Member Avatar for jtxay

Hello my hard drive makes a clicking noise when i turn it on.. I have tried to reboot off the cd rom but nothing happens .. Do i need a new hard drive??
tThanks Jt....

  • 3 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 110 Views
  • 1 Week Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by mikerosoftin200

Dani AI

Generated

This thread from (with replies by and ) shows a classic symptom: a drive that clicks at power-up commonly means the drive’s mechanics are failing. The priority is to avoid making recovery harder: stop using the drive as soon as possible and focus on collecting a copy (an image) of the disk if the data matters.

Quick, safe steps to try before spending money:

  • Power down and try a different power cable and SATA/IDE port or a different computer to rule out PSU/cable/controller issues. Avoid many repeated power cycles; they can worsen damage.
  • If the drive is at least seen by the system, capture its SMART data and look for reallocations or pending sectors. If the system does not see the drive or it keeps clicking, skip normal repairs and go straight to imaging.

Tools and workflow to preserve data:

  • Use manufacturer diagnostics and SMART utilities to read the drive status (Seagate SeaTools, WD Data Lifeguard, smartmontools).
  • If SMART allows, create an image with a tool built for damaged disks, then work from the image. Example imaging command pattern with GNU ddrescue:
    ddrescue -n /dev/sdX /path/to/image.img /path/to/logfile

    Run a second pass later to recover slow sectors.

Final cautions: do not open the drive or try wet/dust/temperature “fixes” that risk further harm. If the data is critical and the drive is clicking consistently, professional recovery is the safest choice. This advice builds on the quick ideas already posted but focuses on preserving data and using diagnostics/imaging tools before replacing hardware.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for Thong_Ispector

Although it is probably the hard drive it could also be that the cmos is set to the wrong number of heads cyl and sectors...

See if the cmos shows the correct parameters for your hard drive.

If it does show the correct info, you most likely need a new drive.

I just picked up a WD 120meg (100) 7200 drive at Frys last weekend...
It was only $20 after the rebates...

Member Avatar for mikerosoftin200

If that cmos thing doesn't work, I recommend getting a new drive...fast.
Hopefully, you won't need this, but I heard somewhere that if your hard drive is broken to the point that you can't read from it, you can apparently put it in the freezer. Somhow the cold helps it hold itself together long enough to get your data off.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.