Seagate 200G drive ugly clicking when idle!

[trodas]

Drive(s) in question - Seagate PATA 200G ST3200822A ones.
Number of them - There.
Description of problem - in folding machines, they are mostly idle. Yet each about 45sec or something a self check (or something like this INTO the drive, no IDE activity shown) is started. This generate click noise and such sounds like HDD activity and it is extremely annoying. I did not want to hear these clicks. Otherwise I'm happy with the drives, but I just want this to STOP. Either stop, or return the drive any get another brand that won't click when idle. VERY annoying. Is there a way to make this STOP forever, or one just should not buy any Seagate drivers?
Anyone?
Affected machines - Any. It simply did not matter on what machine they run, it is always the same. Noise, clicks, noise, clicks...

Thanks for letting me know. I just got there these ST3200822A drives, so I either found a solution or return them - Maxtor's did not do such noise, maybe I should just not went to Seagate... Or is there a new firmware or utility available to STOP THIS...?

[pauldenton]

Drive(s) in question - Seagate PATA 200G ST3200822A ones.
Number of them - There.
Description of problem - in folding machines, they are mostly idle. Yet each about 45sec or something a self check (or something like this INTO the drive, no IDE activity shown) is started. This generate click noise and such sounds like HDD activity and it is extremely annoying. I did not want to hear these clicks. Otherwise I'm happy with the drives, but I just want this to STOP. Either stop, or return the drive any get another brand that won't click when idle. VERY annoying. Is there a way to make this STOP forever, or one just should not buy any Seagate drivers?
Anyone?
Affected machines - Any. It simply did not matter on what machine they run, it is always the same. Noise, clicks, noise, clicks...

Thanks for letting me know. I just got there these ST3200822A drives, so I either found a solution or return them - Maxtor's did not do such noise, maybe I should just not went to Seagate... Or is there a new firmware or utility available to STOP THIS...?


this is their diagnostic software...
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

iirc Seagate ceased to offer acoustic management on their drives as part of their settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit.... possibly some 3rd party apps may do the job? or a firmware downgrade....

i recently aquired (second hand from ebay) one of the Samsung SP1614N compared to the seagates here....
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article152-page1.html

even before i set acoustic management on it to quiet (it had been set for speed) i found it completely indetectible even just sitting loose on a cardboard box (which since it was for upgrading the disk in a PVR i was pretty pleased about... :cool: )

[TerraMex]

My 200G Seagate Sata drive does the same, idle , clickety clickety.
Not much you can do about it, if it bothers you that much, sell it, get another brand.

[trodas]

Its called STIR (Seek To Improve Reliability) where the drive does random seeking to avoid the head sitting on the same place on the disk, which they reckon could heat up that particular track on the platter.

Now just HOW TO DISABLE IT. (better KILL IT WITH FIRE, tough...)

Another user says this:
Have two 7200.8s, and they click. Have a 7200.9, doesn't click.

So I checked and indeed, mine are 7200.7 ... :(
Now if the change between 7200.8 and 7200.9 is in firmware only and I belive it is, then just using the firmware from 7200.9 into my 7200.7 ones will help! :D

Anyone have 200G 7200.9 Seagate drive? And who know, how to download and then flash the firmware on drive? ;)
That could be a quick and easy solution! :D

Anyway, I was wrong.

Pictures of 200G Seagate drivers, from left my7200.7 and then 7200.8 type (this one won't click/generate noise in iddle):

http://www.slibe.com/imagestumb/2c2bb12b-72007PATA_jpg.jpg (http://www.slibe.com/image/2c2bb12b-72007PATA_jpg/) http://www.slibe.com/imagestumb/0f1e651a-72008PATA_jpg.jpg (http://www.slibe.com/image/0f1e651a-72008PATA_jpg/)
(click to see full size)

It is obvious that I was wrong and 7200.7 to 7200.8 is not only a firmware difference, but the PCB id different as well. Probably the number of disks inside are same, but that hardly matters now.
So, there is no way to flash no-clicking firmware to 7200.7 from 7200.8 ;)

But there is good news as well. I just find out, that Seagate sometimes send no-clicking firmware, as is written on this forum:
http://forums.storagereview.net
...so, attack Seagate now and f*cking demand the damn firmware now! :twisted:

PS. I already get suggested to use SysTool http://www.techpowerup.com/systool/ to disable the AAM :lol: Of course, the drives have NO AAM to set or disable :p
Well, at least ppl's is trying to help.

http://www.slibe.com/fullimage/fd4d44dd-systool_fail_to_.gif (http://www.slibe.com)

[pauldenton]

hmm - a quick google revealed this interesting article:
http://www.behardware.com/articles/480-7/lab-test-8-ata-s-ata-7200-rpm-hard-drives.html
if this is correct then the good news is that firmware that will allow AAM to be set does exist :) (though as it was never released, finding it may not be easy...)

but the bad news is that that on the PATA drives such as yours it is factory set for quiet and so AAM will not solve the problem :doh:

[phedre]

I've run into this problem as well. I noticed the other day that when I run Everest ultimate edition the drive doesn't click. Hope this helps.