Desktop computer "clicks" while booting

[Inspector Fowler]

Howdy guys.

Weird problem that I worry may be heading for "bad" problem.

As my computer boots (as in, during POST, after, and up until Windows loads) it makes a very audible clicking sound. Somewhat rhythmically, although it almost sounds like Morse Code. The click is coming from inside the case and is somewhat rapid - I'd say on the order of around 7-10 beats a second but I haven't timed it.

Concurrently with this problem, it has started asking me what OS I want to boot into - but I only have Windows 7 on this computer, and that is the only choice it gives (besides the memory diagnostics tool).

I can choose Windows 7, and as it starts to load the OS it clicks again, but more quietly. By the time W7 is loaded, the clicks have stopped.

The computer functions 100% normally once W7 is up - no clicking, no errors.

Any guesses?

Asus motherboard
4GB DDR2
8800 with 512 MB
Regular ol' hard drive

[Scull]

The two most common causes of clicking - a fan is hitting something or the read head in the hard drive is hitting the platters. The odds are pretty good that you are in the second category. When first booting up a lot of data needs to be read from the HDD which is why there is so much clicking at that time and less when in Windows.

The solution: back up your data and get a new drive.

[Ink Asylum]

Clicking is never good. I'm no pro, but chances are it's hard drive related, as that's the part of you computer that does the most physical moving. I'd back up important files ASAP in case it suddenly dies on you, but I'll leave more specific diagnosis to others.

[roboninja]

Yeah, start backing that HD up. If it was something hitting a fan, it most likely would not fall into the pattern you are mentioning.

[nabokovfan87]

Open the case door and try to hear which part is clicking. 9 times out of 10, its the hard drive going bad (how old is the one installed?). Just back everything up to make sure you dont lose it, buy a new one, and hope nothing happens from now until then.

[Inspector Fowler]

Rodger dodger, guys.

You know, at work, I am supposedly the "new IT guy". I have tried to explain to them that every time I need to fix something I turn to the internet, but they don't listen or care. Little do they know that CoG + Google is the source of all my "knowledge".

This makes sense, the HDD is a couple years old now. Too bad I don't have the cash for an awesome solid state drive! :)

[Wraith]

If you really want to know if it's the hard drive... you could pull the drive (disconnect power & data cable), power on and see if you still get the clicking.

Only other clicking I thought of (beyond fans & hard drive) would be the floppy drive or optical drive... but those would be pretty easy to recognize.

[CappinCanuck]

If you really want to know if it's the hard drive... you could pull the drive (disconnect power & data cable), power on and see if you still get the clicking.

Only other clicking I thought of (beyond fans & hard drive) would be the floppy drive or optical drive... but those would be pretty easy to recognize.

Good advice. I just did this on my PC a month ago. One of my drives was clicking, but I had 5... heh.

Clicking doesn't mean it's always about to die right away. Back everything up consistently if you have an easy means to do it. If you can live with it, let it run its course. I've had a clicking drive on another rig of mine last 3 years. Another lasted 1 year. Either way, I ended up getting a much better drive for the same cost later. BUT, it's a lot easier to clone a drive when both are working heh. That's my preferred backup method since it's so quick and easy.

[Voodoo]

Clicking inside the case if most often caused by two items. The most frequent is the HDD R/W head encountering physically bad sectors and is attempting to re-read them. This re-read attempt can sometimes be physically heard. The second most frequent cause of this noise is caused by a voltage filter that is going bad. It will make clicking noises but frequently they are very rapid and will follow what is happening on the monitor.

[Inspector Fowler]

GGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGHHHHH.

This is now happening again. So severely that I can hear it almost all the time. I installed a brand new Western Digital Black drive in there and it started doing this within a few months.

Is it possible that the HDD controller on my motherboard is a bit FUBAR, leading to early HDD damage?

[biosc1]

If you really want to know if it's the hard drive... you could pull the drive (disconnect power & data cable), power on and see if you still get the clicking.

Only other clicking I thought of (beyond fans & hard drive) would be the floppy drive or optical drive... but those would be pretty easy to recognize.

This...try the boot up with out power to the hard drives and see what happens. Even a fan unbalanced due to a buildup of dust can cause weird noises.

I couldn't imagine it being the HD controller...

[fitbabits]

Death Rattle, possibly, or a fan hitting its housing.

In either case, back up your data ASAP.

[CappinCanuck]

Sounds like a fan dying to me... are you sure it's from the HDDs? It always seems to start with a bit of clicking at bootup, then it goes away... eventually it just gets worse and worse and it doesn't go away until you replace it.

[Inspector Fowler]

It's not a fan. It is now somewhat timed to processor activity. In other words, if I make the computer think, I get click click click out of it. The more processor use, the louder and longer it clicks. Back to idle, I can barely hear it.

There isn't anything in the optical drive, either.

It's also possible thay I "lucked" out and my replacement hard drive was destined to eat shit within months of installation anyway.

[biosc1]

Sounds more and more like it's the harddrive. Only other explanation could be a variable speed fan that kicks it up a notch under load...so it's not something you notice if you take the casing off and stare at it while it idles.

[nabokovfan87]

It's not a fan. It is now somewhat timed to processor activity. In other words, if I make the computer think, I get click click click out of it. The more processor use, the louder and longer it clicks. Back to idle, I can barely hear it.

There isn't anything in the optical drive, either.

It's also possible thay I "lucked" out and my replacement hard drive was destined to eat shit within months of installation anyway.

This happens a LOT with older PCs. Sort of like when they do anything you get a very loud rumble from the case. It is the hard drive, and depending on when you bought yours (could be a bad batch) and what you bought it is likely just luck of the draw or the way the pc is interacting with the drive, it is killing the hdd itself by asking it to do way too much.

Make sure you have a drive with a lot of extra room, turn on S.M.A.R.T. support and use programs like HDTach and HDTune to scan the drive. Run windows drive file system error checking program and scan the drive, but if it isn't the drive I would have absolutely no idea what else makes that distinct of a noise.

The reason it happens whent he pc is "thinking" because when it "thinks" it is accessing the hdd and trying to write or read data, causing the noise on queue.

[carnage11]

You don't have a big speaker or other such magnetic device near your PC case do you?