Scorpio Metalic Loop Noise

kanton · Post by **kanton** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:23 pm

Hello. I’ve found you excellent forum info on silent hard drives for notebooks very useful and decided to give something back.

My notebook hard drive crashed and I decided on the WD Scorpio 40G for what I thought was the silent one on the market. My previous hd was a Toshiba and was really silent.

The Scorpio is really silent. Even on heavy hard disk tasks. However, is driving me mad! It produces a really unbearable metallic loop noise. I mean, even with TV on and me typing on the keyboard I can really notice the metallic loop. It goes up, up, up them down, down till it stops for 1 second. Them up again! It’s unbearable! I prefer my desktop loud noise PC, at least it’s not an irritating loop that get’s on my nerves. As you know, we (human beings) bare better random (even loud) sounds, then continous loops!

I am going to change it first thing tomorrow.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:59 am

Are you sure you're not referring to the clicking noise that the Scorpio makes which is caused by it's power management features, and which has been extensively discussed on this forum? There is usually a simple remedy:

SPCR Thread 1

SPCR Thread 2

SPCR Thread 3

SPCR Thread 4

Thread 4 suggests that a utility that can be downloaded from the Hitachi website called Power Booster can eliminate the clicking noise for some users. These reviews from a commercial website also mention the Hitachi utility:

EBuyer Reviews of 40GB Scorpio

I think you would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not investigate these solutions before RMA'ing the drive.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:38 am

Sounds like it fits the profile. Not sure I'd describe it as a metallic loop though.

Like jaganath says do some research before RMA-ing and try the utilities. However if your drive is recent (i.e. manufactured within the last 6 weeks) it may not be fixable until WD release another firmware update through whomever e.g. Dell.

I RMA-ed mine.

kanton · Post by **kanton** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:01 pm

Thanks for the help. I still have the disk.

I usually search before I post, and I can tell you it's not the click issue. I don't have a problem with hearing clicks.

It's a low volume and very high frequency constant noise that loops up and down on volume and stops for 1 sec then starts again.

It get's on my nerves because it's constant and because it's a very high frequency noice. (That's why I call it metalic)

The disk was manufactured on Aug 2005, Thailand. So it's pretty new.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:15 pm

It's a low volume and very high frequency constant noise that loops up and down on volume and stops for 1 sec then starts again.

It get's on my nerves because it's constant and because it's a very high frequency noise.

Wow! That sounds seriously annoying!

I hope for your sake and mine that yours is simply a defective unit and that you can return the drive to WD or whoever you bought the drive from and receive a brand new one WITHOUT the annoying high-pitched squeal (is that what it sounds like? a squealing noise?); please keep us up to date as I should be receiving my new Scorpio 40GB any day now, and if it displays the same problems you have encountered we may have discovered ANOTHER annoying flaw with the 40GB Scorpios.

Is yours the one with the 2MB buffer or the 8MB buffer (model number WD400UE-00HCT0 or WD400VE-00HDT0)?

kanton · Post by **kanton** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:08 pm

It's 8Mb. I bought it from a friend. He has more on store. Let's c.
Yes, it's a sine wave form squealing noise.

IdontexistM8 · Post by **IdontexistM8** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:30 am

I stand corrected. Sounds like an RMA all the way.

kanton · Post by **kanton** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:16 pm

Sorry, RMA means?! Thanks.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:01 am

Sorry, RMA means?! Thanks.

Return Merchandise Authorization

This is a number issued to you by the supplier or manufacturer of your product which authorises you to return faulty goods. The Scorpio has a 3-year manufacturer's warranty, I think?