Help with new portable mac hdd

[spikeyjac]

Just bought a western digital passport ( old version black with silver outline) 320gb for mac..
I was copying some data, however, when I went to get up ( having had my laptop on my lap) the hard drive made a whirring sound when I moved it and started clicking.. is this a sign of failure, or just because I moved it?

 

[spinnerlys]

It's because you moved it. Don't do that too often.

 

[spikeyjac]

Hope that it was only because I moved it..

 

[spinnerlys]

The HDD spins its platter(s) at a maximum of 5400 rounds per minute (RPM), which are 90 rounds per second.
There is also the read/write head which is being held by an arm that moves above the platter(s).

During an abrupt movement, this head gets crushed onto the platters if no fail-safe is implemented with this drive.
Most probably some anti-shock system is built into the HDD, which prevents that by parking the arm and head and stopping the platter(s).

The abrupt stop of the platter(s) creates that whirring sound, the parking of the head/arm produces the clicking.

 

[spikeyjac]

Okay cheers
how come my other external hdd's don't do it thoughh?

 

[ayeying]

Okay cheers
how come my other external hdd's don't do it thoughh?

Every drive is designed differently. Some have more active free-fall sensors, others don't have that sensitive sensors and some don't have it. I know none of my desktop external hard drives have any free-fall sensors in them so if I drop it, well... there goes all the data.