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Secondary hard drive no longer available

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by mbcannon2, 2003/11/05.

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  1. 2003/11/05
    mbcannon2

    mbcannon2 Inactive Thread Starter

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    My "D" drive, a physically separate secondary drive (Maxtor 60GB-7200 rpm) is no longer available. When I boot my computer I hear "clacking ", like the sound of a train going slowly over railroad tracks.

    The clacking stops, but the yellow light on the front of the box stays lit, as if a program is trying to load. Windows Explorer shows that I no longer have my D drive.

    HLEP?

    As usual, thanks in advance!!
     
    mbcannon2,
    #1
  2. 2003/11/06
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    A strong possibility that the drive has failed. Suggest you open the box, disconnect the power lead from the D drive and reboot. If the noise ceases that confirms the source as D drive and, maybe - the diagnosis :(
     
    PeteC,
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  4. 2003/11/06
    mbcannon2

    mbcannon2 Inactive Thread Starter

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    I think - and HOPE! - it's something other HDD failure. The clacking noise comes from something outside the hard drive: sounds something like a circuit breaker. Anyway, when I shut the machine down last night and waited a few minutes, it re-booted just fine.

    After having the machine completely shut down all day, I turned it on this evening and was met with the same repetitive clacking sound. Didn't wait for it to finish booting, immediately hit the OFF button on the front of the box, re-started and it booted just fine; skipping ScanDisc.

    Ideas?
     
    mbcannon2,
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  5. 2003/11/07
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    - with D drive showing in Explorer? And the HD light not constantly on?

    To isolate the noise - which still sounds to me like a hard drive dying - hope I am wrong there - although it could be the CD drive, requires a logical approach.

    So, open up the box, disconnect the power cables from the D drive - and any other HD apart from the master, from the CD drive(s) and from the floppy drive.

    Boot up - any noise? If there is could possibly be a failing/catching fan on the power supply, CPU or case. Check these out. Possibly the power supply itself.

    If there is no noise connect each item in turn, rebooting each time until the noise appears and the culprit identified. Obviously you shut down before plugging anything in.
     
    PeteC,
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  6. 2003/11/07
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    It has just occurred to me that the 'clacking' sound on boot up could well be the floppy drive looking for a disk or your antivirus looking for a disk to scan. My PC does this on every boot.

    When the noise occurs is the floppy light on and does the noise cease when the floppy drive light goes out?
     
    PeteC,
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  7. 2003/11/07
    mbcannon2

    mbcannon2 Inactive Thread Starter

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    ALMOST definitely something outside the HDD. Machine pulled same stunt last night & again this evening.

    Tonight I first turned on the monitor, then began booting - clackety, clackety, clackety, railroad trackety. The monitor was showing its typical signs of life.

    Immediately I smashed the OFF button, waited 10 seconds and smashed it again. Machine booted without a hitch AND ScanDisc didn't run.

    I have a gremlin.
     
    mbcannon2,
    #6
  8. 2003/11/07
    martinr121 Lifetime Subscription

    martinr121 Inactive

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    mbcannon2: have you followed any of Pete's suggestions? Just a gentle reminder.
     
    martinr121,
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  9. 2003/11/08
    mbcannon2

    mbcannon2 Inactive Thread Starter

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    None of the suggestions seem apropos, as the clacking sound is something I have always heard when the computer boots.

    In fact, there are always TWO clacks - AFTER the hard drives start spinning. My computer box sits on my desk, open, with the sides removed so I hear EVERYTHING. This morning it booted up without a hitch and I again heard the two clicks. These are sounds I have heard since I built the computer. The noises seem to emanate not from the hard drives, but from somewhere on the motherboard?

    Also, I know the sound of the floppy being accesed and zero programs start during boot. Am a bit of a control freak and start progs when I decide. Only things running after boot are Explorer & Systray.

    The problem, that has now happened on 3 occasions, is that the clicking or clacking continues, as if the computer is attempting to make something occur (to access the D drive) and is not being successful.
     
    Last edited: 2003/11/08
    mbcannon2,
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  10. 2003/11/08
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    My suggestions may not seem apropos but they would surely eliminate one or more hardware devices as the source of the noise??
     
    PeteC,
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