, as it was working really hard to work that game... the fact I have 1gb of RAM probably helped, Fury looks like it really needs a lot of memory to run it.

[XcOM]

i would recommend that you strip all data you wish to keep off your hard rive, then peform a full format, if possable a low level format (This may take AGES)

This might fix it as your hard rive may be trying to find data or just needs a reformat, they do somtimes, very rare but it does happen, then see if that fixes it.

[xRyokenx]

I think I'ma save up a little and order a new HDD... a SATA one this time, and just clone it with Acronys.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Tech republic Hard Disk Health Resources (http://search.techrepublic.com.com/search/disk+drive+and+hard+drive+and+health.html)

I would pick a utility from that lot (the one on the bottom of the page looks good).

See if it says your disk is failing (it sounds like it - how old is the disk?)

Backup data you want as XcOM rightly points out - maybe even before running the disk checker. If the utility says its failing you might get a little more life from it with a reformat but it sounds to me like the bearings are going and you face imminent disk failure.

[Airbozo]

Squealing disk = loss of data and failure in the NEAR future. Replace it as soon as you can.

BTW: The squealing is from either the motor or bearing.

[Spawn-Inc]

is there a fan near by thats old? perhaps the video card fan?

[xRyokenx]

No old fans, they're all new. This drive is like a year and a half old, like a Maxtor (Kevin says that's the problem), so I'll look into getting a new one. I have an external drive I think I can back it up with and I'll do that real quick. If this thing dies, there's gonna be more squealing coming from me than my bro and that drive put together. It only squealed that one time... but I do plan on replacing it.

[Crazy Buddhist]

sorry whoever Kevin is hes talking BS - there is nothing wrong with Maxtor - run a disk check like I said - you may have got a bad one or someone in shipping mishandled it and damaged the bearings - which could happen from ANY manufacturer. Or it might be OK. If it has died after a year and a half send it to Maxtor (AKA Seagate) and they will probably replace it.

RUN A DISK CHECK AND SEE DUDE !!!!!


No old fans, they're all new. This drive is like a year and a half old, like a Maxtor (Kevin says that's the problem), so I'll look into getting a new one. I have an external drive I think I can back it up with and I'll do that real quick. If this thing dies, there's gonna be more squealing coming from me than my bro and that drive put together. It only squealed that one time... but I do plan on replacing it.

[Luke122]

Back it up before the disk check!

Turn it off for awhile, and make sure it's nice and cool before you turn it back on to do the backup. I tried to run a check on a dying disk, and the stress of the disk check cooked the drive.. too much heat = bearings choke. :(

[xRyokenx]

That might've been the problem, but I'm still doing a backup real quick... got an external drive. But yeah, I've got a Western Digital SATA on the way from Newegg to replace this, I'll use this one for something else... and check out that warranty.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Back it up before the disk check!

Turn it off for awhile, and make sure it's nice and cool before you turn it back on to do the backup. I tried to run a check on a dying disk, and the stress of the disk check cooked the drive.. too much heat = bearings choke. :(

I agree 100% I didn't state that firmly enough earlier but that was what I meant too and why:


Backup data you want as XcOM rightly points out - maybe even before running the disk checker.

[xRyokenx]

Acronis is running now... just cloning it as it wanted to devoure my DVDs... it's doing it before Windows loads, so heat shouldn't be too much of an issue...

[Crazy Buddhist]

Good man.

Then do the disk check. If it comes up bad print it out. post the formatted disk and printout and purchase proof (forget what the warranty says) to Maxtor with a letter that says

"As a long standing customer and expert computer user I know this disk was faulty when shipped. It must have been as it has been in normal use in a domestic computer for less than two years and was therefore not fit for purpose. Please ship the replacement drive to xxx. Thank you very much. I look forward to enjoying the use of your products for years to come"

Format it first so they don't get to play with your data. They will replace it.

:)

[XcOM]

Good man.

Then do the disk check. If it comes up bad print it out. post the formatted disk and printout and purchase proof (forget what the warranty says) to Maxtor with a letter that says

"As a long standing customer and expert computer user I know this disk was faulty when shipped. It must have been as it has been in normal use in a domestic computer for less than two years and was therefore not fit for purpose. Please ship the replacement drive to xxx. Thank you very much. I look forward to enjoying the use of your products for years to come"

Format it first so they don't get to play with your data. They will replace it.

:)


i've used that trick a few times, and it worked everytime.

[Crazy Buddhist]

i've used that trick a few times, and it worked everytime.

Let no one say we Brits don't know our stuff. A polite but insistant letter works wonders eh?

:D

[xRyokenx]

It's all backed up and all now... still takes a good long while to boot up, but at least I don't have to worry about losing *Backup Drive Fails* ... Blink blink.

Just kidding, everything's fine. You can all go home now and get back to what you were doing, lol. Thanks guys.

[xRyokenx]

I actually think this thing is infested too... gonna clean it up as best I can with HouseCall as it wants to reboot when I use my installed stuff... ****ing WWIII but with viruses, blech. I hope this works, but me and my lazy ass can always just do a clean install and redownload all the stuff I had before, mods, MMORPGs, etc.

[Spawn-Inc]

Format it first so they don't get to play with your data. They will replace it.

:)

and if csi has any truth go get some neodymium magnets and play with the harddrive for a couple of minutes.

[Crazy Buddhist]

and if csi has any truth go get some neodymium magnets and play with the harddrive for a couple of minutes.

lol yeah .. or just download a hard disk wiper that runs random blanks and ones over every spot on the disk half a dozen times. That pretty much does the same job.

[Spawn-Inc]

or that:D, i just thought magnets would be more fun.

[Crazy Buddhist]

or that:D, i just thought magnets would be more fun.

Thats true ... lol

For most fun of course, one removes the platter and takes my favourite tool, the hammer, to said piece of Ceramic.

However this makes the cunning "out of warranty but I am RMA'ing it to you anyway" (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showpost.php?p=135967&postcount=15) ploy that XcOM and I have both succeeded with on many an occassion very, very, difficult.

:D

[Crazy Buddhist]

I actually think this thing is infested too... gonna clean it up as best I can with HouseCall as it wants to reboot when I use my installed stuff... ****ing WWIII but with viruses, blech. I hope this works, but me and my lazy ass can always just do a clean install and redownload all the stuff I had before, mods, MMORPGs, etc.

I dont think this disk is faulty at all ... I think your security measures and computer cleanliness need an overhaul. Thats why it's taking ten minutes to boot ya numbnuts !!!

Which means this thread would be a totally useless waste except for two things:

1/ it's been funny as hell
2/ it leaves useful information for others

:)

[xRyokenx]

Glad to know someone's at least laughing at jokes, whether or not they're mine.

I just got Comodo firewall to replace ZoneAlarm... much better it seems, that and new firewalls are always hardasses until they learn about your system and all. But yeah, HouseCall helped a lot, and my PC booted right up, I think I'm doing better now, but I'm still getting that SATA... and I learned something and feel like a complete dumbass! But yeah... lesson learned = not wasted time. :p

Almost had me a'squealin' too. But omfg, 37 various pieces of spyware and an unknown amount of viruses? BOB SAGET!

[xRyokenx]

UPDATE:

The hard drive I bought is teh kaput, so I'ma RMA it and just get one from Staples tomorrow, hopefully for around the same price. Note to all: Do not get OEM stuff (fragile stuff mainly) as it is only a little cheaper and only worth it in bulk, and they usually don't care about stuff as much if it's just one thing being shipped. Just some advice. Let's hope this is done tomorrow, as this ****'s dragged on for a week and it's getting old, lol. Wish me luck.