Clicking sounds can come from both the system speaker and external speakers. At the same time, the system speaker rarely creates problems, but its external counterparts are quite capable of noise “provocations”. If the clicks disappear when you disconnect the external speakers from the device, then the malfunction most likely lies in them.

HDD

Clicks with the same frequency and amplitude can be produced by a hard drive if its mechanism is faulty. This could be drive wear, incorrect head parking, disk damage, and so on. If the sounds come specifically from the HDD, then it is urgent to look for ways to save information, because the end time of such hard drive absolutely unpredictable.

power unit

Clicks in the power supply, accompanied by a malfunction of the system, require its immediate examination. Otherwise, there is a high probability of destroying not only the installed OS, but also the computer as a whole. In the absence of proper experience, it is strictly not recommended to repair this unit yourself. And the most important reason is its subsequent safety, because soldering just one wire in the wrong place can lead to a short circuit, the consequences of which can be the inoperability of the PC, and, even worse, a fire in the room.

Coolers

Coolers can also make a lot of noise. Noise appears when an imbalance occurs, the lubricant dries out, the blades are damaged, clogged with dust, and so on. Having identified the noisiest specimen, you can try to lubricate it, unless, of course, there is mechanical damage.

Loose wires

Wires disconnected from the factory cables may well cause noise if they touch the cooler blades. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully clean the system unit from dust and, after carrying out such a procedure, always check the integrity of the wire harnesses.

After such a check, broken components should be repaired. It is best to contact someone who specializes in this service center. If repairing components is not possible, they must be replaced.

These are the reasons for the occurrence of extraneous noise that can be observed on personal computer. If you don't ignore them, your computer will last longer and be less expensive to use.

If you begin to notice that your computer is clicking or there is a constant shuffling noise coming from the system unit, you may need to pay closer attention to this.

In general, as you understand, a computer is a noisy device. For any machine containing rotating elements makes sounds. And there are dozens of reasons for this. And most of them are objective. However, you are probably already familiar with the sounds of forced air. And, by the way, if the sound becomes louder, we are talking about radiators blocked by dust. But if the clicks are distinct, with a high tone?

The computer clicks: it's the speaker

This is easy to check. The system has several speakers. one of them, systemic, is hidden from your eyes. He is either placed on motherboard and firmly attached to it, or through a two-core wire brought to the computer case. It rarely creates problems for the user. Usually, external speakers are to blame for a clicking computer. Turn them off. Do not unplug it from the socket, but simply remove the jack from the socket for a moment (the background sound of a characteristic noise tone at the moment of switching is normal). If the clicking continues, we can talk about problems with the speaker (here it has already been removed):

a look from the inside - the built-in speaker socket is somewhere here

However, the problem should not be closed here. Frequently appearing clicks in the speakers while working with the system and intensive work with the hard drive (and sometimes it’s just a mouse movement) indicates a malfunction of the computer’s electronic components. We are talking about the power supply and motherboard:

trouble with motherboard- it's coming to an end

To begin with, just try to reduce the electrical potential inevitably induced on the computer case. If you live in a modern apartment with a three-wire network, you are in luck: protective grounding along a separate core will remove the potential for leakage from drying out capacitors from the metal base of the case. Otherwise, you should think about an additional wire from the case; in such rooms, I advise you to solve the problem simply: one end of a piece of small-section wire to the computer case (usually from the side where the power supply is attached with screws), the second is attached to the metal base of a naturally grounded device or part of the communications. I look forward to the angry shouts of electricians and fire safety specialists. However. It's worth a try, at least to find out the reasons.

In any case, problems with the speakers are solved. Either by switching to another port, or purchasing a separate audio card. There is an option with USB speakers.

Computer clicks: cable

Sometimes it happens. If the system unit has not been in the hands of a rounder (from rounding - a beautiful design for fixed wire loops inside devices and machines), it is likely that one of the wires, loops or cables is touching the blades. The issue is resolved by securely securing the wires inside the system unit:

before rounding...

...and after rounding

The computer clicks: it's a hard drive

A very likely reason. Moreover, such clicks are clearly distinguished. Usually these are sounds of a distinct tone of the same amplitude and at equal intervals of time. We are talking about a mechanical malfunction of the moving parts inside the disk mechanism. Regular incorrect parking of the head and wear of the drive mechanism are the most common reasons for HDD failure in the “mechanical part”. Save vital data urgently – it’s only a matter of time before it’s lost. The situation is often aggravated by the fact that using software methods The situation here cannot be prevented or predicted.

The computer clicks: it's the power supply

The clicks of this device cannot be confused with anything. Loud and extremely noticeable for the system. Accompanied by a computer malfunction. Moreover, the power supply fails and actually system unit, and on the monitor. And if a CRT monitor reaches its historical milestone on your desk, consider that all wall-mounted electronic components have been working against you for a long time. If the monitor, for example, turns off from time to time with a characteristic click, call a repairman or go to the store for a new model.

According to statistics, after about 6 years everyone stops working second HDD, but practice shows that after 2-3 years in work hard the disk may malfunction. One of the common problems is when the drive cracks or even beeps. Even if this was noticed only once, certain measures should be taken to protect against possible data loss.

A working hard drive should not have any extraneous sounds during operation. It makes some hum-like noise when writing or reading information. For example, when downloading files, running programs in the background, updates, launching games, applications, etc. There should be no knocks, clicks, squeaks or crackles.

If the user observes sounds unusual for the hard drive, it is very important to find out the cause of their occurrence.

Checking the status of the hard drive

Often, a user who runs the HDD status diagnostic utility can hear clicks made by the device. This is not dangerous, since in this way the drive can simply mark the so-called bad sectors.

If the rest of the time there are no clicks or other sounds, operating system works stably and the speed of the HDD itself has not dropped, then there is no reason to worry.

Switching to power saving mode

If you have turned on the power saving mode, and when the system goes into it you hear clicks from the hard drive, then this is normal. If you disable the corresponding settings, clicks will no longer appear.

Power outages

Power surges can also cause the hard drive to click, and if the problem is not observed the rest of the time, then everything is fine with the drive. Laptop users may also experience various non-standard HDD sounds when running on battery power. If the clicking noise disappears when you connect the laptop to the network, then the battery may be faulty and should be replaced with a new one.

Overheat

For various reasons, the hard drive may overheat, and a sign of this condition will be various non-standard sounds that it makes. How can you tell if your hard drive is overheating? This usually happens under load, for example during games or long-term recording on the HDD.

In this case, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the drive. This can be done using programs HWMonitor or AIDA64.

Other signs of overheating include freezing of programs or the entire OS, sudden rebooting or complete shutdown PC.

Let's look at the main reasons for increased HDD temperature and ways to eliminate it:

Damage to servo markings

At the production stage, servo marks are recorded on the HDD, which are necessary to synchronize the rotation of the disks and correct positioning of the heads. Servo marks are rays that start from the center of the disk itself and are located at the same distance from each other. Each of these tags stores its number, its place in the synchronization chain and other information. This is necessary for stable rotation of the disk and accurate determination of its areas.

A servo marking is a collection of servo marks, and when it is damaged, some area of ​​the HDD cannot be read. The device will try to read the information, and this process will be accompanied not only by long delays in the system, but also by a loud knock. In this case, the disk head knocks, which tries to contact the damaged servo tag.

This is a very complex and serious failure in which the HDD can work, but not 100%. The damage can be corrected only with the help of a servowriter, that is low level formatting. Unfortunately, there are no programs for this that offer a real “low level format”. Any such utility can only create the appearance of low-level formatting. The thing is that the formatting itself at a low level is carried out by a special device (servowriter) that applies servo markings. As is already clear, no program can perform the same function.

Cable deformation or faulty connector

In some cases, the culprit for clicking sounds may be the cable through which the drive is connected. Check its physical integrity - whether it is broken, whether both plugs are held tightly. If possible, replace the cable with a new one and check the quality of operation.

Also inspect the connectors for dust and debris. If possible, connect the hard drive cable to a different connector on the motherboard.

Incorrect hard drive position

Sometimes the catch lies just in incorrect installation disk. It must be bolted very tightly and positioned exclusively horizontally. If you place the device at an angle or do not secure it, the head may catch during operation and make sounds such as clicks.

By the way, if there are several disks, then it is best to mount them at a distance from each other. This will help them cool better and eliminate the possible appearance of sounds.

Physical breakdown

A hard drive is a very fragile device, and it is afraid of any impacts such as falls, shocks, strong shocks, vibrations. This is especially true for laptop owners - mobile computers Due to the negligence of users, stationary ones are more likely to fall, hit, withstand heavy weights, shaking and other unfavorable conditions. One day this may lead to the drive breaking. Typically, in this case, the disk heads break, and a specialist can repair them.

Ordinary HDDs that are not subject to any manipulation can also fail. All it takes is a particle of dust to get inside the device under the writing head and it can cause squeaking or other sounds.

The problem can be determined by the nature of the sounds made by the hard drive. Of course, this does not replace a qualified examination and diagnosis, but it may be useful:

• Damage to the HDD head - several clicks are heard, after which the device begins to work slower. Also, sounds that continue for some time may occur with a certain periodicity;
• The spindle is faulty - the disk starts to start, but in the end this process is interrupted;
• Bad sectors - perhaps there are unreadable areas on the disk (at the physical level that cannot be eliminated using software methods).

What to do if clicks cannot be eliminated on your own

In some cases, the user cannot not only get rid of clicks, but also diagnose their cause. There are only two options on how to proceed:

1. Buying a new HDD. If the problematic hard drive is still working, then you can try to clone the system with all user files. Essentially, you will only replace the media itself, and all your files and OS will work as before.

   If this is not yet possible, you can at least save the most important data to other sources of information storage: USB flash, cloud storage, external HDD and etc.

2. Contact a specialist. Repair physical damage hard drives very expensive and usually doesn't make sense. Especially when it comes to standard hard drives (installed in the PC at the time of purchase) or purchased independently for little money.

   However, if the disk contains very important information, then a specialist will help you “get” it and copy it to a new HDD. If there is a pronounced problem of clicking and other sounds, it is recommended to contact professionals who can recover data using hardware and software systems. Independent actions can only aggravate the situation and lead to complete loss of files and documents.

We have analyzed the main problems due to which HDD may click. In practice, everything is very individual, and in your case a non-standard problem may arise, for example, a jammed engine.

Finding out on your own what caused the clicking sounds can be very difficult. If you do not have sufficient knowledge and experience, we recommend turning to specialists or purchasing and installing a new hard drive yourself.