Hard Drive clicks and computer freezes

Recently, after returning from Denmark, I came back to my house and turned on my computer, and low and behold - My hard drive will click sometimes, and then after it does this, my computer will just lock up. I think this means that it might be time for a new hard drive but I wasn't sure. Is there anything else that it might be?

Not really. Sounds like your hard drive just bit the dust. RIP

At which step does it freeze? Can it boot at all?

Yea it boots fine. At random points while on the computer (not specific to what i'm doing on the comptuer) the hard drive will make a clicking noise, and then the computer will freeze. So I figured it was probably just my hard drive dying. Just wanted to be sure.

Then schedule a checkdisk at the next reboot.
If you are in Windows, right-click on C: > Properties > Tools > "Check Now" under error checking > Under Check disk options, select the both the check boxes and then click Start > confirm to scan at next startup.

Pramitroy - I did what you said, and actually upon returning back to windows, the hard drive still clicked and computer froze again. Unfortunately I don't think it fixed it. Thank you though.

You may wish to check it on another machine if you are going to replace it.

Good Idea. I'll probably do it on my brothers computer. I may not get back to you for a while though. Thanks for the idea.

That sound usually means that the disk has a bad sector and cnnot be writen or read in that part of the disk...
It can be or not recovered.In order to do it you will need to use an HD recovering tool like spinrite or HDD regenerator (those progs will check your disk and try to repair it),if it´s impossible to recover that sector there´s always another solution...you´ve got to see what part of the disk is damaged and make a blank partition with it,that makes that part not to be used and maybe it will work (i have a disk that i had to do that and it´s been working fine since then).
But when a HD begins to do click sounds it´s really a bad signal.

Check your power supply.

I had a hard drive that did this when I setup my new PC. It was a brand new hard drive too. I tested it in 2 other PCs, it was perfect.

I bought a new ThermalTake PSU for the case, ditched the cheap crappy stock PSU that came with it, and now have zero problems.

Have you added any new hardware recently that may cause a power drain? How old is your PSU? Perhaps it's just become unreliable. How old is the hard drive? It could be dying after all. How clean is your PC? The fans could be getting overworked trying to blow air through dust, and pulling more power from the PSU, causing a drain to your HD.

My hard drive clicks a little too, but does not freeze. This happens during bootup. I think I am getting a new HD for Channukah anyway .

Unusual, but both my PC and my mothers (in different houses) does the same. Its very annoying. I've done the usual, registry checks and clean, cache cleaning, eset nod scan and everything else I can think of but it still does it.

I have just searched this post on another forum. I have the same .I found the problem! I have a Thermaltake Volcano 11+. I am using the manual dial that goes into the front 5.25" bay. The click I heard from the front was coming from the fan controller. The click I heard from the back was coming from the fan itself. I guess something went wrong with the wires ?????? not too sure. But I just wanted to post that in case someone experiences a similar problem.

Note to self "If hard drive clicks....Get new hard drive!"

ok just had the same problem thought it was my hard drive it was not as when i pulled the after market led light up fan installed i heard the same click and have not had a problem since thank you for mentioning fan power issue !!!!!!!!!! ps read post carefully as he said CLICK FROM Computer not clicks thanks for giving bad advice because your a "typa A personality know it all who was very wrong" hard drive my butt it was a fan controller issue go be a cop since your so good at giving bad advice cause you know it all


i have a dell desktop running xp from 2005 its the only thing that works still since three laptops two tablets an iphone have all let me down i must say they did something right when they made this and yes its a dinosaurous rex but you cant knock it