Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem

LAST EDITED ON Sep-02-01 AT 04:41 AM (GMT)
Hard Drive Clicking
Old HD would click...shut off (pwr light would stay on). Then
click again and would begin to run.....then repeat the same cycle.
The click sound is like that of a small relay opening or closing.
Removed this HD and reformated it and put it in another machine...
...it worked fine.
Bought a new WD 40gig HD and installed in first computer...same
problem. So this leads me to believe it's not a HD problem.
The first machine (the one with the problem) is one I built. The
mother board is a ECS K7S5A Duron 850Mhz.
The first boot up of the day is always ok.....for up to an hour.
Then the HD begins the "click-shut down" scenario.
Successive attempts to reboot produce varing results. Sometimes
the HD won't be detected at all. Sometimes the boot is normal
until scandisk runs. After about a minute of scandisk the "click-
shutdown" cycle starts...if allowed to continue finally I will get
a blue screen....."unable to write to hard disk".
I checked the CPU temp, startup is 23c and climbs to 34c when the
HD clicking-shutdown cycle starts.
pioneer steveC

1. RE: Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem
qqdawg Sep-02-01 05:00 AM
In response to message 0

When I say "clicks-shuts down" I mean the HD shuts down (not the computer). But the HD power light remains ON.

3. RE: Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem
lbyard Sep-02-01 04:28 PM
In response to message 1

Clicking (especially clinking with Seagate drives—the Seagate death chant) is usually caused by a bad hard disk or one that is getting ready to fail. However, other things can cause it. Try another power supply drive connector. A pin on the connector could be pushed-in and shorting. They can usually be pulled back out with needle nose pliers. Try another flat cable. It could be chafed. Try another power supply. Something could be shorting the motherboard or drive (not likely). Do not over-torque drive screws or do/force anything that could twist the frame. Disconnect other drivers. Larry

4. RE: Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem
qqdawg Sep-02-01 06:29 PM
In response to message 3

Thanks Larry,
"Try another flat cable". I did, it worked. But here is what happened.
The problem cable was the one that came with the MB (40 pin-80wire). I swapped it for cable that came with the HD (same kind of cable, 40pin-80wire). Now the computer would NOT recognize the HD at all??
However, I had another flat 40pin cable but the wires appear thicker and not as many. IT WORKED!!
Also, the IRQ settings are back to normal. With the "problem cable" the IRQ settings were really messed up....IRQ 11 had six entries.
Can you please explain the flat cable issue.
Thanks Larry
steveC

5. RE: Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem
lbyard Sep-02-01 06:57 PM
In response to message 4

The 80-conductor flat cable is for ATA66/100 hard disk drives. It will also work with older drives that would normally use a 40-conductor cable. The 40-conductor cable will work with ATA/66/100 drives, but the motherboard, if it has an ATA/66/100 interface, will detect the cable and will operate the drive as an ATA/33 drive. It makes no difference which connector is connected to what when using a 40-conductor cable. ATA/66/100 cables must be connected with the C: drive attached to the very end of the cable and the “system end” (may be blue or labeled) is attached to the motherboards primary IDE interface. If two drives are present, I normally junper the one at the very end as a Master and the other as a Slave, and they usually work fine; although, I understand that the the spec calls for them to be jumpered for chip select. Please include the motherboard make and model (http://duxcw.com/digest/Fromshop/mb/det.htm) in future posts. Larry

http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/buildcom/socka/10.htm
83. Unwrap the remaining 80-Conductor (40-pin) ATA/66/100 hard disk cable and plug the blue plug into the motherboard connector labeled "PRIMARY" with the red stripe to the left. Plug the black connector at the other end of the cable into the hard disk drive with the red stripe towards the power connector.
ATA/66/100 cables vary. The ends may be tagged instead of color coded or both. Some of them have a blue stripe instead of red stripe on them.

6. RE: Hard drive clicks-shut off...but I don't think the HD is the problem
qqdawg Sep-03-01 03:00 AM
In response to message 5

Thanks Larry,
I finally went to www.westerndigital.com service/message board and it appears that other WD users are having the same problem.
http://service.wdc.com/webcenter/ps_wru/wdc/login.asp?uri=http://service.wdc.com/mb/user/main.html
steveC