WD Caviar Blue noise

[complexity9090]

hello, about a week or 2 ago i bought a hard drive from newegg, it's the WD5000AAKS. ever since i first bought it, when i boot up my computer, i hear a low grinding noise that lasts for about 1 second, it also makes a small scratching noise that lasts for less than a second when i shut down the computer, right now im running a diagnostic test, but im just wondering if noises like this are normal for a hard drive? i didn't think much of it until now, i just want to know if i should rma it or keep it if nothing is wrong?

 

[Jonmor68]

If you're sure the noise is coming from the new drive, rma it asap, that's not normal. They should be able to reproduce the symptoms.

 

[sminlal]

In my experience what people describe as "scratching" or "grinding" noises are the normal sound of the heads moving back and forth. The head actuators on some drives are noisier than on others, but the sounds themselves are not usually an indication of a problem.

If the noises only occur at those times, or if they occur when the drive is accessing a lot of small files (and therefore moving its head around a lot), then it's most likely just due to disk activity and not something to be concerned about.

 

[complexity9090]

If you're sure the noise is coming from the new drive, rma it asap, that's not normal. They should be able to reproduce the symptoms.

the grinding actually stopped last night but the scratching still exists, i've ruled out that the scratching is from the drive (disconnected everything else that could have been making the noise). but i'll rma it, even though the diagnostic test showed everything good, i'll still rma it, better safe than sorry. thanks

 

[complexity9090]

In my experience what people describe as "scratching" or "grinding" noises are the normal sound of the heads moving back and forth. The head actuators on some drives are noisier than on others, but the sounds themselves are not usually an indication of a problem.

If the noises only occur at those times, or if they occur when the drive is accessing a lot of small files (and therefore moving its head around a lot), then it's most likely just due to disk activity and not something to be concerned about.

oh, i see, well the grinding stopped and the scratching only happens during shut down right as the computer shuts off, so now i don't know if i should rma or keep it?

edit: is there any reason why it would stop grinding after this long?

 

[sminlal]

A change in the sound of the drive (when it's doing the same work) is probably a bad sign. There really isn't anything in the drive to "break in" that should cause it's sound should change, at least not that I'm aware of.

Be aware, though, that the system caches data in RAM - so the first time you do a particular task it may cause drive activity (and drive sounds), but the second time the system may be able to do the same thing by use the data cached in RAM without having to access the drive (and therefore no drive sounds).

Of course when you shut down and power off the computer everything in RAM is lost, so after the next boot it would go back to accessing the drive (and making sounds) again.

 

[complexity9090]

A change in the sound of the drive (when it's doing the same work) is probably a bad sign. There really isn't anything in the drive to "break in" that should cause it's sound should change, at least not that I'm aware of.

Be aware, though, that the system caches data in RAM - so the first time you do a particular task it may cause drive activity (and drive sounds), but the second time the system may be able to do the same thing by use the data cached in RAM without having to access the drive (and therefore no drive sounds).

Of course when you shut down and power off the computer everything in RAM is lost, so after the next boot it would go back to accessing the drive (and making sounds) again.

thanks for explaining, now i'll pay attention to the sounds it makes. i decided to keep it since i emailed WD and asked them about the sound, they said it was a normal sound for the drive and nothing to be concerned about. thanks for the replies