Hard Drive Clicking?

Ok thanks for the fast reply, i think im just going to go ahead with the clean install and see if i have any problems after that.

Thanks for the help everyone and rep to you all, you do a great job :)

That's probably a wise move Gbu, and thanks for the kind sentiments - it's appreciated by all of us.

Please post back if you get further problems after the reinstall.

I'm sure to back lol

Just a quick question before i do so though, i have a 64bit version of Win7 and was wondering if i should always install 64bit versions of software if there available or doesnt it matter if there 32bit?
I've had some like Flash Player try and auto install when it detects your not running it and previously it installed the 32bit version but ive recently learned you can download a 64bit as well?

It doesn't really matter which version you install in most cases. As long as it is supported by the 64-bit operating system. Some programs that claim to be 32-bit are actually 16-bit and will only run on the 32-bit OS. These will give you a warning/error before installation in most cases and will not install. I do not use the 64-bit programs that much on my system. 64-bit software is still growing and has not yet completely caught up with the 64-bit OS option, in my opinion. There is a lot more support than there was two years ago for 64-bit applications, but it still seems like a work in progress.

In short, it should not matter which you install. If you want to use 64-bit applications more, they will utilize more of the resources available and may perform better. It is more of a preference at this point.

Windows 64-bit:

You can install either 32-bit applications or 64-bit applications. Both will run without any problem, but you should experience a performance boost with 64-bit software.

32-bit applications will default to Program Files (x86) whilst 64-bit applications will default to Program Files.

You will find two IE9 applications: one will be the 32-bit version and the other will be the 64-bit version.

As for Adobe Flash, the latest 64-bit version includes the 32-bit version as well.

Also, be aware that older 16-bit software will not run on a 64-bit operating system unless you use something like Virtual PC and XP Mode, for which you would at least need Windows 7 Professional.

To recap, if you have any 64-bit software, don't hesitate to install it.

Bit of an update, i did a clean install but whilst it was installing the 'clicking' noise was happening quite a bit and a lot louder, i managed to take off the front panel of my case and seeing as my hard drives are in the front it allowed me to place a screwdriver onto the side(safely) and the other end to my ear so i could hear and it was indeed the drive my OS is installed to.

I then disconnected the drive and made a fresh partition on my other drive and have since installed Windows to that drive and good to say theres no noise.

What i am a bit concerned about though is installing the updates as its been stuck on 18 of 81 now for nearly an hour trying to install .NET Framework 3.5.1, should it be taking that long?

The installation never completed and i had a BSOD appear!

I ran memory Diagnostics Tool from System Repair and it said there was a hardware problem.

im not sure whats going on as this is a clean install and it seems to be crashing worse then before

Do you still have your bad hard disk connected to the computer?

You seem to have backed up which is good!
If the HDD is under warranty I suggest you RMA it.
If not under warranty I would be tempted to write it off as a bad debt. It's too much like an electro-mechanical failure about to happen.

No the bad drive has been disconnected.

It's an old(er) drive so couldn't send it back and not bothered by just scrapping it.