# Hard Drive Beeps and then Clicks



## elmo4653 (Feb 1, 2007)

hi, i'm just abit puzzled by my laptop because when im on it, sometimes the hard drive randomly beeps and makes a loud click, nothing happens(shutdown or anything) it just carries on as normal, im just wondering if anybody knows what is causing it. is my hard drive damaged? thanks


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

I would back up your info a.s.a.p
How old is the laptop?
Do you use a cooling pad?


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## hwm54112 (Oct 10, 2005)

The hard drive, in and of itself, wouldn't beep. My guess would be that the beep is part of a sound scheme as a notification of something. Please see:
hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

> makes a loud click


This is the disturbing statement. I would back up your info.


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## hwm54112 (Oct 10, 2005)

Not debating your diagnosis, speedster, nor down-playing your good advice, merely offering an alternative as well as adding an addendum to help firm up your diagnosis (run diags). There are 4 key points to the issue: “laptop” {(it’s nearly impossible to tell what component is making the noise and where the sound originates) (onboard speakers tend to sound “tinny” and lend a mechanical tone to .wav files)}; “random beep” (hard drives don’t beep); “a click” (of death generally isn’t a single click nor is it random); “beeps and makes a loud click” (the two sounds occur together). 

Generally, BIOS doesn’t do single beeps after posting; any alarms or notifications from BIOS would be a series of beeps indicating this is a “software” beep. Many programs (XP, ms office, outlook, instant messenger, etc) use sound schemes that “play” .wav files. There are several dozen .wav files that are simple beeps and clicks that may occur for any number of reasons, ie: improper capitalization, a word being placed on the clipboard, autocorrect making a correction, etc. Yet another source is “accessibility options”. While this is a more elaborate example of sound schemes, try this: Turn up the volume, click start>all programs>accessories>accessibility options>narrator.

I could be wrong


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

I hear what your saying Bill, laptops are a tough call to begin with.


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## elmo4653 (Feb 1, 2007)

I'm not trying to put you down but it is deffently not a click coming from the speaker. the beep most probably is, as i know the hard drive has no way of making a sound. the click is something moving in the hard drive, im guessing the arm or the disks suddenly stopping.
the beep lasts around a second and the click nearly instantly following.
the funny thing is theres nothing that seems to set it of. im doing something different everytime. it doesn't happen very often.
the laptop is a HP compaq nc4000 so it isn't very old.


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## tpaton (Apr 17, 2008)

The same thing just happened to me on my HP Pavillion vd6500. The sound came from the lower left side of the keyboard area, the same area tends to get warm and I know the harddrive is located there.


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## NeGrusti (Apr 15, 2008)

Actually some hard drives can "beep" with their voice coil and make other weird sounds when failing. Here is an example from Maxtor Calypso with seized motor bearing (MP3 file):


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## bwpilot20 (May 9, 2008)

My Pavilion dv9730 does exactly the same thing. I'll be crunching along and suddenly I will get one beep and an immediate click. I used to have an IBM T30 and every time I heard that same distinctive click on that laptop it meant my hard drive just failed. On my Pavilion it just beeps once then makes the click sound and nothing happens. I can continue to use my computer. I just got this laptop 3 months ago so its not an age thing. The sound comes from directly under my left hand right next to the touch pad which I believe is where the hard drive is.

Anyone have an answer?


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## wchen64572 (Dec 29, 2007)

I have the same problems they have my hardrive beeps and then it immediately clicks, is there something wrong. I have an acer extensa, ,and the things is just a few months old and also it seems to be during when I have the speakers on mute and when I have firefox open or minizmized


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Regardless of the reason or possible solution, you need to back up all data immediately as was suggested by Speedster. That was good advice. 

We all know there are only two types of hard drives; One, those that are dying; Two, those that have died. 

Therefore, after you back up the data, run the diagnostic that was given in post #3 and you should get an indication of the health of the drive. That is my suggestion.


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