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Hard Drive Click of Death!!! What to Do & How to Save Data

Updated on Wednesday, April 24, 2024

iBoysoft author Sherry Song

Written by

Sherry Song
Professional tech editor

Approved by

Jessica Shee

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[Fixes & Reasons]Hard Drive Clicking on Mac!

Summary: Summary: What is Click of Death? How do you fix it when you encounter the Hard Drive Click of Death? This article will walk you through the detailed solutions to fix the Hard Drive Click of Death and remember to recover all your important data with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac before the drive fails completely.

Hard Drive Click of Death on Mac

The Hard Drive click of death refers to a distinctive clicking sound emitted by a failing Hard Disk Drive(HDD). This clicking noise typically indicates a severe mechanical or electrical issue within the HDD.

When Hard Drive experiences the click of death, it signifies that the drive's read/write heads are encountering difficulties in reading or writing data to the disk platters. This may result in catastrophic data loss or system malfunction associated with this specific symptom.

So understanding the causes, symptoms, solutions to Hard Drive click of death and the best recovery method is crucial for safeguarding valuable data and ensuring the longevity of your storage device.

The main steps to fix HDD click of death

  1. Recover data from the HDD
  2. Backup data from the HDD
  3. Avoid using Disk utility or other repair tools
  4. Replace read/write heads and motor repair
  5. Find help in the professional expertise

Whether you have heard a Hard Drive making a clicking noise or not, you'd better recover and backup the data of your Hard Drive as soon as possible before it fails in the end. Free download iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to help you recover all data from your Hard Drive on your Mac.

Judgment & Causes of HDD Click of Death

Before exploring the detailed fixes, let's focus on how to judge Hard Drive click of death and what causes Hard Drive clicking, which helps users diagnose Hard Drive issues early and take appropriate measures to prevent data loss and hardware damage.

How to Judge HDD Click of Death

  • Auditory cues: The most obvious sign of a click of death is a repetitive clicking or ticking sound emanating from the HDD during startup or data access attempts.
  • Error messages: The error message displayed by your computer may indicate the presence of the click of death and impending HDD failure.
  • System Instability: Frequent crashes, freezes, slowdowns, bad S.M.A.R.T Status, and a black or blue screen are the usual behaviors that may suggest HDD failure.

What Causes HDD Click of Death

Hard Drive making clicking noise typically occurs due to mechanical failures within the hard drive. These failures can stem from various issues, including worn-out read/write heads, damaged platters, or malfunctioning motor bearings. Additionally, sudden power surges, physical shocks, or manufacturing defects can contribute to the onset of this problem.

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How to fix HDD Click of Death

You must store many indispensable files or folders on the HDD drive, so fixing the Hard Drive click of death is a challenging task that often requires specialized knowledge. Depending on the severity of the issue, there are several approaches you can take to address the problem.

Recover data from the HDD

Prioritizing data recovery tools to save data from the HDD click of death is essential. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is the first choice to consider, which helps to recover data from the Mac's internal hard drive, even if your Mac failed to turn on due to the Hard Drive click of death.

  1. Free download, install, and open iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
  2. Select Storage Device under Data Recovery in the left menu.
  3. Select your HDD and click Search for Lost Data.
  4. After scanning, preview the results, click your wanted ones, and then choose Recover to save them to another place.
    Recover data from HDD click of death

Backup data from the HDD

Before attempting any fixes, ensure you have recovered all data in the last step, then create backups of your files on Mac. This precautionary measure prevents permanent data loss and provides a safety net in case the repair attempts are unsuccessful.

(1)Backup data on Mac with Time Machine.
(2)Backup data on Mac with an external hard drive.
(3)Backup data on Mac with iCloud.

Avoid using Disk utility or other repair tools

Using repair tools like Disk Utility or SMART Status can only help identify problems, but they are not capable of fixing mechanical failures that cause the Hard Drive click of death.

Avoid using Disk utility or other repair tools

Attempting to repair the click of death using these repairing tools is unlikely to be effective and may even exacerbate the problem. In some cases, prolonged attempts to cross or repair a failing hard drive using software tools could lead to further damage and data loss.

Replace read/write heads and motor repair

If the Hard Drive clicking is caused by damaged/misaligned read or write heads, or a malfunctioning motor, replacing them with compatible components may resolve the issue.

However, this procedure requires advanced technical skills and should be approached with caution, or it can potentially lead to bigger damage.

Find help in the professional expertise

For complex mechanical failures or severe damage of the HDD click of death, see assistance from professional repair services. These experts have the expertise, specialized equipment, and cleanroom facilities necessary to diagnose and rectify the underlying issues causing the click of death.

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How to avoid HDD Click of Death

Avoiding the HDD click of death involves implementing proactive measures to preserve the health and longevity of your HDD on Mac. Here are some strategies to help prevent the occurrence of the Hard Drive click of death:

  • Monitor SMART Status to alert some potential hardware issues. 
  • Regularly update the firmware of HDD to ensure compatibility with the latest configurations. 
  • Handle HDD with care to avoid physical shocks or jolts. 
  • Protect HDD from sudden power surges or fluctuations. 
  • Implement a robust backup strategy to backup data.

Final words

Fixing the HDD click of death requires careful consideration of the severity of the issue, available resources, and expertise. Remember to recover data quickly with the reliable tool iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to mitigate the risk of permanent data loss.

FAQs about HDD click of death

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Firstly, recover data with professional software like iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac before it is completely dead. Then send it to local repair center.

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Sounds like clicking, grinding, clock ticking and buzzing are produced due to mechanical failure of the hard drive.

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Most SSDs don’t make clicking noises.