annoying sound in 100GB TOSHIBA MK1031GAS HDD

towsonu2003 · 05-14-2006, 01:18 AM

I have this really annoying sound coming from the hdd. hard to describe... kinda buzzing, high frequency low volume... like buzzing or something. gives me headache after an hour or so. I saw a post that recommended muting all sound options, but that didn't work.

This happens all the time in zenwalk (based on slackware). in ubuntu, happens from time to time. in windows, never happens.

Weirdly, sound stops when, for example, I scroll up and down in firefox. maybe hard cpu usage stops the sound? but ????

This is the hard disk: 100GB TOSHIBA MK1031GAS HDD
Laptop: hp pavilion zv5120us
Video Card: Ati radeon Mobility 9100

Any help truly appreciated, or I will need plenty of painkillers...

Outputs:

Code:

# cat /proc/ide/hda/cache
0

# cat /proc/ide/hda/capacity
195371568

# cat /proc/ide/hda/driver
ide-disk version 1.18

# cat /proc/ide/hda/geometry
physical     16383/16/63
logical      16383/255/63

]# cat /proc/ide/hda/settings
name                    value           min             max             mode
----                    -----           ---             ---             ----
acoustic                0               0               254             rw
address                 1               0               2               rw
bios_cyl                16383           0               65535           rw
bios_head               255             0               255             rw
bios_sect               63              0               63              rw
bswap                   0               0               1               r
current_speed           69              0               70              rw
failures                0               0               65535           rw
init_speed              69              0               70              rw
io_32bit                0               0               3               rw
keepsettings            0               0               1               rw
lun                     0               0               7               rw
max_failures            1               0               65535           rw
multcount               16              0               16              rw
nice1                   1               0               1               rw
nowerr                  0               0               1               rw
number                  0               0               3               rw
pio_mode                write-only      0               255             w
unmaskirq               0               0               1               rw
using_dma               1               0               1               rw
wcache                  1               0               1               rw

]# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
ppp_deflate             2560  0
bsd_comp                3584  0
xt_limit                1024  8
ipt_LOG                 4096  8
ipt_MASQUERADE          1152  0
ipt_TOS                 1024  0
ipt_REJECT              2432  1
ip_conntrack_irc        2800  0
ppp_async               4992  1
crc_ccitt               1152  1 ppp_async
thermal                 6920  0
processor              11584  1 thermal
radeon                 86176  1
drm                    40852  2 radeon
snd_seq_oss            18688  0
snd_seq_midi_event      3072  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                28112  4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device          3596  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss            31264  0
snd_mixer_oss          10240  3 snd_pcm_oss
xt_tcpudp               1792  14
iptable_mangle          1024  0
ip_conntrack_ftp        3440  0
xt_state                 768  6
iptable_nat             3588  0
ip_nat                  8108  2 ipt_MASQUERADE,iptable_nat
ip_conntrack           25388  6 ipt_MASQUERADE,ip_conntrack_irc,ip_conntrack_ftp,xt_state,iptable_nat,ip_nat
iptable_filter          1024  1
ip_tables               7384  3 iptable_mangle,iptable_nat,iptable_filter
x_tables                4996  9 xt_limit,ipt_LOG,ipt_MASQUERADE,ipt_TOS,ipt_REJECT,xt_tcpudp,xt_state,iptable_nat,ip_tables
nls_iso8859_1           3072  1
vfat                    6656  1
fat                    29724  1 vfat
fan                     1796  0
button                  2960  0
battery                 5380  0
ac                      1924  0
pcmcia                 17684  0
8139cp                 10624  0
ehci_hcd               18696  0
yenta_socket           14092  2
rsrc_nonstatic          5376  1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core            19728  3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
8139too                13056  0
mii                     2688  2 8139cp,8139too
joydev                  5312  0
evdev                   4864  0
tsdev                   3392  0
snd_atiixp_modem        5896  5
snd_atiixp              7820  2
snd_ac97_codec         60448  2 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_atiixp
snd_ac97_bus            1024  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                46344  6 snd_pcm_oss,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_atiixp,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              12164  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd                    26340  18 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_atiixp,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore               3552  3 snd
snd_page_alloc          4616  3 snd_atiixp_modem,snd_atiixp,snd_pcm
ati_agp                 3596  1
agpgart                15664  2 drm,ati_agp
ohci_hcd               12420  0

# hdparm /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 multcount    = 16 (on)
 IO_support   =  0 (default 16-bit)
 unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
 using_dma    =  1 (on)
 keepsettings =  0 (off)
 readonly     =  0 (off)
 readahead    = 256 (on)
 geometry     = 16383/255/63, sectors = 195371568, start = 0

Jerre Cope · 05-14-2006, 09:03 PM

Is it really the hard disk you hear? Or is it the cpu being picked up by the speakers?

If it is the hard disk. Try running the SMART utilities to make sure you don't have a real problem.

towsonu2003 · 05-14-2006, 10:04 PM

thanks for the reply

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

Is it really the hard disk you hear? Or is it the cpu being picked up by the speakers?

I'm pretty sure. The sound comes from where the hdd is located in the laptop. the cpu and the fans are on the other corner and the speakers (in front of the laptop) don't make any sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

If it is the hard disk. Try running the SMART utilities to make sure you don't have a real problem.

smart? I'll look into that -seems to be in the ubuntu repos-. thanks for the suggestion.

towsonu2003 · 05-14-2006, 10:28 PM

smart says everything is ok -selftest and error- (thank god for gentoo documentatiosn). where to go next? can this be related to acpi, even though the sound isn't coming from cpu not fan? and, again, weirdly, this sound is mostly absent in ubuntu, but always there in zenwalk...

towsonu2003 · 05-14-2006, 10:32 PM

smartctl -A /dev/hda gives these, are they relevant/important?

Code:

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000b   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  2 Throughput_Performance  0x0005   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027   100   100   001    Pre-fail  Always       -       1181
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       407
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000b   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0005   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   096   096   000    Old_age   Always       -       1742
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0033   108   100   030    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       401
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       8
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   099   099   000    Old_age   Always       -       17544
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       35 (Lifetime Min/Max 15/48)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   100   100   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
220 Disk_Shift              0x0002   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       120
222 Loaded_Hours            0x0032   097   097   000    Old_age   Always       -       1411
223 Load_Retry_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
224 Load_Friction           0x0022   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
226 Load-in_Time            0x0026   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       313
240 Head_Flying_Hours       0x0001   100   100   001    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0

smartctl -l selftest /dev/hda gave this

Code:

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      1742         -
# 2  Short offline       Completed without error       00%         0         -

Jerre Cope · 05-14-2006, 10:53 PM

Well at least your hard drive is safe.

Zenwalk, looks kinda like Slax.

I'm still sticking with my cpu theory as that's the only high frequency oscillation I've ever heard from a PC. Sometimes when the right screen saver is on or some other process is driving the cpu hard.

Also I think your acpi theory is sensible. Maybe the acpi is doing weird things to the cooling fans.

All I can think of to try next to to compare the process tables between the various linux.

Also, is one of the differences in sound on whether you're running from the hard drive or running from the CDROM. When running off the CDROM are you using a swap file on the hard disk?

towsonu2003 · 05-14-2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

Well at least your hard drive is safe.

good to know, believe me

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

Zenwalk, looks kinda like Slax.

it's pretty much Slackware + kernel 2.6 + a few tools and scripts to ease configurations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

I'm still sticking with my cpu theory as that's the only high frequency oscillation I've ever heard from a PC. Sometimes when the right screen saver is on or some other process is driving the cpu hard.

should I do anything about that (in a laptop, it's hard to change cables etc) or is it okay (except the headache)?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

Also I think your acpi theory is sensible. Maybe the acpi is doing weird things to the cooling fans.

I'll try that when I boot to Zenwalk again (and learn how to append parameters in lilo.conf)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

All I can think of to try next to to compare the process tables between the various linux.

they were pretty much the same (I was comparing them to see if zenwalk launches less program, but it doesn't). where should I look (or, what should I look for)?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerre Cope

Also, is one of the differences in sound on whether you're running from the hard drive or running from the CDROM. When running off the CDROM are you using a swap file on the hard disk?

if by running from cdrom you mean a livecd, zenwalk is installed to my harddrive. if you mean if I insert a CD, no swap is used. if you meant livecd, no livecds I tried so far used swap (1 GB RAM seems to be enough for now).

Jerre Cope · 05-14-2006, 11:26 PM

Sorry. I incorrectly assumed Zenwalk was a Live CD. I'm out of gas. I'm not up on taking apart laptops. If it were a desktop, I'd open it up and listen and look for hot chips or other components.