[Ham-Computers] Help With Diagnosis

[KD7JYK DM09]

I have heard a few hard disks make a whining noise before they fail.  Some
times it is due to bearings, some times it is due to microscopic wear on the
disk surface causing a resonance between the disk and heads and arms.  In a
few instances, it has been due to an electronic malfunction causing the disk
motor or arm motor to ring due to them being sent a funky wave form due to
degrading components.  The old IBM model 55s were notorious for this after
baking an storage for a few years.  The problem is, one can not know how
long the drive will last.  By far the worst is on an 80286 I still use, it
sounds like chirping brakes on a car.  I wonder if the hard drive has some
grease fittings I can get to.  If possible, if the drive can be put into
another computer, it can be tested for the same problem.  If the problem
stops with a different mother board, it is most likely an electronic driver
problem.  If the sound continues and if one can use a straw or amplified
stethoscope to narrow the sound to the disk alone, there is your culprit.

Kurt