Hard Drive makes clicking noise and like old modem

Hi. I've got a Toshiba laptop with Windows Vista that makes a clicking noise, but also a sound like old modem connections. I've read similar threads here, but I post this one because I am about to format it.
Although, I'm afraid that after I re-install Windows it may happen again.

Luckily, thanks to Hiren's Boot CD, I got all my data backed-up and now I'm ready to listen to any advice by you guys! Thank you in advance!!!

buy a new drive. typically when they start clicking they are on their way out.

Forgot to mention that the laptop is not opening. Gets to the Vista loading bar screen, and makes the noise and never gets into Vista. So, downloading the utility sounds very interesting but is probably impossible to do.

It's strange to listen that the driver is on its way out, because it's only 2.5 years old.
Any ideas on what could have caused that? It was full of viruses, though! Could a virus shredder the disk and make it unreadable? Could these noises be a result of such activity?

Whe you start hearing a clicking noise coming from your hard drive, it's time to backup everything and get a new more efficient drive. Forget about formating it because most likely, it has some bad sectors.
I doubt the clicking noice is being caused by a virus.