Hard Drive Clicking
if a hard drive suddenly begins making clicking noises, (literally) then chances are it is too late to save or backup data on the hard drive. However, if the hard drive is still operating and allowing access, then we highly recommend backing up any important data right now—don’t even finish reading this article! In most cases though, the hard drive will not allow windows to boot up.
When a hard drive begins to click, it is just telling us that it has internal damage to parts and pieces. There is never a sure fire way to detect when or why this happens at a certain point. I have seen people who purchased a brand new hard drive that began to click within a few months of use. I have also seen people use the same hard drive for 8 years with no problems. It’s not that one brand is better than another or has fewer known issues. Hard drives are mass produced and put together, so as with anything, malfunctioning parts can be unknowingly used to create a drive, which can cause the drive to begin clicking within a few months of use. The other reason hard drives begin clicking is just from use over time and wearing out. There are many components to a hard drive. Sometimes these just wear out, or even become loose over time, creating scratching or use-wear to platters of the drive. Even dust and dirt can gain access to a hard drive, which can cause scratches to surface platters as well.
These platters are vital to the operation of the hard drive. It is similar to a dvd that has been scratched to the point that it can not recognize the disk enough to even start the movie. That is what happens when a hard drive is clicking and windows will not boot up.
So, what is the solution for this problem, or is there one? Yes, there definitely is an answer. However, it is not a home remedy that will fix this issue. In fact, any home remedies or fixes will cause more damage to this drive in such a fragile state already. When a hard drive begins clicking, the chances of recovering the data off of it have been reduced versus other failures. Because this type of drive has mechanical failure, the drive must be taken apart and parts must be replaced in order to get the drive running just enough to read and image the data to get a full recovery. When a drive is clicking, the only chance for recovery is using a professional data recovery company who recovers data from this type of hard drive everyday and has the experience to do so. Recovery really depends on the severity of internal damage and if any other recovery options have been tested on the drive. In cases of a clicking hard drive, a technician usually only has one opportunity to retrieve data from the hard drive after replacing parts. Even if the same parts are replaced through another recovery company, the drive most likely will not be recognizable.
