The hard drive starts spinning and then stops. Hard drive clicks and won't start

Hard drive problems are an extremely serious problem associated with the risk of losing important data and information. That is why you should be extremely careful about any malfunctions in order to prevent their removal.

A typical problem that users deal with is: hard drive turns off during operation. Most often this is manifested by the disappearance of the folder structure from the “My Computer” section. Let's look at several reasons for such situations and try to eliminate them in an accessible way.

Poor cable contact

The SATA cable connector is not particularly reliable, which is why it can lose contact even due to slight vibrations. This leads to the consequences described above.

So, what should you do to prevent your hard drive from turning off? First of all, to solve this problem you need to check the connection. Contact may have been lost when joining motherboard or the drive itself. You should also pay attention to the location of connection to the power source.

Remember that the SATA cable cannot be bent more than 90 degrees, so never fold it. If you did this, then it could have deteriorated and will need to be replaced with a new one.

It should also be said about the low-quality power supply connectors for SATA drives, which are prone to deformation and swelling. This very often leads to poor quality contact. The hard drive, of course, works, but at the same time it will think about it, as in the case of existing bad sectors. Therefore, make sure that the connectors are in order and properly connected to the socket.

Overheat

Another extremely common cause of a variety of PC problems. If your hard drive is full and reappears after you restart your computer, it may. To check the temperature, you can use special utilities, of which there are a huge variety today, for example HDTune, AIDA64 and others. With their help, you can find out the parameters you require for certain components.

The normal operating temperature is 30 degrees, the maximum permissible is no more than 45. If your temperature is higher, that is, the propeller overheats, then you should urgently take measures to improve the cooling system:

Power supply (PSU)

Its unstable operation or lack of power often leads to problems with the drives and to the fact that it periodically turns off. Usually this is also accompanied by frequent involuntary computer reboots.

If you have this symptom, try changing the power supply. Why is this necessary? It is likely that this is where the whole problem lies.

Drive failure

If all of the above did not help and the hard drive still periodically disappears, then perhaps the reason is in itself. First of all, check it on . If they are not found, move on to the next step.

HDD serviceability. To check this, connect it to another computer. If nothing changes, then the hard drive is broken and must be replaced. In a situation that arises, the first thing to do is take care of the information stored on it. Try copying it to another medium while yours is still somewhat functional, otherwise you may lose it. Of course, experienced specialists with the appropriate knowledge will help you restore it if something happens, but you shouldn’t take risks.

If the hard drive works fully on another PC, then the problem may be in some other component. Pay attention to the motherboard, which affects its functioning and, in case of problems, can interfere with it. In this case, repairing or replacing it will fix everything.

Power settings in Windows OS

It also often happens that the drive turns off spontaneously when the computer is actively working. To fix this you need to Windows settings set the shutdown time to “Never”.

Instructions for changing the value on Windows 7/8/10:

Now you know what the problem could be if the drive periodically turns off or disappears, and how to fix it yourself without the help of third-party specialists.

This topic is discussed in more detail in this video.

This is always a very serious problem because there is a risk of data loss. Therefore, for any malfunction hard drive it is necessary to pay maximum attention in order to react in time and prevent data from being deleted.

One of the typical problems that many users face is the hard drive suddenly shutting down. In such a situation, they usually say that the hard drive is missing. Typically, this manifests itself in the form of the hard drive disappearing from the My Computer window and the entire folder structure. In this article we will look at a number of reasons that can lead to such problems.

Reason No. 1. The hard drive disappears due to poor contact with the SATA cable.

The most common reason for a hard drive to turn off. The connection connector is not very reliable and can lose contact as a result of shocks or even simple vibrations. This causes the hard drive to disappear from your computer.

Decide this problem relatively simple. To do this, you need to open the system unit and check using SATA cables. The cable may have lost contact where it connects to the motherboard or where it connects to the hard drive itself. You also need to check the connection of the SATA cable with power.

Reason No. 2. The hard drive disappears due to overheating.

Overheating is another common cause of various computer problems. To check, use one of the special programs, for example. Using this program you can find out the temperature of all the main components of the computer.

Typical temperature for hard drives is – 30 degrees Celsius. The maximum permissible is 45 degrees, anything above this mark is already overheating. In such cases, measures must be taken to improve cooling.

Reason No. 3. The hard drive disappears due to problems with the power supply.

Any HDD can break. If you hear sounds unusual for him, do not neglect them. Find out the reason for their appearance. Let's consider what to do if the hard drive clicks and does not start.

Why does this happen

A working HDD does not emit extraneous sounds. “Clicking” is a symptom indicating its malfunction. Let's consider what to do if the HDD clicks and is not detected

Hard drive clicks and won't turn on

Why does this happen:

1. Device self-test when the HDD marks bad sectors;
2. Switch to energy saving mode. This causes it to shut down;
3. Power outages;
4. Increase in temperature;
5. When positioning the read head;
6. The hard drive clicks and does not display if the ferromagnetic layer or servo marking is damaged.

The manufacturer of the device plays a big role. Models from different brands may indicate a malfunction in different ways.

Hard drive clicks on startup

Remove corrosion with an eraser.

The servo markings are damaged

During manufacturing, servo marks are recorded on the HDD. They are used to synchronize the rotation of the device and the correct position of the heads. These are “stripes” coming from the center. Special marks are applied to them. This is used to ensure that the rotation is stable and the areas are correctly defined.
Servo marking is a set of servo markings. If it becomes damaged, part of the disk cannot be read. HDD tries to read data, this will be accompanied by a knocking sound. The clicking sound occurs because the read head is accessing a faulty servo tag. The device clicks and stops.
Correcting the damage is possible using low-level formatting. There are currently no programs for this. occurs with a servowriter device that applies such markings.

Physical damage to the cable or connector

Check availability mechanical damage on the train. Is it held securely in the plug? If they are, replace it. Try connecting it to a different connector to check.

Incorrect position

Securely secure the HDD with bolts and place it horizontally.

HDD clicks and won't boot

Determine the problem by the nature of the clicks:

1. A few clicks, then the device works slower - the head is faulty;
2. Spindle malfunction - HDD starts and stops;
3. . Areas on the disk surface from which information cannot be read. It cannot be fixed using software methods.

The hard drive clicks and is not detected

A possible reason is a dislocation of the head. Put it in place yourself.

Use this method with caution. Wrong actions will make recovery impossible.

Important point

Open the device in a slightly dusty room. Try to prevent dust from getting inside.
Perform the following sequence of actions.
Unscrew the bolts on the HDD case. Remove the sticker. There are bolts underneath.
Remove the protective cover. You will see the following:
Turn the bolt counterclockwise and move the head to the seat.
Twist the pancake. It should rotate. We assemble the device and connect it.
If the HDD works, do backup information. It is difficult to say how long he will work. It all depends on the amount of dust that gets there.

The device does not start

To protect against voltage surges, the HDD board has two TVS diodes for five and twelve volts. Check this with a multimeter. If the resistance is near zero, the diode does not work.

After removing the non-working diode, the HDD will not be protected from voltage surges.

WD external hard drive clicking

If it doesn’t see it, the reason is the cable. Change it. Light knocking sounds indicate it's time to replace the bearing.
WD models are characterized by:

1. Frequent clicks, then the speed slows down - a problem with the heads;
2. Constant startup that stops and starts again - problems with the spindle;
3. Sounds reminiscent of scratching - bad sectors.

With such problems, you cannot solve the problem yourself.

Toshiba external HDD clicks

Let's look at the common causes of knocking noise that occurs in models of this brand:

1. The HDD clicks and does not start - the magnetic heads are jammed;
2. A Toshiba external HDD makes a grinding noise - the read head is touching the disk surface.

Instead of output

We looked at the reasons why the HDD clicks. When a knocking noise occurs, first check its condition. Take advantage of the built-in OS tools. If the HDD head is damaged, professional repair is required in a specialized workshop. I don't recommend changing it yourself. You can damage the device even more, it will be impossible to restore it.
After recovering the HDD, install the device uninterruptible power supply. This will reduce the risk of damage due to voltage surges. System unit place it so that it is not subject to vibrations and shocks.