Alienware M17 Making Clicking noises when on Windows 8.1

Hi!

Make sure you have the latest BIOS A06 for Windows 8.1 and follow the instructions on Solution#2 of this article to re-install the Command Center 3.5. Let me know how it goes!

Hi Naomi

I'm running M17xR4 Alienware laptop so the BIOS update you referred me to doesn't seem to work at all, as there is no relation. However I did update my BIOS to A13 as per my service code tag for M17xR4 and this didn't help the clicking noise at all, its still there hasn't gone away.

The Solution 2 is also weird as for my laptop there is no Command Centre 3.5 update for Windows 8.1. I did try and download one from Dells website but all it says is The program is not supported. So i dont understand what's going on there.

Something else to mention is that while installing Windows 8.1 the clicking noise from the fan is already there, before i have even installed any drivers.

So the clicking noise, well its still here happening at random intervals. 

Thanks

Re-install it using the latest Command Center update for Windows 8 and run an ePSA diagnostic.

Evening Naomi

I uninstalled the old Command Centre and reinstalled the new one.

Next I ran the ePSA diagnostic and it run without any errors. Also must mention that the clicking noise didn't happened once during the diagnostic run that took nearly an hour to complete. 

As soon as I come back into Windows 8 the clicking noise is back at random times when using my laptop.

So whats next?

Thanks

There are two fans in there, GPU and CPU. My advice is to turn the system off, turn it over, remove the battery and the bottom cover. Then use compressed air and clean the dust out of the fans and everything. Reassemble all and retest.

I think Naomi is correct. Some M18xR2 owners have also noticed noises from the optical drive. If Windows 8 is polling the drive for the presence of an optical disk at regular intervals, it may explain why Windows 7 seems to behave differently.

Look for the option in Control Panel to change  AutoPlay behavior. Find all of the options for CD/DVD drives and choose the option to "Take no action" and see if that either reduces or eliminates the noises. If this works you will need to open (browse) to launch things from the DVD drive. Not a big deal and some actually prefer that (I know I do) versus being prompted by Windows.

If changing these AutoPlay options does not help, try disconnecting the optical drive or disabling it in Device Manager at Naomi suggests.

Evening BJFox and Naomi

After disabling the optical drive the noise was still there. 

So I went with the second option of it being the Hard drive. I removed the hard drive and the noise disappeared. Reinstalled windows 8 without the second hard drive and still no click noise.

So I would like to thank you for helping me out here. The last question I have is why the click noise in Western Digital Black drive 750 gig on Windows 8.1 Pro but no noise on Windows 7.

Thanks

Paulo

Unless you were dual-booting Windows 7/8 and the clicking was only present when Windows 8 was the active OS, I am going to guess it was merely a coincidence that the clicking began (chronologically speaking) after the installation of Windows 8. On a dual-boot system, having it only occur while Windows 8 is active would be mysterious. Does the CrystalDiskInfo utility identify any drive errors? Generally, a hard drive with frequent clicking noises can be a signal that  is a symptom of imminent failure. 

Evening

CrystalDiskInfo picks the Hard drive up as 100% and good. HD Tune Pro says the same hard drive in 100% condition.

At First i was only using Windows 8.1 but moved away back to Windows 7 because of the clicking noise, then one night i decided dual boot win 7/8.1 so i could work through all the suggestions from Naomi. The ePSA diagnostic when ran picked up nothing. But as i said strangely enough on Windows 7 nothing, did a completely fresh install last night on Windows 8.1 Pro without the hard drive only my SSD and no click noise. Put the hard drive back, and the click noise comes back. It comes back when i don't use the machine for about 3 minutes, its like the HDD powering down or something and then the click is there. 

Is it maybe not a setting on Windows 8.1, i have tried Link power management in Intel Rapid Storage Technologh, disabling acceleration from my 32gig mSATA, nothing click noise still there. Is there anything else maybe i could try, maybe i should try another hard drive to see, maybe its just Western Digital black edition drives? 

Thanks

Paulo

I've added you as a friend. Please send me a personal message with your Service Tag and the link to this thread so I can review your case further. 

it just your external hard drive on your laptop (at hdd module zero located)

the hard drive is the one cause the clicking noise

this why my hard drive make that noise it seem that hard drive itself cause disk inside hard drive

not able to recover the data

i tryed waited 

scaning and repairing drive C:

and repairing drive errors might take over an hour to complete

it took way to long so

so i ordered the parts for it

1TB sata external hard drive for laptop (or buy 2 just be safe)

2nd have backup window 8 recovery disk

after that install all drives back in the system