External HDD, hearing some subtle clicking sounds

Rain08 · 04 May 2013

Hey guys, I'm having a problem with my external HDD, just happened today, after I plugged it in, a dialog appeared saying "Do you want to scan and fix ,<insert drive name and letter here>", I clicked the option below which is continue unscanned if I can remember and because I was just gonna add a some .txt files, after pressing the option I heard subtle clicking sounds which has an interval of around 0.5~1.0 seconds, I immediately presumed that it's the click of death, I quickly remove the external drive, I returned it in place and did the scan and fix thing by windows, I'm currently not hearing some clicking sounds now. Question is, does the clicking sound appears when you don't do a check disk an external or internal drive? Just tell me if it's really need to go to a repair shop if needed.
External HDD:
Western Digital 32000BEV External HDD 298.09 GB (1 year and 9 months old)

Edit: I don't want to do the freezer trick because it's hot in here, the ice may condense and turn in to water, I'll only do it if I place it in a plastic and it has no air inside it and problem is don't have a vacuum.
Edit 2: The checkdisk stopped without any reason, when ever I click the check this disk, the dialog closes automatically, I can access the files inside though.
Edit 3: Currently doing a checkdisk for the external drive it's 3/4 on the way to the end.

TVeblen · 05 May 2013

Your first task is to backup all data from that drive. Do not do anything else until that is done.

Then run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic test program on the drive. You can download these from their website. See what it finds.

The click could be a disk head parking problem. It is possible for this to be a one-off event, but most times it is an indication of a larger, hardware based fault inside the drive.

Rain08 · 05 May 2013

What hard drive manufacturer should I get? When I visited some websites earlier, I saw that WD isn't a reliable manufacturer, is that true? I need an amount that is equivalent to mine which is 298.09 GB or more (better), thinking of the cap is around 500 GB, don't care if it's large as long as I can place my data on it without worrying something bad will happen, price range of 40~50$ and the most important, it's reliable and can last for a very long time. Currently checking on newegg, can't find some yet.

Edit: USB 2.0 too, it would be better if it has a high capacity but around those price range.
Edit 2: Forgot to add this one, after the check disk, the clicking sounds disappeared, dialog said no problems found, and it's normal as it is, but I won't plug that often, I'll just plug it in when only needed, that way I can reduce the chance of the drive failing.

TVeblen · 05 May 2013

For backups it's good to have an external drive, USB connected. I prefer the larger desktop externals that have their own power source than the smaller portable ones that draw power through the USB port, but this is a highly individualized choice. I use mine strictly for backup and do not need portability. I have had connectivity problems with portable drives and they have annoyed me.

Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung/Fujitsu all make nice drives and are relatively reliable. All of these manufacturers have had their 'bad day'. People who have had a hard drive crash are not very forgiving of the experience, so the flaming you will read of any one of these companies is quite normal.

Basically we buy for the best deal and hope for the best.