My HDD makes clicking/ticking noises on Ubuntu

As topic says.

It clicks everytime i do something, i believe it might be my HDD's head parking or something

It doesnt do this when i use Vista.

 

reinstall ubuntu

 

ubuntu itself is fine.. everythign is fine.. its just the clicking noises im wondering about

 

i think it has something to do with the power management settings...
try using hdparm... chk out this link.

 

I have had the same question when I installed Linux over 6 months ago.
Some harddisks, like my Hitachi drive with rather agressive power management, can have a high number of load/unload cycles because of this agressive power management combined with a Linux OS.

I have contacted Hitachi about this and they've given me advice on how to use one of their tools, to change it's 'Advanced Power Mode' .
With the changes made, now only Linux 'decides' when the heads are unloaded and not also the Hitachi power management software.

So contact your HD manufacturer and ask what tool they've got and what setting to use for Linux.
Also, check this Ubuntu thread.
Cheers.

 

Ive checked out the WD website, it says to download this file and put it on a floppy disc and boot it ?

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc...nBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9bm9pc2U*&p_li=&p_topview=1

I dont really care about the clicking noise. Will it do any HD damage if it keeps doing it?

 

Check the Ubuntu link in my previous post, I just added it.
It's an extensive debate about this issue.
In (one of) the last post, you can read what Hitachi adviced me on my specific hard drive.
What you hear on your WD is the loading/unloading of heads like you suspected which counts as a 'load cycle'.
Every HD has a supposed maximum (mine for instance 600000 according to Hitachi) of load cycles but more often than not a HD works well after having reached this 'maximum'.

 

It's strange coz when i'm on vista i can hear the clicking. I use the windows version of hdparm to remove(well..not completely.. ) it. But when i'm on linux Mint, there dosen't seem to be any clicking..

 

I notice this on one of my laptops with 7.10 but 8.04 is fine.

 

What about checking HD Monitor to see if something is doing something?

 

It's not a specific Linux issue, it depends on the HD's power management.
In combination with EXT3 journaling, agressive power management can lead to a high number of load cycles when the notebook is in idle.