Clicking harddisk sound FE11S sequel

[Carelino]

Now just like a lot of Vaio FE11S users I had the clicking sound where my hardisk is. People who suggest it is the hardisk working, please save me the trouble of telling 100 times it is not the harddisk working sound. I had enough laptops to know the difference.

DOWNLOAD CLICKING SOUND

Now what I would like to know is if there has been anyone who send his/her laptop to Sony back to let them check it out. If yes, I ofcourse would really like to know what sony told you or what you did eventually. It seems to me nobody knows the solution. I did call sony and told them everything about the problem. They said it was something wich is new to them. I gave them the club-vaio link where people posted about the same problem. This coming week I am going to send my laptop to sony, this clicking sound disturbs me a lot.

I know that there are previous threads about this Old thread about clicking sound link , but I wanted to post a sequal where people could post their experience and opinion. Please don't suggest me to open up my harddisk or laptop, and once again it is NOT the harddisk working sound.

What happens: "The hard disk makes irregularly a clicking sound which is pretty loud two. Most certainly is not a working sound. It sounds like something is hitting the plastic of the laptop or something else. When I shut down my laptop and restart the sound is gone for a while." I personally think it has something to do with the reading arm. The clicking sound appears always when the laptop is not working. It's like when the harddisk is not working it cant get into the resting position, and keep on trying. I hope sony is going to spend serious time on this problem, especially it seems to be a common problem.

Important suggestions and remarks of others:

hard drive is made by fujitsu & they have a diagnostic software tool on the fujitsu web site & when i ran it, the program said no hard drive found on laptop, i spoke to fujitsu & they said i should wait for later version of software to come out, which i will do! anyone who goes to fujitsu web site, the version i tryed is 6.40

This is the response I have received from Fujitsu regarding the issue: We connected this drive MHV2160BT to our analyser and installed Windows XP Pro, we did not hear any obvious clicking noise unless you place your ear next to the drive so it is very quiet even though this does go into sleep mode at around every 4-10 seconds (idle). I would investigate if you can further into the specifications and configurations fitting of your Sony Laptop.

[paradoxchild]

i recently got a c1z/b, and have since noticed what seems to be the same or similar click. my hdd is a fujitsu MHV2120BH PL, 120gb.

im not sure that the 'click' happens every time the hdd is idle and when it does, it coincides with a flicker of the hdd light so i dont know if it is the same 'problem' or just a fujitsu trait. it is a different model of hdd to the earlier posters.

im hoping i dont have to send it off as i've had probs this last month with my old vaio, hence purchasing this as a replacement! sigh

[LietKynes]

For FE21M only, you can get it here:

http://gavin.benson.users.btopenworld.com/Downloads/fe21m.zip

Please note, it is a Sony file intended for the fe21m 160gb HDD and you will need to use it at your own risk, I WILL NOT be responsible for any problems you may encounter by using this zip file

I have to say that I haven't had the problem after flashing the disk about a month ago with this firmware. These are the steps I took to flash my HD:

1.- Create a bootable cd with nero burning rom including the files inside this zip. There are the options create cd and create bootable cd, select the later. I used the version 7, I'm not sure if you can do it with version 6 or lower.

2.- Boot from the cd. You have to select the cd unit with the command x: being x the letter of the unit.

3.- Run the file DLJ0014.bat and after the flashing, take the cd from the unit and reboot.

You can check if your firmware is flashed to the version 14 using a program like Everest, in storage -> ata -> revision

Good luck.

[apierc1]

Hello, I have recently got a FE21M as a replacement for my old faulty Vaio off Sony, I am just wondering about this clicking sound, I have had my vaio for just over 2 weeks now, and I as yet haven't heard any of these clicking sounds, how long did it take for your vaios to develop these sounds?
Or did they click form the very begining?
Touch wood (touch desk) I never get any of these sounds as it would deffinately be something that would dive me insane.
I have noticed the shadows but this doesn't bother me too much.

[dartrax]

For me it begun after a few days (less a week). As I've heard from other users it may come instantly, after a month or never... Everything is possible!

dartrax

[apierc1]

Mystical, thank you, I hope never I hear hardrive accessing but just normal sound, perhaps its my constant playing of mp3s or something, or maybe that I put in an external sound card, hmm well heres hoping I'm clicking freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :smileyblush:

[ajthomason]

Hello all,

I have an FE21S with a Fujitsu MHV2160BT Hard Drive. I have had it for about 5 months, and for 3 of them, i have had the clicking noise.

I have to either leave a disk defrag running, or put it into standby if i am not using it for 60 seconds, otherwise i cannot work in the same room. It is so annoying.

I have called sony and they wont fix it, but i dont mind as the drive is very slow anyway. So, i am going to buy a new drive and put it in.

If i buy a Seagate ST9160821AS (160GB, 5400RPM) is that guarenteed to stop the clicking, or is the fault further down the line - some people have mentioned the SATA connector to the motherboard.

-- If it will stop it, does anyone know of a 7200RPM drive that i can use, i cannot find one above 120GB!

Thanks,

AJThomason

[ajthomason]

I have just found a better drive than the seagate, but the original questions still stand.

The drive is a Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00

[dartrax]

Hello ajthomason,
as far as I know the noise should be fixed with another Hard Drive. If I'm not mistaken I remember at least one user which had success with a Seagate HD.
I think the issue with the SATA Connector was a wrong information by Sony.

dartrax

[edwoodjnr]

I remember at least one user which had success with a Seagate HD

Yes it was me and yes the fault has gone with my Seagate drive, I am very happy with it and my VAIO.

Note you will use more battery power if you go for the 7200 drive but it should work ok (don't put another Fujitsu drive in though!)

[acecooper]

I have a Vaio AR11M and i have the EXACT same problem. I'm not sure but it seems to do it at regular intervals when i'm not using it. My guess is that it spins down and up quickly when something is being written to it in idle mode? <---- i don't know !!

I'm using Windows Vista RC2 on my laptop. You had any luck?