External HDD makes clicking sound

**anon** · 18.06.12, 20:28

Originally Posted by Master Razor

Did you try it like this: smartctl /dev/sdX (where x is the number of your drive).
It should output a table composed of SMART data. I'm pursuing this because it may give us an easier clue for that clicking.

Here you are. It doesn't say much compared against running it on the other disks...

Code:

smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [i686-w64-mingw32-win7-sp1] (sf-win32-5.41-1)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Seagate Barracuda 7200.12
Device Model:     ST31000528AS
Serial Number:    [No Information Found]
Firmware Version: [No Information Found]
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   [No Information Found]
ATA Standard is:  [No Information Found]
Local Time is:    Mon Jun 18 15:17:38 2012 AST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
                  Enabled status cached by OS, trying SMART RETURN STATUS cmd.
SMART support is: Enabled

Warning! SMART Attribute Data Structure error: invalid SMART checksum.
Error SMART Thresholds Read failed: Function not implemented
Smartctl: SMART Read Thresholds failed.

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x01)	Offline data collection activity
					is in a Reserved state.
					Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Total time to complete Offline 
data collection: 		(  256) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: 			 (0x01) SMART execute Offline immediate.
					No Auto Offline data collection support.
					Suspend Offline collection upon new
					command.
					No Offline surface scan supported.
					No Self-test supported.
					No Conveyance Self-test supported.
					No Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0100)	Does not save SMART data before
					entering power-saving mode.
Error logging capability:        (0x04)	Error logging NOT supported.
					No General Purpose Logging support.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 0
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
253 Unknown_Attribute       0x5a9f   057   244   ---    Pre-fail  Always       -       167125769486471
 52 Unknown_Attribute       0x0085   000   000   ---    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x00c3   000   000   ---    Pre-fail  Always       -       5497558138880
128 Unknown_Attribute       0x9800   050   181   ---    Old_age   Offline      -       572162273412

SMART Error Log not supported
SMART Self-test Log not supported
Device does not support Selective Self Tests/Logging

Originally Posted by hellman

Dude i strongly recommend you to not to use it an anymore coz who knows how mych time it has left..... First buy a new one and make backup.. data is important u see.. i faced similar problem 2 years back...

I have nowhere else to transport the data to

tell me the details .. its wd or seagate and 3'5 inch or 2'5 inch portable? and serial no and all that.. n when does this clicking occurs.. i tested mine with software but no results.. if every software fails to test it means u are in deep shit.. it can b problem with head too... just pray its not the "click of death"

plus record your clicking sound n make a attachment here or just pm me....

It's one of these:
Iomega eGo Hard Drive | Release Date Gadget Review 2012

I just came home and so far there's been no further clicking. If it starts again I'll record a video and post it.

**Mihai** · 18.06.12, 20:35

Get this Boot CD. It's the best there is. You will have in it 2-3 programs to check your HDD. Also it has a mini windows xp which I found pretty nice.

I used it to check my pc when I had problems with it not booting windows or linux or installing windows 7 in like 7-8 hours

The problem was the video card in the end because I have checked the rest and nothing was wrong. I don't even understand how installing something or booting something from the HDD is not possible because of a video card...

**Master Razor** · 18.06.12, 20:59

Anon, if you want my advice you better start backing up the drive through whatever means necessary because it could go down anytime. It is very bad to have corrupted its own SMART utility and that usually is a signal for ABANDON SHIP!!
Truth is no utility can search for errors while in windows accurately and sadly, the utilities we have in DOS won't help us either. Reason being they are very old and if anything it will do more harm than good on newer drives.

Sorry for not helping enough.
I'll try to see what I can dig up on that drive. In the meantime its better off you start with SeaGate's own tools for checking.

**hellman** · 18.06.12, 21:35

Originally Posted by anon

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12

It's one of these:
Iomega eGo Hard Drive | Release Date Gadget Review 2012

thnx but i'm a little lost....

1st thing - u said u have iomega eGo right?
but the info u're showing masterrazor is "Seagate Barracuda 7200.12" that is the internal HDD if m not wrong?

2ndly i did'nt find any imoga's diagonatic utility

3rd before u do anything "BACKUP data" ... if u don't have drive right now just wait n collect some cash n buy a cheap one like external HDD 3" inch hDD (it comes with power adapter) n yea but seagate or wd ..

4th
here are some links that might help u

Diagonostic tools
HDDScan
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
Hard Drive Diagnostics - Top 2 Premium Hard Drive Diagnostic Tools - Hard Drive Tools

Failing hDD sounds
Failing hard drive sounds - Datacent.com - Datacent

another website with awesome explanations n solutions
Hard Drive Clicking | Hard Drive Clicks | Hard Drive Noise

that is
My Personal View
Its your Head that is the problem
Before running test i suggest you again stop using it

first back up
After back up.. try replacing cables, pull ot hdd from its case n then connect it
last is to connect internally to your laptop

this is all i can help u with right now ,... good luck,,
i'll gather more info

**hellman** · 18.06.12, 21:43

just for your knowledge

for fun if u r frustrated

**anon** · 18.06.12, 22:37

Originally Posted by Mihai

Get this Boot CD. It's the best there is. You will have in it 2-3 programs to check your HDD. Also it has a mini windows xp which I found pretty nice.

Hiren's boot CD _is_ a lifesaver; I already have a copy. However, it appears using one of those scan utilities might make things worse...

Originally Posted by Master Razor

Sorry for not helping enough.
I'll try to see what I can dig up on that drive. In the meantime its better off you start with SeaGate's own tools for checking.

You are being helpful and I appreciate it. I'll do research on Seagate utilities.

Originally Posted by hellman

thnx but i'm a little lost....

1st thing - u said u have iomega eGo right?
but the info u're showing masterrazor is "Seagate Barracuda 7200.12" that is the internal HDD if m not wrong?

2ndly i did'nt find any imoga's diagonatic utility

Yes, that must be the drive inside the casing, hence no iomega utility.

Originally Posted by Master Razor

Anon, if you want my advice you better start backing up the drive through whatever means necessary because it could go down anytime. It is very bad to have corrupted its own SMART utility and that usually is a signal for ABANDON SHIP!!

3rd before u do anything "BACKUP data" ... if u don't have drive right now just wait n collect some cash n buy a cheap one like external HDD 3" inch hDD (it comes with power adapter) n yea but seagate or wd ..

I have a 120GB internal drive I added recently (to replace the 2x20GB I disconnected before), plus my SATA disk which I recently readded and seems to work okay. That would let me backup... 40% of the data.

I'll just gather the more important files... I could redownload many things... aw, damn it. This sucks.

4th
here are some links that might help u

Diagonostic tools
HDDScan
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
Hard Drive Diagnostics - Top 2 Premium Hard Drive Diagnostic Tools - Hard Drive Tools
*rs links*
Failing hDD sounds
Failing hard drive sounds - Datacent.com - Datacent

another website with awesome explanations n solutions
Hard Drive Clicking | Hard Drive Clicks | Hard Drive Noise

Originally Posted by hellman

*videos*

Opened them all and I'm reading. Please no warez, though. Do let me know of any potentially helpful program names.

that is
My Personal View
Its your Head that is the problem
Before running test i suggest you again stop using it

first back up
After back up.. try replacing cables, pull ot hdd from its case n then connect it
last is to connect internally to your laptop

I will do that when I find the time block it deserves. I couldn't connect it to my laptop internally, it doesn't fit.

**yoco** · 18.06.12, 22:57

Sorry to hear about your HDD anon. I know exactly how you feel. Did you check that if maybe it's just the casing? That happened to me once. HDD also clicked then stopped working, but I got new casing and now is still working fine!

**Extraterrestrial** · 19.06.12, 17:20

Back up your data immediately; if you don't have a spare hdd then put your hdd in a safe place until you have the money to buy a new one and then back up your data before trying to fix it.
Don't make my mistake and mess the hdd up using shitty software, fight that urge and stop fooling around.

**Master Razor** · 19.06.12, 17:56

If your drive isn't in warranty anymore you could try to disassemble it and insert it directly into your computer (that is ONLY IF you have a SATA port on your motherboard). It could be from the adapter in the enclosure for those SMART errors you've seen.

Come to think of it, those programs you seen above and the like should be performed on HDD directly, without passing through an adapter.
Guide to disassemble is attached.

**anon** · 19.06.12, 20:59

Originally Posted by Extraterrestrial

Back up your data immediately; if you don't have a spare hdd then put your hdd in a safe place until you have the money to buy a new one and then back up your data before trying to fix it.
Don't make my mistake and mess the hdd up using shitty software, fight that urge and stop fooling around.

Currently trying to fit and rescue as much data as I can to my other drives.

Originally Posted by Master Razor

If your drive isn't in warranty anymore you could try to disassemble it and insert it directly into your computer (that is ONLY IF you have a SATA port on your motherboard). It could be from the adapter in the enclosure for those SMART errors you've seen.

My motherboard has no native SATA, although I have a PCI card that provides such functionality (one disk only), currently in use for a 150 GB drive. But since you emphasized "only if", I guess it wouldn't be the same thing.

**hellman** · 19.06.12, 21:13

Originally Posted by anon

My motherboard has no native SATA, although I have a PCI card that provides such functionality (one disk only), currently in use for a 150 GB drive. But since you emphasized "only if", I guess it wouldn't be the same thing.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/pci-...rter-card.html

check if this can help....

note - m half sleepy .. sry if i posted pr0n

**anon** · 17.08.12, 05:43

Alright, a little update on this, which I had put "on hold" after backing up most of the data, but not having much time to do anything else. I'm currently running a level 5 SpinRite on the drive to see what happens. It's going to take 248 hours - I'm glad to have my netbook.

My other external drive also failed a few weeks after this thread, but I managed to revive it two days ago plugging it internally and running a chkdsk from Hiren's boot CD. I initially bought a new case thinking that might be the culprit, but it wasn't. Oh well, at least it has a sleeker look