Fix Western Digital Hard Drive Noise Issues

Identifying and troubleshooting Western Digital hard drive noise issues

There can be several reasons why a WD drive may be making a clicking noise:

• The drive is not getting enough power to fully spin up;
• The drive has failed;
• Occasional clicks during data access;
• Hard clicks during a head park operation (shutdown or sleep mode);
• The data cable is faulty, or incompatible;

WD internal drives

Please follow the instructions below to check a WD drive for damage:

1. Turn off your computer system;
2. Disconnect the data cable from the drive making noise (Do NOT remove the power cable);
3. Turn the computer back on;
4. If the clicking noise persists, your drive maybe defective and needs to be replaced. Otherwise, continue to step 5;
5. Replace your data cable. If the problem returns, this could be a system hardware related issue. Please contact Seagate System or Motherboard manufacture;

WD My Book external drives

Note: The My Book unit will not power up until both power, and data cables are connected to power source and powered on computer.

Please follow the troubleshooting steps below:

1. To test if the drive is getting enough power, plug the power adapter directly into a wall outlet;
2. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to a USB port on the computer, ideally to a USB port on the back;
3. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to another USB port on the computer；
4. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to a USB port on another computer；
5. Try another USB cable；
6. If the clicking noise persists, your drive may be defective and need to be replaced；

WD My Passport external drives

Note: The USB cable is used for both data and power, it is possible that a faulty or incompartible cable can cause the drive to click.

Please follow the troubleshooting steps below:

1. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to a USB port on the computer, ideally to a USB port on the back;
2. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to another USB port on the computer;
3. Use the original USB cable to directly connect the drive to a USB port on another computer;
4. Try another USB cable (18 inches or less);
5. The computer may not be supplying enough power through the USB port. The purchase of a supplemental Power Booster Cable from the WD Online Store may resolve the issue;
6. If the clicking noise persists, your drive may be defective and need to be replaced.

WD My Cloud drives

To test the internal hard disk drive(s) in a My Cloud device:

1. Launch the Dashboard;
2. Navigate to Settings > Utilities > Disk Test, and perform a Quick Test, and Full Test;
3. To test if the drive is getting enough power, plug the power adapter directly into a wall outlet;
4. If either disk test fails, or if the clicking noise persists, the My Cloud device or the internal drive may be defective and need to be replaced;

Note:

My Cloud devices with multiple internal hard disk drives, can have their hard disk drives removed and tested as internal drives by following the steps under WD internal drives.

A WD drive can also be tested by WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostics.