1. Seagate Backup Plus Making Clicking Noise Canceling
  2. Seagate Backup Plus Driver Download
  3. Seagate Backup Plus Making Clicking Noise Cancelling
  4. How To Install Seagate Backup Plus

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Seagate Backup Plus Hub 8 TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – USB 3.0, for Computer Desktop Workstation PC Laptop Mac, 2 USB Ports, 2 Months Adobe CC Photography (STEL8000300) at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Chances are great that the Seagate drive or the USB Controller inside the Enclosure is starting or has already failed You can disassemble the Seagate enclosure and remove the HDD from within, you then can attach it internally to a desktop computer, or Via a USB Adapter, Dock or Enclosure with a power adapter. If the drive doesn't spin up, then it has failed.

Keeping your backups up-to-date is perhaps the best hard drive making clicking noise fix for desktop and laptop computers alike. That way, when a hard disk, either internal or external, fixed or portable, starts that tick or click of death sound, swap it with a backup HDD. Sometimes though, repairing a clicking HDD is possible.


We learned this while keeping a large audio library built over fifteen years, we’re quite anal about keeping current backups as we experienced hard drive clicking followed by failure many times. A hot backup enables us to quickly replace clicking hard disk drives (HDD). Our backup strategy involves six 6 TB external Seagate Backup Plus USB hard disk drives (HDDs). We keep an up-to-date full copy of the library on each drive. We then store each hard drive in separate places, offsite. Then, we periodically sync among these HDDs. This assures that al drives have the same files and file versions.

Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise Fix: Failure Scenario

The Problem: Hard Drive Making Noises Clicking

With our six HDDs, over the years many of them have shown the same failure symptoms. It matters not whether the HDD is SCSI, IDE/PATA, SATA, or any of these types, hidden inside a USB enclosure. The problem occurs no matter which data interface is used.

That Dreaded Click of Death Sound

When accessed, the drives give off a repeated clicking sound (tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick). This can sound like a lumbering grandfather’s clock. And, while hard drive clicking, any programs that try to access that HDD hang, waiting for the requested data to come. Then, after several seconds, the clicking stops. Then, they send the data normally. Once it warms up, the HDD thereafter works flawlessly.

Accessing Certain Files Worsens the Click Tick Sound

Accessing some files exacerbates this erratic behavior more than others. Some files cannot be completely read at all, while others read perfectly every time.

Cautions and Warnings

Back Up the HDD First

Before attempting to fix the clicking noise, do a complete hard drive backup. If the clicking drive has data you need, copy it to another drive before proceeding below. The steps that involve reformatting the HDD will make inaccessible any data stored on the clicker. Also, even if you are just swapping power supplies and / or data cables, you could corrupt the HDD. If that happens, you’ll be happy that you made a complete backup.

Avoid Static Electricity while handling the Hard Disk Drive

Be careful handling the drive, especially around its data ports, power connectors, and any exposed printed circuits. One snap of static electricity at any of these places can destroy the drive.


Possible Solutions

Replace Faulty Power Supplies

If the HDD is used in an external enclosure, check its power adapter for correct voltages if it has one. They should read within 5% tolerance. So for a 12-volt supply, you should read no more than 12.6 volts and no less than 11.4 volts.

Note that some drives need more than one voltage. This is so with the internal ones. This might need plus and minus twelve volts, and plus or minus five volts. Check for the right readings on these lines as well. Try a more accurate power supply if voltages you read differ from expected values.

Verify Proper Software Operation

Power up the drive, but leave the data connector disconnected. The HDD may still click again and again. If so, then the problem is likely in the drive itself. This clicking does not depend on any external software to make it happen. This takes the blame away from your installed apps.

Test the HDD Drive, Away from Strong Sources of Electrical Interference

EMI (electromagnetic interference) and RFI (radio frequency interferences) can trigger unreliable HDD operation. So, try moving the disk drive away from sources of said interference. Get it away from computers, switching power supplies, and brush motors. Brush motors especially, arc inside and thus, create much radio hash. Also, fluorescent lights, televisions, cell phones, Wi-Fi access points can also interfere with HDD operation.

Verify that the HDD is not Overheating

Note that hard disk drives normally operate at temperatures high enough to cause some discomfort when you touch them; especially after they’ve been running for an hour or so. So it can be hard to tell if the normally warm drive is actually overheating when it clicks. So, make sure you have plenty of air blowing around the drive. Many computer cases and HDD enclosures have fans. These bring in a constant supply of cool air from the outside. Check that these are all working, and that vents to them are not blocked. However, HDD clicking after you do all this, means that your problem is likely not due to excess HDD heating.

Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise Fix: Try the HDD in a Different Drive Enclosure

If the clicking disk drive is in a USB drive enclosure as pictured above, the enclosure could be the issue. These housings contain electronics to convert one data cable format into another. E.g. USB to IDE or SATA to PATA. Though rare, these electronic parts can fail, leading to drive clicking. So, try moving a drive to a different but known-good enclosure. Or better yet, try connecting the HDD to your computer via its native data interface. If it’s a SATA HDD, use a SATA or eSATA cable. If the clicking persists, then the problem is NOT the drive enclosure.


Replace any Faulty Cables and Connectors

Loose connectors, or broken wires in strain relief tubes cause erratic power and data transfers. If this occurs during long read / writes, drive clicking can result. So, it’s always a good idea to keep some spare USB, SATA, SCSI, USB, and internal power cables handy. With these, you can swap out the data cables to check for good cable function. If the problem keeps up though you replace each cable, then the problem is NOT a bad cable. On the other hand, it might clear up. If so, then pitch the bad cable. Next, order yourself a new spare, and consider yourself lucky.

Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise Fix: Try Quick Formatting the HDD

In the Windows operating system, you can either fully- or quickly-format an attached disk drive. Now the hard drive clicking can happen due to a corrupt file system on the disk. One hard drive click of death noise fix is thus, to quick format the HDD. Formatting creates a non corrupt file system. This then replaces the old, faulty file system.

A quick format, even for a multiple terabyte HDD, takes just minutes. But a complete format can take well over a day. In either case, we suggest formatting with NTFS (New Technology File System), especially if you’re running Windows OS. This is the Windows default file system. It is less likely to break in the future than the older FAT32 file system. Why? Because it has built-in redundancy and added error checks that it uses to keep itself healthy.

Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise Fix: Try Fully Formatting the Disk Drive

However, if the clicking problem persists, you will have to perform and exhaustive disk formatting; a procedure that forces writing into every sector on the disk. A full formatting forces the hard disk drive hardware to test each sector. It then and mark any it finds as faulty. This prevents use of that sector in the future. So, full formatting is a way to exclude damaged disk sectors from future reads and writes. Sometimes the clicking results when the drive attempts to write and read bad sectors. So, by deleting them from the available sector pool, you often reduce the clicking and speed up access too. Once the hard disk drive is again formatted, then you’ll find fewer bad sectors later. Thus, the chance of clicking and failed read/writes goes down.


Hard Drive Making Clicking Noise Fix: Low Level HDD Formatting, Perhaps

But if none of the above suggestions solves your slow, clicking HDD, the drive may have suffered internal hardware damage. Or, it may have been exposed to strong magnetic fields. These can erase some of the low-level formatted information on its data platters. In either case, your best bet is to replace the HDD. Why? Because of how inexpensive they’ve become in recent years. Low-level formatting may be possible though, in older HDDs. But how to do this is different for each brand of drive. Thus, low level formatting is beyond the scope of this post.

Related Posts

References

Revision History

  • 2019-03-23: Shortened post URL and added more tags.
  • 2018-04-06: Updated the post content.
  • 2017-01-24: Updated tag list.
  • 2015-12-22: Added more appropriate tags.
  • 2015-10-05: Added appropriate tags.
  • 2015-05-30: Originally published.

A hard drive keeps making a clicking noise always causes panic among users who encounter this issue. Based on our experience, a clicking hard drive may result from minor connection issues or serious hard drive damages. Follow to see why your hard drive is clicking, how to fix a clicking hard drive, and how to recover data from it with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

  • Reading Duration: 3-5 minutes.
  • Difficulty Level: Medium.
  • Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7, Windows Vista/XP, etc.
  • Applies to: Fix hard drive clicking, repair hard disk clicking sound, and make clicking internal/external hard drive work normally without losing any data.

Is your hard drive making noise once you boot up your computer? Do you hear 'click, click, click' noise once your external hard drive is connected to your computer? Don't worry.

This page covers everything that you need to know about the hard drive clicking issue and reliable fixes for this issue.

PAGE CONTENT:
Overview of Internal/External Hard Drive Clicking
Fix (External) Hard Drive Clicking: Repair Hard Drive Clicking, No Data Loss (5 Fixes)

Pick up a reliable solution here to fix a clicking hard drive. You can jump to the part you're most interested in a quick view:

Workable SolutionsStep-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Recover Data from Clicking DiskRun EaseUS recovery software > Scan and recover data from clicking disk...Full steps
Fix 2. Change Clicking Disk ConnectionReconnect clicking disk > Change connection cable > Change computer...Full steps
Fix 3. Freeze the Hard DriveClean the dust >Add an extra fan > Stop running computer...Full steps
Fix 4. Send the Hard Drive for RepairContact hard drive manufacturer or local repair center to repair clicking drive...Full steps

Overview of Internal/External Hard Drive Clicking

'When I plugged my WD external hard drive into my laptop, it kept making a clicking noise. A lot of important stuff, including years worth of my kids' pictures on there, were all lost. Does anyone know how I can fix this or get my data back?'

Are you having a similar issue as the case shown here? If your hard drive keeps clicking or making clicking noise on your computer, don't worry.

In this part, you'll learn:

  1. 1. What does it mean if your hard drive is clicking
  2. 2. Is hard drive clicking normal
  3. 3. What causes hard drive clicking

Normally, hard drive clicking is regarded as a sign of a failing hard drive. So is it normal that a hard drive or an external hard drive keeps clicking? No, it's not normal.

When you install a hard drive or connect an external hard drive, you should only be able to see its light blinking without any clicking noises. Check out what does it mean when your hard drive is clicking:

  • Hard disk light is on, having an extremely low running sound: the disk is all right.
  • Hard drive clicks slowly with a small sound: it means it has some connection issue.
  • Hard drive clicks fast, making a loud noise: it could be a 'click of death'.
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How does the clicking sound come into being? Actually, the clicking hard drive can either caused by minor issues or severe hardware damages, including:

  • Power supply issue: Insufficient power supply, hard drive spin error.
  • Problematic connection: Incompatible or problematic connection cable.
  • Physical damages: Fire burned, water drowned, high temperature, etc.
  • Hardware issues: Worn/misplaced disk head, damaged service area, damaged PCB, etc.

So how to fix this issue when your (external) hard drive is clicking? Continue reading and check out what to do with a clicking hard drive.

Also Read: How to fix external hard drive blinking but not working issue.

Fix (External) Hard Drive Clicking: Repair Hard Drive Clicking, No Data Loss (5 Fixes)

So how do I fix my clicking sound on my hard drive? If you are having the same question in your mind, check out the state of your hard drive:

And follow to repair the clicking hard drive on your own, with no data loss issue.

Note that if your clicking hard drive is still working and accessible, follow Method 1 or 2 to get data out of your drive first. If the drive is not detected or not recognized at all, jump to Method 3 to start fixing this issue.

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Method 1. Recover Data from the Clicking Hard Drive That Still Works

Applies to: Bring data out of clicking hard drive, rescue vital data.

If your hard drive is still detectable and openable, go ahead to back up all your files with free backup software to another secure device immediately. The drive may fail anytime.

However, if the clicking hard drive is detectable but you see no files shown up, you need to recover data from the clicking hard drive. Reliable hard drive recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can help.

As long as your clicking hard drive can be recognized by the computer, you can restore data with the following 3 steps. It will fully scan and recover all found data from the clicking drive at once:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS hard drive recovery software.

Run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your PC and select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted files. Click 'Scan' and let this program scan all lost data and files on the selected hard drive.

Step 2. Check and preview all lost hard drive data.

Find lost hard drive data from 'Deleted Files', 'Lost Files' or use 'Filter' to quickly navigate the lost data. Check and double-click to preview these found files.

Step 3. Restore lost hard drive data to a safe location.

After the preview, select wanted files that you lost on the drive and click 'Recover' to save them. Browse to choose a safe location on your PC or other external storage devices to store these restored hard drive data.

With EaseUS data recovery software, you can also recover data from other file loss issues, such as recover data from failed hard drive.

If data recovery software fails to restore data from your clicking but detectable hard drive, you can turn to a reliable data recovery service in Method 2 for help.

Extended Tips: Data Recovery Software vs. Manual Data Recovery Service

If you don't know how to pick up a data recovery solution for your clicking hard drive, watch this video to learn the differences.

Method 2. Turn to Manual Data Recovery Service

Applies to: Restore vital data from a clicking or problematic hard drive that could not be restored using data recovery software.

You may need further help for tough data loss situations like reformatting drive, RAW disk, partition loss, repartition failures, and system boot error. Consult with EaseUS Data Recovery Experts for cost-efficient one-on-one manual recovery service. They could offer the following services after FREE diagnosis:
1. Unformat the drive
2. Repair the RAID, RAW disk, or operating system
3. Recover lost partition (the one that cannot be recovered by software)
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If both Method 1 and Method 2 failed to restore your data, your hard drive will need a manual repair. Follow the fixes below one by one, you may get your clicking hard drive work again.

The following fixes also work to fix hard drive is not showing up, SD card not detected, USB not recognized issue.

Method 3. Change Hard Drive Connection to Fix Clicking Drive

Applies to: Check and fix problematic hard drive connection cable to fix hard drive clicking issue.

The clicking sound could be an indication of underpowering. Mostly, the insufficient power supply is likely to result in a clicking hard drive, changing the USB port is helpful in some cases. Also, a broken or an incompatible connection cable may also cause a disk clicking error.

Here are the troubleshooting steps for you to try:

Step 1. Check if the connection cable is broken.

If yes, purchase a new cable and reconnect the clicking (external) hard drive to your computer.

Step 2. Check if the power cable is loosened.

If yes, unplug and replug the power cable, connect it to your computer and the drive tightly.

Step 3. Check if you are using a compatible drive.

If you connected a USB.30 external drive via a USB 2.0 cable, the drive may not be recognized and even making clicking noises.

Step 4. Connect the clicking (external) hard drive to another computer.

If the drive still keeps clicking on your computer, try to connect it to another computer.

Step 5. Take the hard drive out of the disk enclosure and connect it as an external disk.

These tips can exclude all the connection issues that may exist. If the clicking noise remains, continue to try other fixes detailed below.

Method 4. Freeze or Cool Down the Hard Drive

Applies to: Fix hard drive clicking issue caused by the overheat or high temperature on disk.

When the hard drive is overheating, you may hear a clicking sound coming out of your computer. Freezing your hard drive can, on one hand, cool down your device, and on the other hand, shrink the components inside to free up the stuck or trapped ones.

To freeze your hard drive, there are several steps that you can follow:

Seagate Backup Plus Making Clicking Noise Canceling

Step 1. Open your computer case or laptop case, check if the fan is covered with dust.

If yes, clear all the dust on the fan.

Step 2. Add an extra fan to your computer and cool down the drive.

Step 3. Stop using the computer and wait for the drive to cool down.

Once the hard drive works again, back up your data or recover data from the hard drive immediately.

Step 4. If the hard drive is too old, replace the old drive with a new one.

Fix 5. Send Clicking Hard Drive for Repair

Applies to: Send clicking hard drive for repair due to physical damage, like a broken head reader, components, etc.

If the clicking sound persists, I'm afraid there are significant hardware issues on your hard drive. In this case, you may need help from specialists to fix the clicking hard drive and recover data from it.

To do so, you have two options for clicking hard drive repair:

  1. #1. Contact the support team of your hard drive manufacturer for help.
  2. #2. Take clicking hard drive to a local hard disk repair center.

The specialists can replace the control board if there is an electrical failure or replace the disk head if it is weak or damaged. Or you can directly send the defective hard drive for a replacement if it's still under warranty.

If the clicking hard drive is beyond repair, switching to a new one is the only choice for you.

The Bottom line

On this page, we explained why is your hard drive clicking, guided you to recover data from a clicking hard drive, and offered 3 fixes for hard drive/external hard disk clicking issue.

Once again, don't ignore the clicking sound on your hard drive. It may be a serious problem. You should first restore data from your drive with reliable EaseUS data recovery software.

Later, you can try to change its connection cables, cool down the drive, or take it for repair based on the causes of the clicking disks. If you still have questions about this issue, check out the questions and answers below for help.

Clicking

Hard Drive Clicking FAQs

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1. What are signs of a failing hard drive?

Here are some signs of impending or failing hard drive:

  • Strange noises, like clicking or humming.
  • Repeated program or disk errors.
  • Frequently popping up error messages.
  • Device not detectable, not recognized, not working.
  • Unable to load data nor system.

2. Why is my pc making a clicking sound?

  • Low clicking sound: computer is reading and writing data to the hard drive.
  • Loud clicking sound: hard drive is clicking with malfunctioned hard drive head.
  • The computer and hard drive are overheated.

3. What to do with a failing or dying hard drive?

If your hard drive is failing or dying, making a clicking noise, there are some fixes for you to try:

Seagate Backup Plus Making Clicking Noise Cancelling

Seagate backup plus making clicking noise canceling
  • Recover data from failing hard drive if it's bootable.
  • Back up data from failing hard drive if it's unbootable.
  • Review dying hard drive by changing power cable, update disk driver, etc.
  • Send drive for repair if it's under warranty.

How To Install Seagate Backup Plus

For a step-by-step guide, you may refer to: What To Do with A Dying Drive.