Hard disk problems?

[p3eps]

Hi folks,

I got a brand new VGN-T2XP yesterday and am loving it!
I'm a little concerned that my hard disk keeps making a ticking noise every 20 seconds or so when idling, and randomly makes a loud 'clunk' noise every so often when in use. Sounds to me like the hard disk is gonna go (just after I've got everything I need ON it!).
Had a brief look through Sony site, but can anyone help me find a page or info on how I go getting it checked out?

Cheers,
Pete

[tonybeard]

Hello and welcome to Club Vaio.
I hear loud noises from my optical drive when it encounters a Cyclical Redundancy problem and rips up and down trying to read a disk with the wrong algorythymic protocol. Simularly I think your hard drive is working too hard and has fragmented or is just not settled. Try defragmenting your HD over and over again (takes hours) with all the processes switched off bar the explorer and systray. When your HD deframents in 30 seconds it is optimized and should run quietly. Better still get Diskeeper LiteDiskeeperLite or buy DiskeeperPro. Pro will nurse your hard drive and reccommend Master Paging File adjustments. Master KeeLo I can thank for that. Thanks. My Vaio is fast and reliable.

[kee-lo_]

Hi,

This is normal, no need to worry about it, it's the heads parking when you're idle, so that if someone moves the VAIO it won't scratch the data area of the disk.

If you want to keep an eye on it get a SMART detector like Everest Home Edition.

I back up often to save heartache

[p3eps]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I phoned Sony yesterday who said they can have the computer taken away and the drive replaced...
I think I'll try the defragmenting first though because I'd rather not be without it for 7-10 working days!

I've ghosted my whole hard disk to my desktop as a precaution!

[p3eps]

I've defragged both partitions. My C: has about 10gig of data, and now take about 30 seconds to defrag now (after 3 defrags) and my 😧 has about 500meg, and takes about 5 seconds to defrag,

The drive still sounds like a clock though - ticking every second or two, and then making huge clunk noises every so often.

[yazan]

Hello
I have a 2 month old FS vaio ,I also have these loud 'clunk' from now to then from the harddisk , I have it since I bought the laptop,so are you sending the laptop for repair ?

[rich912]

If you send it in for repair there is a possibility that you will face a bill from Sony.
As Kee-Lo pointed out this ticking and clicking sound is quite normal for most notebook drives. Mine has done it from new and now, three years later, it still clicks. I also get a more prolonged sound occasionally, although in all honesty I wouldn¿t describe it as a `clunk¿.

[kee-lo_]

I have noticed one thing though, now I have wireless my GRX parks it's heads less often, but I guess this is due to the pings to see if the router is still around.

[p3eps]

I dont know what to do!
Sony have advised me to send the machine to them - but then I dont want to face an inspection fee if they consider there is nothing wrong.

My machine is never really 'idle' as its normally wireless on the internet downloading. Sometimes its near silent except hard disk usual noise, then other times it ticks like a clock every second almost and then randomly 'clunks'! I actually work as an Apple (booo hiss!) engineer and repair laptops for a living. I've never heard this type of noise before apart from when the drive is away to die... but then everyone is telling me this is normal!

I normally do a backup every couple of weeks - but just now I am backing up all the time cause I'm scared that it will go at any time!

[yazan]

hello p3eps
I will try to contact sony tomorrow here in spain to ask them about the strange noise , I would like to compare the niose to yours. I also think its a strage sound I tried to see if other laptops from my work (other brands) do it but I cant hear the same thing.
Can you record the noise and send me by Email ? also if you want tell me your Email and I send you a wav file I recorded (or any body else who want it).

Yazan
Email :
the_man_tt@hotmail.com