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phoenix78 · Sep 12, 2006, 05:50 AM

Hi,

just a query regarding a clicking that i get from my HD. It happens regularly .... sometime 20 secs between and sometimes maybe 10secs... its not the read/write sound you get .... its more a definite, loud 'thunk'. (loud as in wont hear it across the room but significantly louder than the read/write).

Have a MBP17". drive model:ST9120821AS

should i be worried? will apple change my HD? what do i say to them to make them change it?

I have already got my data baked up.... so i am safe there.

cheers,
rob.

ghporter · Sep 12, 2006, 07:10 AM

It sounds bad. That bump sound is likely to be the head actuator hitting a stop. Just to be safe, BACK UP EVERYTHING NOW. Then head to the nearest Apple Store and get a Genius to hear what the machine is doing...

n8236 · Sep 12, 2006, 07:27 AM

Yes, any click noise from your hd is bad, period. Back up and no longer use the drive, it WILL fail.

Simon · Sep 12, 2006, 07:29 AM

I have the ST910021AS in my MBP and my drive has done that thunk sound ever since I got it. I once read that it did that when it re-calibrates every once in a while. I doubt it's a bad disk. Of course having a current backup is always a good thing.

n8236 · Sep 12, 2006, 07:33 AM

My mbp doesn't do that. I've had many hds over the yrs and it starts w/ a few clicks here and there, and it progressively gets worse until it eventually dies. I wouldn't risk my data though.

Simon · Sep 12, 2006, 07:52 AM

In my case (and I believe it's also what the OP is describing) it more of a 'thonk' or 'clong' rather than a click or ticking.

The latter would worry me as well, but this clonk has been going on for several months w/o any reliability issues or performance deterioration.

phoenix78 · Sep 13, 2006, 07:43 AM

I have taken my gear to the repair centre. and they couldnt hear it. arghhh. But i do have the CPU whine though and i am expecting to get the logic board replaced soonish (when their repair workload goes down).

Its just a time thing... so as discussed at the repair place i will leave it there with them so they can have it next to them for a while and they can hear any sounds produced.

I agree that it is NOT a normal thing to happen with a HD. There is no excuse for making a design choice where a feature produces a thunk sound deliberately. lol. I also do not believe that it is the heads parking.

whatever the case... i have a backup so im safe there. Ya never appreciate backup storage until ya need it eh? I went for like 2 years without backing anything up because all the external disks were too small and expensive... and it made me nervous... but now i have a 500Gb drive and its such a relief.

cheers.
rob

zerostar · Sep 13, 2006, 09:26 AM

Does disk utility show the SMART status? Sounds like it is dying to me, a good backup solution keeps your mind at ease :-)

brokenjago · Sep 13, 2006, 08:03 PM

backupbackupbackupbackup!!

jlit · Sep 13, 2006, 08:46 PM

Same thing happened to me on my old ibook. Along with the clicking, everything would lock up, and after a second (If I was lucky), it would stop and I'd be on my way. Started small, then took over. I was off my warranty so I bought a new HD off newegg and installed it myself.

You just have to ask yourself, do you feel lucky?

Lucky enough for you, warranty will save you.

I won't bother suggesting you backup the disk.

phoenix78 · Sep 13, 2006, 09:08 PM

S.M.A.R.T status was 'verified' which i assume is 'OK'.

It seems to me that the smart feature is useless. If it doesnt pickup all harddrive faults then i would questions its use in diagnostics of a hard drive problem. It shouldnt be looked at as the authoritive 100% accurate diagnostic.

Just my thoughts anyway lol.

rob.

krx · Sep 13, 2006, 09:59 PM

It may (or may not) put your mind at ease to do a title search for keyword 'noise' - you'll see a lot of threads addressing strange noises like the one you're hearing. My iBookG4 makes a funny set of noises that drove me nuts at first. Now I hardly notice them (but when I do - like right now - it still grates on my nerves: I'll never buy another computer without booting it up and listening to it first!)

Simon · Sep 14, 2006, 02:13 AM

Rob, just to clarify, are you hearing clicking/ticking or rather a 'clonk'?

phoenix78 · Sep 14, 2006, 04:22 AM

ummmm.... it does vary... 'clonk' yes... but it is a slightly sharper than 'clonk'. sometimes it is a tapping of metal on metal... If you have a can of coke and a metal utensil and tap it on the can.. that is sort of like what i hear.

Its hard to explain phonetically with words. imagine how hard it was to do the phonetics in a dictionary!

I know that this is NOT normal though in any case. i have not had a computer yet that ever did this... and all the accounts i have read indicate that it is a fault or simply a sh*t manufacture.

rob.

eddie2369 · Sep 14, 2006, 05:32 AM

I think i've had te same problem as u phoenix78. My MBP had the HD clicking noise and the whine, therefore i took it it bck to the apple store. It was later sent into a depot as they said it needs a new logic board and a new hardrive, however its now been one month. And I'm pushing for a replacement. Hope your repair time on your MBP is much quicker!!!

phoenix78 · Sep 14, 2006, 12:14 PM

eddie, thats a tough break waiting for a month. I hope they fix it so its silent in any case. Not sure that a replacement can be such a good thing though. Like... it is a fresh start but it also could be a repeat of the same problem and then the merry-go-round begins again. Perhaps being patient for a repair may be the stopping point if they actually test for he noises after installing the new parts.

Well... thats if they test it beyond 'it works. next please'. Some technicians are such slackers and careless that that may even be a possibility.

@krx, yeah i 'hear' ya lol (slight pun intended)... I will be doing my research on noises and booting the machine in shop next time i get a new one make no mistake about it. Well... when this is all sorted i usually keep my laptops for 3-4 years. My rule of thumb is no more than $1k on a pc per year

so i wont have to worry aout it in a while... touch wood.

real · Sep 14, 2006, 12:38 PM

BAck up right now and get a new drive, it will die.

I have had this happen twice with a ver. A 12 Powerbook

real

cwosigns · Sep 14, 2006, 12:44 PM

I had a TiBook that did this. I think it means it's time to sell it on craigslist and buy a new one.

eddie2369 · Sep 14, 2006, 04:12 PM

ok...apple rang me today and said they could give me a replacement after all this hassle within this month. They said they would call the depot to send in the unrepaired MBP in so that they could do the paper works...however few hours later...the depot rang me saying that its repaired and its goin bck to the shop....

does this mean I wont get the replacement now? ahhhh....apple is buggin me...

PER3 · Sep 15, 2006, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by eddie2369

ok...apple rang me today and said they could give me a replacement after all this hassle within this month. They said they would call the depot to send in the unrepaired MBP in so that they could do the paper works...however few hours later...the depot rang me saying that its repaired and its goin bck to the shop....

does this mean I wont get the replacement now? ahhhh....apple is buggin me...

If it's just a kind of squeaky clunk, you just might need APM Tuner X. Do a search here and see if that is your problem. Search for "squeak" and "clunk".