My 12-year-old Seagate ST3500414CS external hard drive has suddenly started making a loud, clearly audible buzzing noise whenever it is powered on. The sound stops completely when the drive goes to sleep, but it continues even when no files are being read or written. Its SMART data shows no reallocated sectors or current failures, aside from an old temperature-related warning. I have unplugged the drive and do not plan to use it again until I can safely migrate the data. How concerned should I be, and what is the safest way to recover or copy everything?
2 Answers
The noise could technically be resonance from the external case, a fan, or a loose mounting point, but the fact that it is new and only occurs while the disk is spinning still makes the drive itself suspect. Keep it disconnected until you have a replacement destination ready. If the drive begins clicking, scraping, slowing down, or disconnecting, stop trying to access it and consider professional recovery, since repeated power cycles can make a mechanical problem worse.
Yes, treat this as a warning even if SMART looks clean. A loud new buzz can come from failing spindle bearings, motor problems, or vibration in the enclosure, and SMART cannot reliably predict every mechanical failure. Since the drive is already 12 years old, make copying the data the priority rather than testing it repeatedly. If the files matter, connect it only long enough to make a full copy or clone to a healthy drive, starting with the irreplaceable data. Avoid defragmenting, benchmarking, or continuing to use it normally.
A clean SMART report is reassuring only for the specific attributes it monitors; it does not prove that the motor, bearings, heads, or electronics are healthy. I would not rely on the report as a reason to keep using the drive.