We admit it, at 24 Hour Data we like saving the day and restoring our customer’s data. But we also don’t want you to spend money when it’s not necessary.

In most cases, the grinding, clicking, vibration or whirring sounds of hard drive failure mean you should power down your computer and call 24 Hour Data immediately. You don’t want to face complete hard drive failure, physical damage to your drive, and the possible permanent loss of your data.

The first thing you should do if you hear any unusual noises coming from your hard drive is to power down your computer system. Then you can disconnect the drive and see if the noise is coming from another source within your computer.

Testing the Fan

If you hear vibration sounds, clicking, grinding or other noises, it’s possible they’re coming from a fan or another device in your computer. First, turn off the system and remove the power and data cables from the hard drive. This prevents further damage to your drive if it is, in fact, hard drive failure.

 Then, turn on the system. If you still hear the noise, it’s not hard drive failure. Check the fan, which is a common source of sounds that resemble hard drive failure. You may also want to make sure the computer is lying on a stable surface. If it’s not, move the computer and see if the noise continues.

 Hard Drive Failure

If the noise stops once you disconnected the hard drive, do not power up the drive again. It’s time to call 24 Hour Data to restore your lost hard drive data.