System lags every 3 seconds

[Serp86]

Hi

This is concerning a 120GB (Seagate Momentus® 5400.4) Acer Aspire one

The problem is that every 3 or 4 seconds, the hard disc makes a noise as though its head is being parked, and then it resumes working. It does this all the time, even whilst the OS is booting. The result is that the interface lags badly (e.g. scrolling gently though a menu, the highlight would freeze on one item, and then after the hard disk makes the noise, the highlight jumps to the position of the cursor). Its so bad that sometimes, window outlines open and lags for 2 seconds, then the drive 'clicks', and the rest of the window opens immediately.

I thought it was due to the linpus install, but installing XP did not solve the problem. Amazingly, vista helped a bit, but it was too resource heavy for the atom processor and I had to go back to linux, and the lagging.

What do you think? Is the hard drive bad?

 

[skriefal]

Sounds like a bad hard drive. Back up anything important and then RMA the drive.

 

[Serp86]

The problem is that the Aspire one will void the warranty if you open it. And I bought this from the UK, so it would be a hassle to send it to the shop, and then wait for them to hopefully send working one back, not to mention the long wait time involved.

Is there anything I can do to verify? If i know its the hard drive for sure Id rather swap and be done with it, than go through all the hassle.

 

[Quiksilver]

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-...ort/downloads/seatools

If you want to verify, but it's obviously the drive.

You only have a a few options a) Void warranty and replace drive yourself or b) RMA to Acer or c) Local shop fix it and still void warranty.

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: Quiksilver
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-...ort/downloads/seatools

If you want to verify, but it's obviously the drive.

You only have a a few options a) Void warranty and replace drive yourself or b) RMA to Acer or c) Local shop fix it and still void warranty.

I'd go for B if you can put up with not having the laptop for a week or so .

 

[Serp86]

I performed all the tests, and they do not find anything wrong with the drive.

(It did not click every so much seconds during the tests).

 

[skriefal]

If the drive is doing what you described in your first post, then the drive is dying... even if SeaTools says otherwise. I've had similar occurrences with a Seagate drive. Same repetitive clicking noise that you've described, and no errors reported by SeaTools. I replaced the hard drive and the clicking and pauses went away. The RMA replacement for the Seagate drive also works fine (no clicking).

 

[taltamir]

It sounds like drive sleep mode, the drive could have parked the spindles due to long period of inactivity, then when you try to access it, it makes the noise as it gets back into gear, and causes a delay.
that being said, it should never, ever, do it while the OS is booting or under normal operation, only a non system drive on a system that was left on for hours... and even then, i don't think a drive as old as a 120GB drive should be capable of that (those only park during shut down, not as a method of power savings)... the HDD might be working at the moment, but the constant parking and unparking of the heads is an indication of something being seriously wrong. RMA it.

EDIT: Try pluging it to a different power cable, maybe it is shorting out.