Hard drive likes to hum now, never did before. Failing?

[foycur]

I have two WD hard drives in my system and I think one of them has started to make a new noise. Sort of like a rattle now and then. No real clicking, almost sounds like resonance. Hard drive about to fail? Any way I can check the 'health' of the hard drive?

What backup programs out there are good to make an exact backup of the hard drive that I can save to a few blank DVDs? I've heard of Norton Ghost but not much else.....appreciate any feedback.

 

[howard_hopkinso]

Yes it does sound like your hdd is on the blink.

Go HERE and read the this thread.

Regards Howard :grinthumb

 

[patio]

You could also check the 4 mounting screws to make sure they are secure just in case...I believe Data Lifeguard Tools which you can DLoad from WD's site also includes a drive fitness test.
As to back-ups i have recently switched from Ghost to Acronis True Image...well worth the price for the peace of mind that goes with solid backups.

patio.

 

[Rick]

Well, your hard drives will fail, you just have to figure out when.

Strange noises can be bad for sure, but isn't a definite sign of failure. You can run a drive diagnostic to check for current problems, but it isn't really definitive. https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic7602.html

The best thing to do is back up your data and if something does happen, you won't lose it.