If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
Does this mean the drive is about to die?
Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?

thanks,

Theodore Baldwin Boothe III wrote:
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
> Does this mean the drive is about to die?
> Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?
>
> thanks,
>
There is a rather nice diagnostic utility I gleamed from this forum or
another (HD Tune) and WD website will also host its own utilities.

Try and see what errors are reported.

Of course, good practice also contributes such as always follow a shut
down sequence (don't pull the plug when the disk is between and betwixt
major read/writes)

These two strategies should help you find the answer you seek

"Theodore Baldwin Boothe III" <DNC_TN@YAHOO.COM> wrote in message
news:hpolq15u4c2pm01iavoksm5rl8347tv4s9@lol.com...
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
> Does this mean the drive is about to die?
> Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?
>
> thanks,


Theodore:
Are you sure that rattling sound is coming from your hard drive and not a
computer fan or some other mechanical device inside your computer's case? Is
the system functioning properly? Any problems that you could attribute to a
defective HD?

Anyway, download a diagnostic utility from the website of the manufacturer
of your drive and test it out. Don't rely on any third-party diagnostic
utility. Use the one obtained from your drive's manufacturer.

And yes, in answer to your question, it's entirely possible a two-year-old
hard drive can become defective. Hard drives can fail at any point,
regardless of age.
Anna

"Theodore Baldwin Boothe III" <DNC_TN@YAHOO.COM> wrote in message
news:hpolq15u4c2pm01iavoksm5rl8347tv4s9@lol.com...
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
> Does this mean the drive is about to die?
> Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?
>
> thanks,
>
It is neither normal nor abnormal. Hardware dies when it dies.
Jim

Theodore Baldwin Boothe III wrote:
>
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter. Does this mean the
> drive is about to die? Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?
>
As someone else says any electronic device can fail at any time. However
a fair number fail in a short time frame, but during an average
lifetime a few will fail at any age. As the devices get older, more of
them will start to fail. Think of a bath tub cross section. At the tap
end the slope is steep but not vertical. This represents the early
failing devices. The main part of the bath slopes very gently
representing the usual lifetime when fewer devices fail. The head end of
the bath which slopes up fairly steadily represents the failure rate as
devices age.

Two years is probably nearer the head end than the tap end.

Cheers,

Cliff

"Theodore Baldwin Boothe III" <DNC_TN@YAHOO.COM> wrote in message
news:hpolq15u4c2pm01iavoksm5rl8347tv4s9@lol.com...
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
> Does this mean the drive is about to die?
> Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?


When was the last time you defragged?
Might it be a fan that is worn an rattling on a loose bearing? Besides the
CPU and case fans, be sure to check the video card fan, if there is one.
When my ATI 40mm video fan went bad, it made far more noise than all the
other fans combined and made it audibly uncomfortable to be next to the
computer which sits atop my desk.

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Try HD Tune (freeware). Download and run it and see what it turns up.
http://www.hdtune.com/

Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on C:\ under Drive letter
and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.

Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.


~~~~~~


Hope this helps.


Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA


Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.
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"Theodore Baldwin Boothe III" <DNC_TN@YAHOO.COM> wrote in message
news:hpolq15u4c2pm01iavoksm5rl8347tv4s9@lol.com...
> If this is not a xp related question then I apologize. My hard drive,
> wd 80 gig, is 2 years old. About every 2 weeks it rattles more and
> more. It is now sounding like a loud chatter.
> Does this mean the drive is about to die?
> Is this normal for a 2 year old hard drive?
>
> thanks,
>

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:46:13 -0000, "Gerry Cornell"
<gcjc@tenretnitb.com> wrote:

>Try HD Tune (freeware). Download and run it and see what it turns up.
>http://www.hdtune.com/
>
>Select the Info tabs and place the cursor on C:\ under Drive letter
>and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
>Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.
>
>Select the Health tab and then double click the two page icon ( copy to
>Clipboard ) and copy into a further message.
>
>
>~~~~~~
>
>
>Hope this helps.


Thanks folks, every one of you.

merry CHRISTmas to all....

i had been having the same problems and i just got studying abroad where my
computer was shut off for four months. now, windows won't load and i have to
earse everything. did something rattle loose?