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Another cute one with an HD.

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by a former member

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I have a computer that the HD periodically groans when running XP SP3. It does not groan when running Linux or DOS with Hirens boot CD. SMART reports no problems except that the HD was run over temperature at 130 degrees. Since this is a NB, that reports means little. The groaning did not start until I allowed the update kb958644. This is definitely the HD and not the fan.

I would like to say that the update is the problem, but just prior to the update I replaced the CPU going from a AMD TL-60 (2.0 ghz)to the TL-62 (2.1 ghz) and updated the bios from F.3D to F.40. The TL-60 was built with the 90 nm tech whereas the TL-62 is built with the 65 nm tech. In theory, the heat envelope is the same but the cpu should operate faster (and it does much more than the five percent clock jump woud indicate). After the bios update the computer runs much cooler than it did with TL-60.

I am trying to figure out what is going on. I reverted the bios. When this did not correct the issue, I restored it to the F.40.

The NB is an HP DV9225 US, has a TL-62 CPU, four Gigs RAM (despite HP's assertions the bios recognizes it and I used matched sticks of 2 gig PC-5300 for dual channel operation), has dual 160 gig sata 1 drives - only one of which is partitioned, and is generally running XP SP 3.

I am lost. An update should not create this type of problem. (Oh, by the way, the groaning occurs about every 30 - 45 seconds and if there is any noise it is inaudible).

Anyone have a thought?

13 replies

by Former member

Clarifications

by ---tk---

Sounds like something might be loose... I would double check and make sure everything is firmly screwed down. including the disk drives, and ROM drive...

Second thing. I would make an image of the OS switch the drives (since you have two) and install the OS on the other drive to see if that is whats causing the problem.

by oh smeg

Here I'm assuming that the HDD Makers Testing Utility shown nothing wrong with the Drive right?

If that is the the case I would double check it's mounting and either chose to live with it as [b]Just a Noisy Drive[/b] I have a lot of Seagate's like that myself that I just don't trust to work all that reliably in external Caddies now that are not used much.

Or you can replace the Drive if it's a Customers and they are complaining. Not much else you can do as even a M$ Patch shouldn't have any effect on the way a drive works.
Personally if it was my drive I would be looking at using it hard till I was either happy that it's going to keep working or die then I could return it for replacement Under Guarantee that is of course if it's still covered. Without a Error from the Makers Testing Utility the Maker will not accept it for Warranty Replacement so that's about as far as you can go.

Col

by Former member

This is my own machine. Not that worried about it as it would take me about 30 minutes to write an image to the other drive.

Those problems just seem to seek me out. They must think that because I am handy with a soldering iron and can use every piece of electronic test equipment there is, I am a challenge to them.

Now the funny thing is that both drives are Hitachi's which use the Seagate tools. The tools report no problem in the quick test mode. When you go to the advanced test mode, they just lock up. Drive lights come on, but nothing happens. I do mean nothing. I started the advanced test before I went to bed, when I woke up in the morning the test had failed to report even a fraction of a percent of completion. So, just in case, I DL'd Hitachi tools from their site; same thing.

As I said, this is a periodic noise. It comes from the HD, but I do not believe it is the HD failing. It is not the grinding, rattling noise that a failing HD makes, nor is it a constant noise. Periodic noise every 45 - 90 seconds and almost inaudibe.

I do not believe that it is related to my installing a new CPU because I put in more screws than I took out. There were a few extra holes that I filled from my screw box.

The noise is probably heat related, but I can't figure out why. But on the off chance and because I have seen virus and poorly written drivers attempt to park the heads in which a similar, but higher pitched, noise was made that I would see if anyone else has run across this. In particular, that problem occurred with the WD BEVS drives. You had to dl a patch for the drive microcode.

The second drive in this machine has only been used once since I bought the drive, and that because I was rebuilding the OS. Afterwords it was departitioned and left against need. The reason is that every drive I have ever used in the second bay has been fried. Those were all WD, after sending back three drives under warranty in a very short period, I bought Hitachi's.

Strange problem, but they hunt me down.

by oh smeg

You need to use Hitachi's Drive Fitness Tester it's available here

http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm#DFT

Unfortantly IBM dumped the Wipe & Zap Utility they used to have available before they sold the HDD Side of the business to Hitachi so that nice little utility is now dead and buried so I'll have to guard my Floppy with it on I suppose. A Wipe which isn't to DoD Specs with Wipe takes a few minutes as apposed to several hours using Boot & Nuke or Kill Disc depending on which one I drag out of the bag at the time.

Wipe kills most Virus that need the Wiping option and is over in under 10 minutes so I like it at the moment. Personally after experiencing the good old Death Star Drives from IBM after they dumped the Glass Platter Drives I just don't trust them one little bit and avoid them like the plague as I expect them to fail without warning. Personally I like the Seagate Drives in NB as they just seem to last quite well. I've never had one die without a good reason yet.

Anyway give it a shot with DFT and see what it tells you.

Col

by Former member

It is some kind of conflict with the update and the either the high definition audio or the ASIO drivers I use on this machine.

Reasoning: sound does funny things. Let's plug in headphones and eliminate the speakers.

Result: noise went away and is now in the headphones.

Reasoning: problem occurred after update install and Waves GTR3 was started to test a song with effects; Waves uses ASIO4ALL, but I had to disable the high definition audio drivers before I could use the ASIO driver.

Therefore, now that the problem is isolated, the fun, frantic, easy, hard, difficult, and plain PITA issue is required. Finding the driver and fixing the problem.

Thanks all.

by Former member

It was a conflict between the Conexant High Definition Audio Driver and update kb958644.

Solution: Uninstall Conexant driver, reboot and let OS reinstall the driver in a new location.

by 1bn0

Now thats a sensitive driver!

by Former member

I do not believe that the driver makes the audio system more sensitive to internal noise. What I believe is that the update created a address conflict with the memory space of the audio driver and that due to some function of the OS, and the interaction with the various drivers on the computer, the audio was periodically activated and briefly oscillated (motorboated)at a low level before the code moved on.

It was simply easier and faster to uninstall the driver and let windows relocate it in RAM than it would have been to find the address range and manually relocate it.

by oh smeg

Thanks for finding it as it's saved me a lot of wasted time. I'm sure you are extremely happy to have hit this one. :^0

Col

by Former member

I use this computer for my field work. At home, because it is the only Windows box I have, I also use it for music editing in my attempt to set the Havimal to a dark militant, but not death metal, type of music. I have a few other Runes that I am working on as well. Lets me get out frustration.

I know the Linux purists will argue and faint, but I have not yet found a Linux equivalent to Pro Tools or GTR3. Enough said here.

The signs were all there in the original post in the information. Just had to jump outside of the box. A desktop would have been different because the speakers are generally not integrated and also because if it is a customers machine and audio is not the problem, the speakers are not plugged in.

Sorry about the late reply. Even though I was renting, I was caught up in the financial mess. The owner of the property failed to pay his mortgage. So, I bought a house about 50 miles north of here in Ogden and am now packing for a move.

I know you remember the days of driver conflicts in Win 95/98/2k. It happens in XP and Vista and Linux as well.

BTW: the update was the latest out of cycle from M$.

by Former member

I had already DL'd the tool off of Hitachi's website and it performed as I described. The thumb was for providing this information to others that may need it.

Norm

by oh smeg

Not something I care to repeat again soon but I may have to as the Council is now talking about Resuming this place for a Bus Way. I've only been here since January after 17 years at the old place and I can not still find things. :(

Little things like Mice are expected but when it comes to Waste Toner Cartridges for the color laser printer that's a different story. They are not exactly small or easily overlooked but I just can not find any of the 3 that I bought just before the Move. Luckily they are not expensive like a Toner Cartridge but it's annoying not to be able to find them.

I've just been busy and built myself a new workstation so I've been off line for a couple of days in between work and bringing this unit On Line it's not been exactly a great time of things. :0

Col

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