# Brand New HP laptop making clicking sounds!



## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

Ugh, I'm so disappointed. I just got a new laptop yesterday and just today it's started making clicking noises, making one click about every 5 seconds. It'll go on for about 10 minutes then stop for awhile and then start again. From what I Googled, people are saying that this usually means the hard drive is going out. Is this true?

Should I send the computer back and exchange for a new one?


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

Hello *HeatherB1*,

Yes, there is a distinctive clicking noise that usually indicates the harddrive is going bad.

I would _definitely_ exchange it for a new one and make sure there weren't any recalls on that model.


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## Dougx789 (Apr 6, 2010)

You can run the drive manufactures diagnostic test on it (download it from the manufacturers website, best to get a dos version and run it from a bootable CD or USB flash drive, run the full test which will take some time depending on its capacity)

However, from what you have described it sounds more like something is in the way of the fan (hence the intermittent noises, every time the fan runs it will click) Only way to fix that is to take it apart. 

As the computer is new I would do what I said first, then contact who ever you bought the laptop from. If the first test finds an error you can tell them that's what's wrong, if it doesn't find any errors you can ever tell them it may be what I suggested as the second option or just tell them there's a clicking problem and let them sort it out. (As you will have warranty this should be cost free)


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

TheShooter93 said:


> Hello *HeatherB1*,
> 
> Yes, there is a distinctive clicking noise that usually indicates the harddrive is going bad.
> 
> I would _definitely_ exchange it for a new one and make sure there weren't any recalls on that model.


I don't think there have been any recalls on it - it's a HP Pavilion g7-2270us that just came out in December.

I'm going to send it back. This clicking sound makes me worry. It just doesn't sound right IMO.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

Dougx789 said:


> However, from what you have described it sounds more like something is in the way of the fan (hence the intermittent noises, every time the fan runs it will click) Only way to fix that is to take it apart.


Since this is a brand new computer, and I've only had it for one day, I'm just going to send it back. No way should I have to take it apart when it should be working right in the first place.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

I should add - the click sound sounds like a camera shutter sound (I don't know if I'm describing it right), but it's strange.


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

HeatherB1 said:


> I should add - the click sound sounds like a camera shutter sound (I don't know if I'm describing it right), but it's strange.


Could be the outtake fan, the harddrive, or a couple other things. But as I said earlier, clicking is definitely not a sound you want to hear. Since you just got it, yes, send it back.

If you have no more questions, you can mark your own threads solved using the







button at the top and bottom of the page.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

OK, so I sent the first laptop back and exchanged it for a new one of the same model, and guess what? This laptop makes the clicking noise too! 

So I'm starting to wonder if this is normal and something I'll just have to get used to. It sounds like it's coming from the left side where the fan is (but it's not the fan - the fan is quiet). Is there anyway of stopping this click sound? Like I said, it's not alarming, but it's annoying.

I've already tried using HP's "Technical Support", but the person I talked to was worthless and basically didn't know what was going on.


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

take it to your local computer repair shop and get some free advice............(i doubt they would charge u just to look and listen to it!)


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

HeatherB1 said:


> OK, so I sent the first laptop back and exchanged it for a new one of the same model, and guess what? This laptop makes the clicking noise too!
> 
> So I'm starting to wonder if this is normal and something I'll just have to get used to. It sounds like it's coming from the left side where the fan is (but it's not the fan - the fan is quiet). Is there anyway of stopping this click sound? Like I said, it's not alarming, but it's annoying.
> 
> I've already tried using HP's "Technical Support", but the person I talked to was worthless and basically didn't know what was going on.


Sorry to hear that it too has the clicking noise. All that trouble for nothing.

Personally, I would get my money back and purchase another laptop. A clicking noise like you're describing would drive me nuts over the course of a few years.

Otherwise, it sounds like it's a model-specific problem and possibly something you would have to get used to, as you said.


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

I don't suppose the optical drive is on the left side?

I have encountered a small handful of laptops over the years that would click when, every few seconds, the optical drive head seeked a bit to determine if there was a disc in the drive. I also remember my old Amiga 1000 computer (man, that was a LONG time ago...) that would click the floppy disk drive every few seconds as it checked for a disk.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

TheShooter93 said:


> Sorry to hear that it too has the clicking noise. All that trouble for nothing.
> 
> Personally, I would get my money back and purchase another laptop. A clicking noise like you're describing would drive me nuts over the course of a few years.
> 
> Otherwise, it sounds like it's a model-specific problem and possibly something you would have to get used to, as you said.


It's just really strange an annoying. It irritates me that I went through all that trouble of shipping the old one back, re-ordering another one as soon as my refund was processed, and then I get the same thing again.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It really makes me mad how useless HP's technical support is.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

jiml8 said:


> I don't suppose the optical drive is on the left side?
> 
> I have encountered a small handful of laptops over the years that would click when, every few seconds, the optical drive head seeked a bit to determine if there was a disc in the drive. I also remember my old Amiga 1000 computer (man, that was a LONG time ago...) that would click the floppy disk drive every few seconds as it checked for a disk.


Nope, the optical drive makes a DIFFERENT sound, and it seems to make a sound every 10 minutes or so. Go figure.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

OK, so I ran HP's Diagnostic Tests for the Hard Drive, Memory, and some other things, and all of the tests passed.

So then I tried to Google more trying to figure out what this noise could be, and from what I've researched, I'm starting to think it's the hard drive "parking". Apparently a lot of people have dealt with this noise and several people have suggested it's the hard drive parking.

One of the sites I came across said this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/299423-32-hard-drive-parking-itself

And one of the tools that someone in the thread mentions is this:

https://sites.google.com/site/quiethdd/

The person in the thread ended up trying it and said it worked.

So my question is do you think it would be OK for me to try this tool? Is it legit? It looks a little generic, but I don't care if it works.

If any of you computer experts could check out those two links and tell me what you think, I'd greatly appreciate it!


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

There isn't too much to say about it as it isn't even a moderately popular program -- there's no way for us to really know too much about it.

Try it at your own risk, but it sounds like it may solve your problem. Sorry I don't have anything more to tell you than that.


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

The description of the program seems to make sense. If the heads are parking frequently, you want that to stop anyway because there are a finite number of head parks before nominal drive wearout. I would try it, if it were my machine.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

jiml8 said:


> The description of the program seems to make sense. If the heads are parking frequently, you want that to stop anyway because there are a finite number of head parks before nominal drive wearout. I would try it, if it were my machine.


Guess what? The program works! I've been using it for the past two days, and it hasn't made the sound at all since I started using it!:up: So it was the heads parking that kept making that annoying sound.

The only thing I don't understand is why I have to launch the application each time I start up my computer. Is there any way I can set up my computer so that the application automatically starts running as soon as I start up my computer?


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## TheShooter93 (Jul 10, 2008)

If the program came with an installer, then you can configure it to launch at startup.

But for this type of program, you'll need to either have a custom batch script created to make it launch at startup, or start it up manually.


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## HeatherB1 (Oct 6, 2009)

OK, my laptop is making a strange noise and I think I'm going to have to send it in to HP for repair.

If they have to replace the hard drive, how do I back up everything I currently have on my laptop? I'm embarrassed to admit I've never done a back up before and don't know how. And will this back up allow me to have all of my current programs, files, etc, the same way if I get a new hard drive?

Also, should I scrub the current hard drive before I send it in so that no personal info will be on it? I worry about stuff like that.


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