I hear noises from the inside of my computer, is that the hard drive?

This can be a tricky question. The answer can be yes. Hard drives, especially cheaply built or aged ones make noises. The normal noise is a low (if a new or decent drive)crackling sound. A sign of a bad or cheap drive is a loud (loud meaning you can hear it clearly when the case is about 2 to 4 feet away from you.) clanking, clicking, maybe grinding sound. Often these noises can be confused with a fan going bad inside the computer case. Be sure to check out our hard drive noise page to compare what you are hearing (Return to FAQ page)