Q: My PC keeps making loud clicking noises and won’t let me access my files. I have run recovery programs but they haven’t helped so is it a hardware problem?

A: Repetitive clicking noises indicate the strong possibility of some form of hard drive failure. If this is the case, then it’s crucial you identify and replace the faulty component in a certified clean environment to ensure you don’t risk getting dust particles between the platter and the read/write head. If this happens, you are likely to get head crashes that will make subsequent data recovery impossible.

Please be extremely wary of using disk checking / repair software on disks with a mechanical rather than logical problem, as the disk recovery programmes will not solve the problem, and may, in certain situations, make matters much worse, as the software might look to repair non-existent issues with the filesystem.

Hard drive mechanical failures often require expert attention and we do not advise you try and carry out the recovery yourself if you do not have the required equipment and expertise. Contact us to find out how we can help.

Asked by David in Luton, Bedfordshire