Has your computer started making strange clicking noises all of a sudden? It’s common for a computer’s fans to make some noise, especially when the computer’s performance is being pushed.
Aside from that, the average computer shouldn’t make more sound than whatever noise the hard drive may produce when it reads data, which shouldn’t be much. So naturally, you start to wonder what that new strange clicking noise is, and what’s causing it.
Strange clicking noises coming from a computer are commonly produced by hard drives when they’re going bad but it could also be the result of cables or dust within the chassis brushing up against a fan. If the clicks are played through the speakers, then it’s most likely a background application or virus triggering the clicks.
It’s important that you prepare your computer in case it’s the hard drive that’s failing. If the sound is sourced from your speakers it’s most likely just settings, which we’ll also show you how to change.
Continue reading as we’ll go more in-depth on the topic and explain everything you need to know to fix the issue.
Reasons Why Your Computer Makes Random Clicking Sounds
It’s of great importance that you understand the difference between the sources that could be causing the sound. While they could be producing similar sounds, one could imply that core components are failing while the other can be adjusted through settings with ease.
The following are the most common reasons why your computer makes random clicking sounds.
1# Hard Drive Is Failing
As we stated above, the sound could be caused by a failing hard drive. Older HDD drives, which we’ve partly replaced with SSD drives, have a bunch of mechanical components that move around as the disk reads and writes data.
Whenever you have moving components in a device, you can expect them to stop or malfunction sooner or later. The average HDD has a lifespan of 3-5 years, according to Backblaze who studied the failure rates of 25.000 running hard drives.
Clicking sounds can be an indication that components such as the arm or disk within the hard drive are starting to malfunction. It should be noted that older hard drives can be expected to produce a bit of noise when they’re reading data too, but it shouldn’t be a loud clicking noise.
So, what should you do?
First and foremost, make sure to backup your hard drive to ensure that no files are lost if your hard drive happens to crash. You’ll never get an estimate of how much time there’s left before the hard drive possibly crashes.
It’s best to get everything backed up immediately to ensure the safety of your data. You can either back up your hard drive onto an external hard drive, move your files to a USB stick, or upload your files to a cloud storage.
With the most important step out of the way, you can focus on testing your hard drive. If you’ve got multiple hard drives connected to your computer, you’ll have to isolate them by doing the following:
Method 1: Manually identify the malfunctioning disk
- Turn off the computer and disconnect all hard drives
- Plug them in one by one (start with the drive that has Windows installed on it)
- Start the computer and listen if the connected hard drive makes a clicking sound
- Continue until you find the affected hard drive
You can continue using the (possibly) failing hard drive even though it clicks but make sure you have your data backed up as you could risk losing it any time. The general recommendation is to replace the hard drive, preferably with a newer SSD drive.
You can install the new drive while the old one is connected and transfer the data between them then disconnect and dispose of the old drive.
Hard drives are connected via SATA cables and connectors. Find out what SATA connector your motherboard has by Googling the motherboard’s name + specifications.
We recommend Samsung’s 1TB SSD for those with SATA 3 connectors. If you don’t expect to use 1TB of data, a good pick would be Kingston’s 480GB drive.
Method 2: Using CrystalDiskInfo to identify the malfunctioning disk
- Download and install CrystalDiskInfo
- Start the program and let it collect information regarding your hard drive(s)
- Look if any of the lights in the upper-left corner are yellow or red, indicating that there could be something wrong
- Check the values in the list below. Seek Error Rate, Spin Retry Time, Reallocated Sectors Count, and Seek Time Performance are good indicators of a failing disk.
While CrystalDiskInfo can aid you in monitoring your hard drive’s health, it doesn’t guarantee that the outcome of the assessment is completely true.
Hard drives use a feature called S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) which can be accessed by the use of programs like CrystalDiskInfo to analyze the hard drive’s status. It’s a good indication but isn’t always precise.
Lastly: A clicking hard drive can also be the cause of insufficient power being supplied by the PSU. Make sure your power supply unit is strong enough to run your hard drive(s).
2# Cables Brushing Up Against Fans
If you’ve recently built your computer, changed parts, opened it up, or moved it around – chances are some of the cables inside the chassis have wiggled over closer to the computer’s fans. You can find fans on the graphics card, the processor, the power supply, and inside the chassis.
This, together with a bunch of cables hanging loose, can easily lead to cables coming in contact with the fan’s spinning blades, which can produce a strange noise.
Thankfully, moving cables away from the fans isn’t a difficult procedure. Simply open up the chassis and use your senses to identify whether the cables are in proximity to the fans or not.
If it turns out that the cables are in fact brushing up against the fans, remove them and strap them together to avoid movement.
3# Software Triggering Mouse Click
We’ve talked about mechanical sounds, but they’re not the only strange noises that a computer can produce. Sometimes you’ll hear strange digital sounds coming from your computer when it hasn’t been given your manual input.
Random click sounds coming from your speakers are most likely caused by background software triggering “program events”.
Program events are actions (such as double-clicking a file) that trigger sounds within Windows. You can manually set sounds for program events, or remove them completely. There are two methods of investigating this issue.
Changing sound for certain program events
- Right-click the icon speaker in the lower right corner
- Select Sounds
- Look for Start Navigation in the list of Program Events
- Select Start Navigation
- If it has a selected sound (under “Sounds:”) change it to None
Start Navigation is only one of the program events which can trigger a mouse click sound. We’ve written an article that shows you how to change or silence all sounds related to the mouse.
If changing the sound for the program event doesn’t work, proceed to the next method.
Monitoring background processes to identify audio files
By using software like Process Monitor you can identify real-time file usage, which will show us if an audio file is being played – and from where it’s being played.
- Download and install Process Monitor
- Run process monitor
- Set a filter by clicking the teal filter icon in the toolbar
- Filter for files containing “.wav”
- Run the software until the click appears to see what background process caused it
- When the software causing the click has been identified, decide what you want to do with the software. You can either uninstall it, shut it down temporarily, or restrict it from starting automatically with the computer.
Alternatively;
- Click the filter icon
- Set Path -> Begins With -> C:\Windows\Media\ -> Include
- Click Add
- Click Ok
- The next time a click sound appears it should be registered in the list below and tell you what program the sound came from.
Users have reported that programs like uTorrent, VPN services, and certain Office applications have caused this problem for them. But it could be anything so it’s best to investigate the issue rather than jump to conclusions.
4# Virus/Malware
It’s also been reported that a random clicking sound coming from your speakers might be the result of a virus. Make sure to run a complete scan on your computer to see if your anti-virus will catch up on anything out of the ordinary.
Download and install either of these:
- Malwarebytes
- AdwCleaner
- ESET Online Scanner
- Avira
- Pandasoft
- Avast
Run a complete scan to see if they can find anything. Having two anti-virus programs installed at once can cause conflicts and freezes between the two applications. Therefore, run your current anti-virus first.
If it doesn’t find anything, uninstall it and install any of the programs mentioned above and run them. You can then reinstall the previous anti-virus when the new ones are completed and removed.
Note: You might have to run more than one of the programs mentioned above to ensure you’ve attacked it from every angle.
#5 Webpages Making Click Sounds
If the click only happens when you’ve got a web browser open (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Edge, etc) then it could be caused by either the browser or a web page.
Sometimes webpages will set sounds for chat messages, invites, notifications, and a bunch of other things. If you’ve got a lot of tabs open at once, or simply forgot about the web pages you’re visiting, chances are they’re the source of the sound.
Additionally, a similar click sound is made when browsers refresh, and they will do that every now and then – even without your manual input. If you’re browsing multiple pages the refreshing sound becomes even more frequent.
If it happens all the time I would consider reinstalling the browser of your choice to see if it fixes the issue.
#6 Power Supply Is Faulty
Your power supply unit, or PSU, is responsible for supplying the rest of the components with enough power to keep them running. Power supply units can start clicking for various reasons, and none of them should be ignored.
Without a functioning power supply unit, the computer won’t be able to run. The clicking noise can indicate any of the following:
- Your power supply unit has damaged connectors (The cable connecting the power supply unit to the components in need of power)
- Your power supply unit has a damaged fan or filter
- Your power supply hasn’t been installed properly in the chassis (Can cause it to short circuit)
- Your power supply has been overclocked
- Your power supply is failing (Which means you’ll need to get a replacement)
- Your power supply unit’s voltage regulator is turning the power on and off
#7 Outdated Audio Driver
That your audio drivers are outdated isn’t the most common reason for the clicks appearing, but it’s still a possibility worth exploring. Updating your drivers is a simple task and shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes.
Finding the right drivers for your device is as easy as Googling:
- Laptop name + drivers (E.g: HP Elitebook 840 Drivers”)
- Motherboard name + drivers
Then find the manufacturer’s website and look for the most recently released audio drivers. You can also go directly to the manufacturer’s website and search for the product there.
#8 Loose Screws & Components
The computer chassis and motherboard hold a few components in place. These components are screwed onto the chassis or the motherboard (sometimes both) and should be firmly screwed in place to ensure the screws don’t loosen with any movement the computer’s components may cause.
While it might not always sound like a clicking noise, loose screws can still make confusing noises which will have you wondering what’s wrong. You’ll find screws all over the chassis, both the inside and the outside.
Every component is screwed in place, including the fans. Inspect each screw thoroughly to ensure it hasn’t started to loosen.
9# Speakers
Speakers can both click, pop, and crackle and while it may sound like I’m referring to a set of famous dance moves, they are not dance moves by any stretch of the imagination. You may have heard it before, but only occasionally.
If the problem has started to surface more frequently, and louder than before, there’s most likely something wrong with your speakers. The most common problem is the connection between your speakers and computer – or the computer’s audio drivers.
If the issue is caused by faulty connections, then it’s most likely either bad wiring or wires coming in contact with a power wire. Inspect your audio wires if possible, and move them around to see if it makes a difference.
This problem is rarely an “occasional” click, but a static or more frequent sound. It’s worth noting that any other devices in proximity to your speakers can lead them to emit click sounds. An example of that is a cell phone interfering with the speaker signal.
Try moving other devices away from your speakers to see if the sound disappears.