These are some typical sounds heard from failed drives that come into our data recovery lab. If your hard drive is making similar noises, chances are that you have a failed or failing drive. It's recommend that you turn off the drive or computer immediately as you increase the likeliness of permanent data loss the longer you leave the drive on. Please contact a SalvageData Recovery professional immediately upon first noticing sounds from a failed or failing hard drive.

To listen to the sound simply click on the play button. Click on the drive manufacturer next to the sound button to learn more about common problems these drives experience.

Western Digital

Western Digital desktop drive with bad heads clunking.

Western Digital 500GB desktop drive with bad heads slowly clicks a few times and spins down.

Western Digital 250GB desktop drive with head crash clicks a few times, then spins down.

Western Digital 250GB desktop drive with stuck spindle can't spin up, chatters.

Western Digital laptop drive with bad heads making clicking sound.

Western Digital 200GB desktop drive with bad preamplifier chip (located on the head stack) clicks a few times, spins down.

Western Digital desktop drive with unstable heads clicks a few times and stops spinning.

Western Digital laptop hard drive with stuck spindle trying to spin up with siren.

Western Digital 500GB desktop hard drive with bad bearings can't gain full rotational speed.

Seagate

Seagate desktop drive with failing heads making thrashing, then clicking sound.

Seagate desktop drive with bad heads slowly clicks and beeps on spin up.

Seagate laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/knocking sound.

Seagate desktop drive with seized spindle trying to spin up.

Seagate Momentus laptop drive with bad heads making nasty drilling noise.

Maxtor

Maxtor desktop drive with bad heads making clicking/knocking/beeping noise.

Maxtor drive with bad heads making steady clicking/knocking sound.

Maxtor desktop drive with stuck spindle playing futuristic cell phone melody.

Maxtor drive with stuck spindle and musical siren again.

Samsung

Samsung 80GB desktop hard drive with bad heads making fast clicking sound.

Samsung desktop hard drive with bad heads clicks, then spins down.

Samsung 40GB desktop hard drive with bad head knocks a few times.

Samsung desktop drive with degraded media making scratching sound when hitting bad sectors.

Hitachi/IBM

Hitachi laptop drive with bad heads clicks once on spin up, then beeps.

IBM desktop drive with degraded media making scratching sound when hitting area with bad sectors.

Hitachi/IBM laptop drive with bad heads making clicking sound.

IBM 40GB desktop hard drive with degraded media/heads rattles and squeals on spin up.

Hitachi 60GB laptop drive with stuck spindle can't spin up, makes humming/buzzing noise.

Toshiba

Toshiba laptop hard drive with stuck spindle trying to spin up (heard if taken close to your ear).

Toshiba laptop drive with failing bearings making grinding sound.

Toshiba laptop drive with bad bearings making loud grinding sound.

Toshiba laptop drive with bad bearings making nasty drilling/screaming sound.

Toshiba laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/sweeping sound on boot up.

Fujitsu

Fujitsu laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/knocking noise.

Fujitsu laptop hard drive with bad heads making sweeping sound.

Fujitsu 40gb desktop drive with bad media making scratching noise.

Quantum

Quantum desktop drive with bad heads making clunking sound.

Data Recovery Tip

#1: Never assume inaccessible data is unsalvageable. Consult with SalvageData before assuming all is lost.