BUG: uTorrent makes hdd to click!

[rainmanneu]

I'm using uTorrent since 2 years and i have never saw this problem before.

Please read carefully!

1. About me:

- I'm using windows since 14 years and commonly linux since 4 years

- I have general experience for computers and the web.

- I tested nearly everything before submitting this bug.

2. About my system: I bought a new laptop and configuration seems like:

nvidia 105m graphics

Intel C2d 2ghz

3 gb ddr3 ram

mobile intel 4 series motherboard.

e-sata seagate Hdd.

Network:

(uploading speed is: min40kb - max600 KB)

(downloding speed is: max: 1mbit)

uTorrent settings: Installation defaults (nothing changed)

!BUG: When utorrent downloading or seeding files, my hdd generates a sound (like mouse click or parking hdd head) every in 1 or 4 minutes randomly. This sound is easy to listen(loudly), sharp and quick.

But there is no system crash, system reset, mouse lag or blue screen also there is nothing checked as error in windows logs.

I tried lots of things to solve this 'click' sound:

Full formatted my hdd

Re installed vista

updated to new drivers

tested hdd with seatools(full) - seatools says: its ok, healthy.

Finally, changed HDD but sound(problem) remains with new one.

I tested other torrent applications(3 of them) generates no sound in my hdd.

Now I want to use only uTorrent but I'm worrying about this hdd click sound and it may Damage to my hard drive. (maybe damaged to new one)

edit:

- uTorrent latest stable version.

- Running utorrent with torrents(dl & upl) 1-4 minutes to hear 'click' sound

- Running utorrent without torrents (no dl & upl) 20-40 minutes or 1 per hour to hear 'click' sound

- without uTorrent no clicking.

- with other torrent app no clicking or maybe one time per 3-4 hours but i never heard.

[Switeck]

Does this happen when uTorrent is running but has no active torrents?

[rainmanneu]

Yes but in 30- 40 minutes.

[Firon]

This isn't a bug. Completely unrelated to uTorrent, at that.

Some Seagate drives have AAM set in such a way that they click every few minutes. Irritated the hell out of me on my last laptop; I ended up changing the AAM settings.

http://hddscan.com/ You can use this app to do it.

[rainmanneu]

ok. i will try today.

Edit:

HDD is not supporting AAM. It is already disabled(in hddscan & hd tune pro) and not activatable.

[Firon]

Seagate HDDs DO support AAM... funky.

[rainmanneu]

See it on screenshot, and please say again what is funky..

I'm only trying to help. if there is no bug, no prob.it is ok for me.

Direct link to image: http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1819/scshot1.jpg

[shachar2]

have you checked for firmware for the HD?

sometimes they would release firmware updates to solve those issues (I'm assuming that the HD isn't dying)

Br

[rainmanneu]

yes i looked seagate website and there was no firmware upgrade.

No, hdd is not dying, i changed first hdd, this is new one.

Maybe vista & ahci related problem. i will try again with WinXP & IDE mode.

[shachar2]

you might have better results with a different OS but this bug has nothing to do with the OS or the software.

I mean in some certain condition like if the software is writing random data to random places the HDD in certain condition and manufacturers might click but this is more related to the HD's software (firmware)

I would try contacting the HD's manufacture support.

is this HD a new model on the market?

Firmware updates come out ONLY AFTER they're aware of the problem

Br

[rainmanneu]

I have no idea that is a new model or not but product number is writing on screenshot of hddscan application.

Meantime, I'm trying to contact seagate. thank you.

[soccermom5play]

I have tried to download the utorrent.exe file several times and I keep getting a virus. Where else should I go?

[Switeck]

uTorrent doesn't come pre-infected.

Either your AV is incorrect or your system is already infected!

[soccermom5play]

don't think it is infected.

When I download the .exe file and then run yahoo anti-spy - it tells me that it is a virus.

Don't know what to you. Just got a new computer and it was working before. How this.

Any suggestions?

[Switeck]

Your antivirus software is horribly mistaken if you downloaded uTorrent from utorrent.com!

[DreadWingKnight]

yahoo anti-spy is known to give false positives.

LOTS of them.

[Firon]

It's just a false positive in this case. You need to tell it to exclude utorrent.

[bvn]

Hey, rainmanneu,

Any news on the clicking drive? What model is it?

I got Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5Tb, which randomly started clicking tonight while I was using only uTorrent, and all the data on it became unaccessible.

After I rebooted, everything looked fine until I started uTorrent again - clicking sounds resumed and I couldn't access data, so I shut uTorrent down.

Could it be that Seagate drives cannot take heavy loads from torrent usage?

[Alereon]

I'd strongly recommend that anyone with Seagate or Maxtor drives download Seatools for Windows from the Seagate website and run the Short DST on your drives, and if they pass, the Long DST. Using the manufacturer's diagnostic program is the only way to identify problems with a drive, modern HDDs will hide any errors from CHKDSK or another drive checking program. If you use drives from another manufacturer, that company will offer a diagnostic program on their website, typically they either run from a bootable floppy or allow you to make a bootable CD. There's really no point in trying to work around any problems until you've run the full diagnostic on your drive to confirm it isn't just failing.

Note that ANY errors or bad sectors found by the diagnostic program means the drive needs to be replaced, even if the program tells you the error can be fixed. It can't, the drive is dying, the program is just trying to convince you to wait until the warranty expires.