windows xp hard drive making clicking noise
#1
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windows xp hard drive making clicking noise
my windows xp hard drive makes a clicking noise, i opened it up before it started making the noise because the computer said it was operating outside normal standards after i opened it looked at it a bit and closed it, it started making the clicking noise and the computer just said strike f1 to retry boot HELP!
#2
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Sounds like you harddrive has failed. Clicking is one of the more common symptoms of this.
You do have all of your data backed up, right?
You do have all of your data backed up, right?
#4
Wait, you opened the hard disk itself? Or are you referring to the tower as the hard drive?
If you opened/removed the cover from the actual hard disk...
...then you destroyed it. A single speck of dust getting inside is enough to obliterate the read/write head.
If you opened/removed the cover from the actual hard disk...
...then you destroyed it. A single speck of dust getting inside is enough to obliterate the read/write head.
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Afraid I have to agree with the others hopefully you didn't open the hard drive and made a mistake in what you wrote. If the hard drive had any type of warranty either by the drive manufacturer or the computer manufacturer then the warranty is null and void. Only time to do that is if the hard drive goes bad due to nothing you have done and it isn't warranted. Not that the warranties are worth much now at least not like they used to be.
It is also correct that the clicking noise means you have a bad hard drive. If you haven't opened it check when the hard drive was bought or when you bought the computer and see if it is warranted and if not then you will have to buy a new hard drive. Since you are using Windows XP I doubt very seriously you can get it replaced for free.
It is also correct that the clicking noise means you have a bad hard drive. If you haven't opened it check when the hard drive was bought or when you bought the computer and see if it is warranted and if not then you will have to buy a new hard drive. Since you are using Windows XP I doubt very seriously you can get it replaced for free.
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Yes it's broken but it can be fixed with either a new or good used hard drive just don't open the hard drive cover again unless you want to destroy the hard drive so no one can take data off of it. Try to find a hard drive the same size as due to bios limitations not all of the hard drive will be seen by the computer. By the way it doesn't have to be any particular brand just try to stick as close as possible to the original specifications. On the newer motherboards it doesn't matter especially if you install the motherboard yourself.
My tip though to keep your computer running good for a long time is to use canned air and get the dust out of the inside of the computer case and keep the area around the computer dirt free by vacuuming the area as often as your schedule permits. Dirt is the number one enemy of computers.
If you have the original install disk for your computer it should be a peace of cake re-installing the operating system. Good luck to you!
My tip though to keep your computer running good for a long time is to use canned air and get the dust out of the inside of the computer case and keep the area around the computer dirt free by vacuuming the area as often as your schedule permits. Dirt is the number one enemy of computers.
If you have the original install disk for your computer it should be a peace of cake re-installing the operating system. Good luck to you!
#8
While the brand isn't important it is important to get a PATA or SATA drive to make installation easier. You will also need a copy of the OS of your choice, it doesn't have to be XP or even a Windows OS.
PATA (Parallel ATA) is an older standard for connecting hard drives.
SATA (Serial ATA ) is a newer IDE standard for connecting hard drives.
PATA (Parallel ATA) is an older standard for connecting hard drives.
SATA (Serial ATA ) is a newer IDE standard for connecting hard drives.
#9
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Ugh, I inferred you opened the case on the computer, not the HD. Yep, you zapped any life it might have had left when you did that.
#11
so all i need to do is get a new hard drive and plug it in?
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Ray makes a good point and I am sorry I didn't mention PATA hard drives ans SATA hard drive as there is a big difference in how they are made. Look at JerseyMattts picture he did a good thing in posting it as what you see is an SATA hard drive pictured. Now go to this link for a hard drive Amazon.com is selling and look at the pictures there here is the link http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digita.../dp/B0007VNGLC . Notice the difference between the two hard drives? I by the way and not saying you should buy that hard drive I am using it to illustrate for you the difference so you know what to buy. After that just stick as close as possible to the original specifications. If you say had a 20gb hard drive originally you can probably safely go to a 40gb and still have it be fully seen by the bios. Knowing the brand and model of the computer though would help us especially if it is a Dell or another company that is open about the specifications of their computers as then we can guide you to a drivers page and if you are using Windows then downloading the driver will be fairly simple and straight forward. With other operating systems finding drivers may be problematic let alone using some of them. On a desktop the drivers are not as important as on a laptop. If the computer is very old then I suggest you stick with Windows XP instead of switching to a newer operating system as drivers are not always available for the newer os.
#13
BIOS limitations on hard drive size hasn't been an issue for many many years now. XP Service Pack 3 nullifies the 137.5GB barrier even if the BIOS doesn't support 48 bit LBA (you could only make each partition a maximum of 137GB though in that case). If the computer is newer than 2001 (since it has XP it probably is), you're fine with any size on the market. You'd only run into issues with the very largest drives (2.5 and 3.0TB).
But I agree, stick with XP, as Vista has issues with everything and 7 does not have a lot of drivers for older hardware. If you still have the Windows XP COA sticker on the computer, you can use that license key to reinstall the same version.
But I agree, stick with XP, as Vista has issues with everything and 7 does not have a lot of drivers for older hardware. If you still have the Windows XP COA sticker on the computer, you can use that license key to reinstall the same version.
#15
No. It was already on its way out, but by opening it up you destroyed it. Basically if you need data off it, your only hope is a data recovery service.. And that is uber expensive.. Like $500+ per drive, and most of them won't even touch a drive that's been tampered with. The ones that do tack on a surcharge because they know they're basically wasting their time.
#16
There is a way to get the computer up and running without a hard drive using a USB thumb drive and Linux. In fact you could get it up and running with a Linux Live CD but the USB with persistence offers you a way to save files. The good thing is usually no driver problems. The bad news is you do have to learn a new OS. The good news is it is easy to learn. The bad news is with limited exceptions you can't run Windows software. The good new is there are Linux equivalents for almost everything and they are all free.
#19
can i make a boot disk and if so how do i do it?
about the linuix (probably spelled it wrong) program how do i download it and get it on the broken computer
You would then put it in an optical drive on the non-working computer and boot into it.* There are a couple of hundred flavors of Linux but I recommend PCLinuxOS. It will be slower from LiveCd than a HD installed OS but you will be able to use it for the Internet, email, and basic tasks. If you like it you can then make the USB using software included on the live CD or add a new hard drive and install to that.. KDE Desktop » PCLinuxOS
*Bios will already probably be set to CD as first boot device. If not it will need to be reset.
#20
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i burned pclinuxos pheonix and put it in the cpu but before that i took the hard drive out and it still didnt boot sorry im not very good with computers can i get step by step instructions please
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If you have a high speed connection available then make sure you use it otherwise don't even think of it. You should also try downloading this on a good computer with a cd burner. Here is a link to an iso image burner for a cd Free ISO Burner . Get a blank cd-rom and use that if you don't have a big enough usb drive or if your computer can't be started with a usb device as some computers especially the older ones can't access a usb drive at start up. Many libraries have high speed connections so if you don't have one at home bring a laptop with a burner along.
I agree with Jersey Matt about the hard drives size by the way and he is correct in pointing out if your computer is newer than 2001. I have an older computer than that though that is running Windows XP and the thing is so slow that even if I thought a bigger hard drive would work I wouldn't use it as it is slow enough as it is in accessing that 40gb hard drive. I only rarely use it though and it sounds like your computer is used rarely too so Linux is a good idea.
When I first posted this I should have mentioned you need to make an ISO image and the above link I gave you will only do that. Most burning software can already do that but this is easier. Once the file is downloaded and saved in an easy to find area like my documents right click on the file and save it to the disk.
I agree with Jersey Matt about the hard drives size by the way and he is correct in pointing out if your computer is newer than 2001. I have an older computer than that though that is running Windows XP and the thing is so slow that even if I thought a bigger hard drive would work I wouldn't use it as it is slow enough as it is in accessing that 40gb hard drive. I only rarely use it though and it sounds like your computer is used rarely too so Linux is a good idea.
When I first posted this I should have mentioned you need to make an ISO image and the above link I gave you will only do that. Most burning software can already do that but this is easier. Once the file is downloaded and saved in an easy to find area like my documents right click on the file and save it to the disk.
Last edited by hedgeclippers; 08-09-12 at 07:22 PM. Reason: Additional information
#23
i burned pclinuxos pheonix
3hr and 32 mins till complete
#24
Depending on his connection it may very well be 3-4 hours. It's a 700MB image.
Live CD's aren't really designed for regular use. They're just designed to test out an OS without commitment or troubleshoot a computer. Nothing you do will be saved, and without the hard drive you CANT save anything or install anything. You HAVE to get a new hard drive. If you're not good with computers to begin with, Linux is the LAST thing you want to use anyway.
Live CD's aren't really designed for regular use. They're just designed to test out an OS without commitment or troubleshoot a computer. Nothing you do will be saved, and without the hard drive you CANT save anything or install anything. You HAVE to get a new hard drive. If you're not good with computers to begin with, Linux is the LAST thing you want to use anyway.
#25
Agreed a new hard drive is best. I suggested a USB drive with persistence as a stop gap measure. The live CD was primarily to test if his hardware was compatible.
. Well not the last thing. I'd vote for BSD as the last thing.
If you had never used a computer you would probably find the more user friendly versions of Linux easier to lern to use. It is what you imperfectly learned in Windows that makes it hard. No viruses or malware, or registry are certainly things from Windows not found in Linux that make it easier to use. Actually though I do recommend it with reservations because I'm afraid I'll be asked to help. When it comes to Linux I'm like most Windows users, I really don't understand how it works. I just know it works.
If you're not good with computers to begin with, Linux is the LAST thing you want to use anyway
If you had never used a computer you would probably find the more user friendly versions of Linux easier to lern to use. It is what you imperfectly learned in Windows that makes it hard. No viruses or malware, or registry are certainly things from Windows not found in Linux that make it easier to use. Actually though I do recommend it with reservations because I'm afraid I'll be asked to help. When it comes to Linux I'm like most Windows users, I really don't understand how it works. I just know it works.
#26
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I certainly agree a live cd is not the best way but sometimes the only way to go depending on the motherboard and what it allows but even then only a temporary measure. If I did have a large enough flash drive or even usb hard drive I wouldn't hesitate to use it on my dell laptop if the hard drive failed. I do hope Keystart will reply back and we can see his progress.
#30
Sounds like you have to change the boot drive order in your BIOS. At the very beginning you'll see a message to press a key to enter Setup. It's usually F2, F10, or Delete, depending on the manufacturer of your motherboard. Reboot, hit the indicated key, and depending on the BIOS there should be some setting for changing the boot order. You want to set it to try the CD drive first, then USB, then hard drive. Then exit (saving changes) and reboot.
If there is no boot order setting, then unfortunately you can't use a live CD. If you can take a picture of the Setup main screen, I can tell you where the boot order setting should be.
If there is no boot order setting, then unfortunately you can't use a live CD. If you can take a picture of the Setup main screen, I can tell you where the boot order setting should be.
#31
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i cant post a pic because it says the file is to large and i know what to do once its done downloading but when i click open or save it opens into a media sharer then i get stuck and dont know what to do
#33
One thing you may also want to look into is a solid-state drive. Despite the high cost, they're ultra fast and pretty indestructible. I love mine.
Also, I never really knew how to use a computer until I started toying with linux. I never knew there was something other than Internet Explorer, I never thought there was something other than windows, I knew nothing about networking, MAC addresses, etc. I most likely would've never learned about it haven't I started toying with linux. Now, I have 3 computers running linux, and my dad's laptop and family desktop are the only computers running windows only because there's no photoshop, itunes, or vixen for linux.
Also, I never really knew how to use a computer until I started toying with linux. I never knew there was something other than Internet Explorer, I never thought there was something other than windows, I knew nothing about networking, MAC addresses, etc. I most likely would've never learned about it haven't I started toying with linux. Now, I have 3 computers running linux, and my dad's laptop and family desktop are the only computers running windows only because there's no photoshop, itunes, or vixen for linux.
Last edited by Justin Smith; 08-09-12 at 10:17 PM. Reason: add linux comment
#34
A SSD in an old beater computer is a total waste. Especially a desktop. Don't get me wrong, I have them in both my laptops, but there's really no reason to use it in a desktop at this point.
#36
Should take less the 30 minutes. If you don't see the Grub boot screen in a couple of minuets after turning on the computer something is wrong. You can go to verbose mode to see what's happening by hitting the Escape key after it leaves Grub.
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what is the grub boot screen and i dont know what to press because a screen comes up and it says" livecd
livecd no boot splash
video safe mode-fbdev
safe boot
console
copy to RAM
install pclinuxOS
media check
memtest
and i dont know which option i should press
livecd no boot splash
video safe mode-fbdev
safe boot
console
copy to RAM
install pclinuxOS
media check
memtest
and i dont know which option i should press
#38
Thats Grub. Choose LiveCD. Usually if you do nothing it will boot in ten seconds. Just hit Enter if you want to. Navigating it is easy if you want to by clicking the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard but you shouldn't need to.