A user reports that a PC occasionally fails to start. The user restarts the PC, but the performance is degrading. The technician hears a strange repetitive ticking noise coming from the PC. Which of t

The correct answer is A. Try to extract data. A repetitive ticking or clicking noise - often called the 'click of death' - is a definitive sign of a mechanically failing hard disk drive (HDD). The read/write heads are physically failing to find their position, causing them to reset repeatedly. Combined with degrading perform

Hardware and network troubleshooting

Question

A user reports that a PC occasionally fails to start. The user restarts the PC, but the performance is degrading. The technician hears a strange repetitive ticking noise coming from the PC. Which of the following should the technician do first?

Options

ATry to extract data
BReseat the RAM modules
CInspect the fan
DCheck the CD tray

How the community answered

(48 responses)

A
83% (40)
B
10% (5)
C
2% (1)
D
4% (2)

Explanation

A repetitive ticking or clicking noise - often called the 'click of death' - is a definitive sign of a mechanically failing hard disk drive (HDD). The read/write heads are physically failing to find their position, causing them to reset repeatedly. Combined with degrading performance and intermittent boot failures, this indicates imminent total drive failure. Data extraction must be the absolute first priority before the drive becomes completely unreadable. Reseating RAM (B) addresses memory issues, not clicking noises. Inspecting the fan (C) is a valid step for grinding/rattling noises but not repetitive ticking. Checking the CD tray (D) is irrelevant. In data recovery scenarios, every minute of continued operation risks permanent data loss.

Topics

#Hard drive failure#Data backup#PC troubleshooting#Diagnostic

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