vaio HDD protection

Hello. I have a new Sony Vaio SZ. The HDD protection (hard drive disk protection) is repeatedly being triggered, even though the notebook has never been dropped, jarred or bumped. Apparently when this occurs, the HDD protection works by having the hard drive arm lifted off to prevent damage. The computer repeatedly makes an annoying clicking sound. I currently have HDD protection set at "mid" level. Does anybody else have this problem where HDD protection is triggered frequently (as in almost always). Also, it apparently takes a long time for the Hard drive arm to return to normal position and HDD protection to become untriggered. I do not know why it is happening. Easy solution would be to change to low protection, or turn it off. But my concern is what is the root problem for this. Is the shock also elicited by electric shock or only physical shock?? I have some concerns about this because I live in a very old house with old outlets and I am only using a standard belkin 6 oulet surge protector. When the problem persisted with the 6 outlet protector, i switched to a toshiba portable surge protector. Still getting the HDD protection triggered either way. Any idea what the problem is? Thanks.

 

It should be triggered by manual force or any sudden movements. If it's like the ThinkPad line of *HDD* Active Protection System.

 

Thx klutchrider. I dont know how it is getting triggered synce there hasnt really been any jarrring, dropping or sudden movements. maybe I should reset the HDD protection to minimum level and see if it occurs less frequently. Could be just that the thing is way over-sensitive.

 

HDD hard disk drive protection is still constantly engaged, clicking sound and the bubble keeps coming up from the tab bar about every 3 seconds, even though the notebook is completely stationary on my desk. Can anyone help??

 

earthquakes? lol

 

Try turning off the protection and report back.

 

go to this site: http://www.acsdata.com/ , and check on the RIGHT HAND SIDE, where it says "Death Of A Hard Drive

Does Your Drive Sound Like This?"

and check each of those sounds. Does your hard drive sound like that? it could be screwed up. I don't know if the drive itself is improperly manufactered or defective? What else could it be? Is it still under warranty?

Call sony up and ask 'em why the heck your HDD won't stop acing up.

 

thx it sounded a little like bad drive head 2 and 3. it only occurs when hdd protection is on. when hdd protection is disabled it sounds like a soft tic like a clock. when hdd protection is on it is a loud click about every 2.5 seconds. i will call sony and see what they say. thx

 

BTW hdd protection even goes off constantly when i have it set to low level protection

 

Well iunno a whole lot about hard drives, so just call Sony and get back to us when you've got an answer.

 

I think you were right on the money. BAd hard drive. I called 2 or 3 level one service guys. The main one i talked to told me that the Sony Vaio HDD protection program that kept engaging and the tab that kept popping up saying "Hard Drive protection engaged" every 3 seconds or so were not sony programs, and that if I had installed any programs onto my computer, then it was likely due to software I installed or spyware. LOL, he didnt want to take ownership for
VAIO HDD protection problem. He said they have no program that brings up a message like this in the tab bar (incidentally there is a check box within vaio HDD protecetion setting which specifically says click if you want tab bar to state when HDD protection is engaged). Anyway, he obviously didnt know much about the HDD protection program, but at least he was courteous. Finally today, another level 1 guy immediately put me through to level 2. I told him the problem, he understood exactly what I was saying and I held the receiver near the clicking noise and let him here two clicks. He said immediately that my hard drive is failing and told me how to send it in for HD replacement. He said likely there is some abnormal vibration from the failing HD, that is triggering the HDD to repeatedly engage. Well at least I learned that SONY has good support and also no wait to speak to a rep.

 

update: they replaced the hard drive for me and I am up and running again. thx for the help

 

oh man, 9 months later and I am having the same problem. This HDD protection is so annoying. Tech support told me last time that I should never disable it, but it just keeps going off and once it goes off, it never stops. every 3 seconds the tab puts up the HDD protection bubble and supposedly the drive arm is removed from the drive. It wouldnt be so annoying if it turned itself off and put the drive arm back in place, but it just stays in protected mode indefinitely. My computer isnt even being jarred or shaken. Dont get it. Last time they said it was a bad hard-drive and i had to send the comp to sony. I think the HDD program is just faulty or something. It cant be the HD since i got a new one that worked fine for the past 9 months.

 

having the same problem here aswell, really annoying!

tho i had this problem before and thought it was the antivirus software was causing it so i replaced it and it worked fine afterwards....... until now. ****....

 

Last time I called about this problem - one of there tech support guys tried to deny that the bubble that came up from task bar saying -HDD protection engaged- was a SONY program and tried to convince me that it was some kind of non-sony software I had installed onto the computer. HDD protection comes pre-installed from SONY and how a tech support guy can not know that or deny that is beyond me. With that level of incompetence - I am not to thrilled about having to call again. At least their level 2 tech support guy was able to help. Unfortunately the solution was to pack the computer up and ship it back to them.
Does anyone know how HDD protection is supposed to work when it operates perfectly? IF the computer is not shaking or vibrating then HDD protection should disengage - correct? How long should it take? My HDD protection is now constant and never disengages. There is a click every 2-3 seconds and the task bar bubble flashes on every few seconds indefinately as well. Presumably, if the computer is not shaking - the HDD protection is supposed to disengage itself, so the computer can function normally again, right?

 

here's a link to a review where someone comments that you should pray you dont have a problem with the HDD protection chip. Uh oh, I never prayed about that......and now I am in HDD protection hell.

 

Here is a link where someone else experienced HDD problems and suggested that buyers pray they dont have a bad HDD protection chip....
http://www.cnet.com.au/laptops/laptops/0,239035649,339282612,00.htm

 

not sure if its a good sign, switched the laptop off there over night. Now there doesnt seem to be a problem with the hdd yet, i think mine only happens when i have my laptop on for a longtime.
will be calling sony about this problem tomorrow and see what they say....

 

Eh, you guys do realize that the vaio hdd protection will literally shutoff the HDD if it senses repetitive shock(just as if you shut off your machine), so it may sound like its "dying" but what its reallly doing is simply functioning the way it is designed to. Have you tried simply lowering the sensitivity of your hdd shock settings?

 

yep, have lowered the sensitivity before still the same. might be what midknightblue say, it could be a bad hdd protection chip. my laptop is still under warranty for another couple of months so im gonna wipe it out first then install everything back on and see if its still causing it.

 

yes my HDD settings are set to the lowest possible, but it still goes off. As I said level 2 tech support heard my HDD clicks and grinds and told me to send it in for a new hard drive.

This is the second time I am dealing with the problem, but I think it is actually doing its job, and unfortunately my floors and my desk just happen to shake easily and the HDD is just really sensitive, even at the lowest settings. The second problem is that once the HDD protection engages, it never wants to disengage, and I can be stuck with HDD protection engaged for days at a time.

 

hey midknightblue does yours only engage after the laptop has been on for a longtime?
mine seems to only happen when its on for several hrs or when i leave it on over night. since it sits on my desk allnight and has not been touch still would engage itself.