wendy:
Let me add a couple of thoughts, in more or less random order.
First of all, it's impossible to describe HDD sounds in words. I remember that at the end of 2002, IBM's HDD support site had a collection of sound files which illustrated various patterns; I think at least a dozen. Unfortunately I can't find them now; maybe other members have links to these files on IBM's or Hitachi's sites.
Second, please note that there are no substitutes for real-life experiences: Even if somebody posted a recording of a given HDD noise, just playing it on your computer wouldn't be enough to get an idea about the actual noise volume. In other words, certain sound patterns may sound "suspicious", but "normal" patterns may be OK unless they are "too loud". If you don't have direct experience with notebook drives, you should listen to your colleagues' drives, go to shops, etc. In particular, as was mentioned before, if this is your first or second notebook, it might turn out eventually that your 7K60 is in fact relatively quiet.
Third, I have searched various forums for the 7K60's noise. Not suprisingly, some users say it's quiet, while others complain about its noise. It's impossible to assess how much should be attributed to individual drives' variations vs subjective sensitivity to noise. Still, the overwhelming opinion is that, althought 7K60 is not the quietest drive on the market, it's still among the most silent ones.
Fourth, I'm puzzled by your use of "creaking" to describe the sound. Both somms and hksscom seem to support your description, but I could not find similar reports. If you have links to other forums, please post them.
Fifth, let's separate momentarily the noise from potential reliability issues. Here I would advise running the Drive Fitness Test from Hitachi's site. I don't know if it is included on somms's bootable image; if not, you could try to add it for your USB drive, or ask somms for further instructions. If your drive passes this test, you will know that your data are safe.
Finally, it could turn out that, although your 7K60 behaves normally, you are still uncomfortable with its noise. Then, you may ask Dell to replace the HDD, or the whole notebook within the 21 day total satisfaction period.
On another note, whenever you get the "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" message, note down carefully all the details (at least the error number, etc.), since many sites offer diagnostic info on such messages.
Let me add a couple of thoughts, in more or less random order.
First of all, it's impossible to describe HDD sounds in words. I remember that at the end of 2002, IBM's HDD support site had a collection of sound files which illustrated various patterns; I think at least a dozen. Unfortunately I can't find them now; maybe other members have links to these files on IBM's or Hitachi's sites.
Second, please note that there are no substitutes for real-life experiences: Even if somebody posted a recording of a given HDD noise, just playing it on your computer wouldn't be enough to get an idea about the actual noise volume. In other words, certain sound patterns may sound "suspicious", but "normal" patterns may be OK unless they are "too loud". If you don't have direct experience with notebook drives, you should listen to your colleagues' drives, go to shops, etc. In particular, as was mentioned before, if this is your first or second notebook, it might turn out eventually that your 7K60 is in fact relatively quiet.
Third, I have searched various forums for the 7K60's noise. Not suprisingly, some users say it's quiet, while others complain about its noise. It's impossible to assess how much should be attributed to individual drives' variations vs subjective sensitivity to noise. Still, the overwhelming opinion is that, althought 7K60 is not the quietest drive on the market, it's still among the most silent ones.
Fourth, I'm puzzled by your use of "creaking" to describe the sound. Both somms and hksscom seem to support your description, but I could not find similar reports. If you have links to other forums, please post them.
Fifth, let's separate momentarily the noise from potential reliability issues. Here I would advise running the Drive Fitness Test from Hitachi's site. I don't know if it is included on somms's bootable image; if not, you could try to add it for your USB drive, or ask somms for further instructions. If your drive passes this test, you will know that your data are safe.
Finally, it could turn out that, although your 7K60 behaves normally, you are still uncomfortable with its noise. Then, you may ask Dell to replace the HDD, or the whole notebook within the 21 day total satisfaction period.
On another note, whenever you get the "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" message, note down carefully all the details (at least the error number, etc.), since many sites offer diagnostic info on such messages.
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