Hard drive makes awfully LOUD clicking noise

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Vengeance_

Vengeance_

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May 9, 2016
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I have a brand new HP 15-F387WM laptop and when I let it sit for long enough (screen off system on) it will begin to make clicking sounds at random times and for varying lengths of time. I have run a sector scan and all sectors reported OK. I am currently running an extended SMART/self test using Ubuntu live, I will report the results.
 
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D_Know_WD

D_Know_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hi there Vengeance_,

My suggestion would be to start with just backing up the important data stored on the drive.

After that, you can test the drive with some of these: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/282651-32-best-diagnostic-testing-utility

Are you sure the clicking noise comes from the HDD? Could you record it? Some other things could make clicking sounds. (fans for example)

Let me know how this goes,
D_Know_WD :)
 
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Vengeance_

Vengeance_

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I am pretty sure it is the drive, the noise comes from the right side of the notebook, the fan sits in the left side. It will have to take some skill to get it recorded, it happens very randomly. I will give that link a look once I finish the self test on ubuntu
 
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Vengeance_

Vengeance_

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May 9, 2016
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I have finished the self-test with the following results:
Screenshot_from_2016_09_12_14_25_36.png


I will try the link you have sent now.

UPDATE: I have tried diagnostic software for WD and smart data reported OK
 
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L

Loki-XP

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Dec 31, 2006
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I have a customers laptop in my shop right now with same exact problem. I thought at first the sound was coming from the CD-ROM as it's located on the right hand side, but pressing eject on it did nothing. I've narrowed it down to sound coming out of speaker or the HDD (sounds more like HDD) however again like you've found there's no actual issues with the hard drive! I'll take it apart and verify it's the drive, if I can find a firmware update for the drive I will attempt that as well, then I will look at any HP power management BS. Will report back with results!
 
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Loki-XP

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It's not defragging yet not a bad drive persay. I think its the HDD being told to go into low power mode and literally a problem with the code to do so is flawed. I think there's more people with the HP 15-F387WM with the same problem. The sound sounds almost exactly like a drive with a stuck head, yet when it's brought out of sleep mode and logged back in the sound seems to go away during normal operation.

The drive in the unit I'm dealing with is a Western Digital WD5000LPCX-60VHAT0 drive. I shall look for firmware tomorrow.
 
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Loki-XP

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Lenovo firmware does not cover the hard drive in the particular HP 15-F387WM I'm working on (HDD is a WD5000LPCX-60VHAT0)

Taking the laptop apart, and will listen more closely to verify if it's the HDD making the noise while going into sleep mode. If it's the HDD I'm going to recommend my client replace it with a SSD or Hybrid hard drive, even though no errors are present the noise sounds to me like a drive head sticking.
 
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Vengeance_

Vengeance_

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May 9, 2016
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I have resolved the issue by disabling the hard drives auto power off function in the windows power management. No more noise but a stuck head might be it, maybe the spindle is powering off before the drive head can retract from the disk, causing the head to get locked. This issue should be pointed out to WD at the very least. My drive is the same one as the one you listed (should be since we are dealing with the same model). If what I have said about the spindle stopping too quickly is correct, then a firmware update is the only fix.
 
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