Drive clicking issues

[chimera15]

Alright, I've read tons of other threads on this issue, almost everyone says that this is a result of a bad drive, but there has to be another explanation I think in my case...
I currently have two systems self built, both have 3 drives each. I have a newer system with 2 satas, 1 pata. An older system with 3 patas. The new system has 3 brand spanking new drives in it, running vista, old system running xp.

Both have clicking noises that come from the secondary ide drives. Probably a click once every 30 minutes. Smart report on all the drives shows that they're all in the 90th percent for performance and fitness, with no watch's on any of the drives. I can take the drives, switch them around, and the same position in the ide line will cause the other drive that was working perfectly in it's previous position, to click. I can also take the drive that is then clicking, put it in a usb housing, and it'll run perfectly, with no click. So what's going on? Is it power maybe, or something wrong with the controller on two seperate boards, or what?

 

[Tmagic650]

It sounds like a power issue. Replace the power supplies

 

[Daveskater]

If it's not a power issue, it could be Windows turning the drives on and off.

Check to see if it clicks when you access it or if it's just at random times

 

[chimera15]

Hmm, that's interesting, is there any setting or way to see when windows makes disk accesses? It almost always happens during an idle state, I always wonder why is that drive even running.


One thing I noticed about the new system with the sata's is that there's a low hiss then the drive double clicks, where the old system is just a double click once every 30 minutes or so. I haven't noticed any problem with data or disk access, or any errors, but it makes my teeth grind and makes me real nervous.

 

[Samstoned]

I have always used better PSU's then rated for my builds
only when drives are going bad or are bad have I had clicking
thats on machines running xp or W2K on machines with 98 and stock PSU I have hear the drives clicking like mad and worked for years like that
after removing most spyware from the 98 machines the clicking was reduced by 90%
the machines I have now none of the HDD's click at all not even on start up
or maybe I just can't hear them over the fans

 

[chimera15]

I've got a 600watt in my old one with all the patas, and a 430watt in the new one, it may not be enough I guess. The 600 watt may be loosing power since it's been running almost continuous for 2 or 3 years, so, that might be the explanation. I'll have to wait a while to get a new psu to test this theory though.