Western Digital HDD click

[ahmz]

I decided to keep this new one. I installed Windows on it so it's constantly in use and there's no weird sounds coming from it.. No important data on it for a few months just in case :)

[Glowstick]

Is it a Green series drive? You might not just be hearing the thing parking its heads off-platter when idling too long?

[ahmz]

It is the Caviar Green (GP) model.

[MR_Candyman]

yes, it is just it parking. don't worry about it. that's why i don't buy the green drives though

[ahmz]

It parks every 30-60 seconds when idling?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Yeah it's annoying as hell.

People with laptops have the worst issues. It kept doing it in my PS3 as well.

You can change the length of time it does this and it will be quiet, you need an application called WDidle3.exe - http://home.arcor.de/ghostadmin/wdidle3_1_00.zip

Lots of topics on this

http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewt...asc&start=0

http://www.networkedmediatank.com/printthread.php?tid=20686

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.ph...5f19751c576bec0

It's actually stupid of WD, the drives can kill themselves quicker if they're constantly parking the heads.

Using wdidle3.exe (Dos utility) could you read the Intellipark park latency settings for both drives ?

>wdidle3 /R

Perhaps WD changes the default value on the new serial due to Linux users complaints.

Via wdidle3 it is also possible to set it to a higher value

>wdidle3 /S xxxxx

Or to desactivate Intellipark completely

>wdidle3 /D

>wdidle3 /R

I just used wdidle3 /D and disabled the intellipark feature.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Audioboxer

[ahmz]

I can't seem to find it, could you upload it please?

[ahmz]

Finally found a working link.

I need to run it in DOS but I'm using Windows 7 and don't have a floppy drive, how can I get into DOS?

[ahmz]

Alrighty, I used wdidle3 to disable it, it was originally set on 8 secs.............. but it's still clicking and the Load Cycle Count is still going up at an alarming rate (almost doubled my other few years old hdd already).

[Phantom Helix]

I would bring that one back to, and get Blue or Black WD lol

[ahmz]

Here's my temp fix. I found that by running the free program HD Tune (shows data/temps/etc), and having it pointed at the HDD in question, it stops the cycling and therefore stops the clicking. I'm happy with that but this whole experience has put me off WD, and I only used to buy WD HDDs.

Thanks to all who tried to help.

[Phantom Helix]

I am Convinced now it is that crappy green drive, i do think you need to ward off WD so fast, unles you want to SSD then id say Intel or OCZ