hdd still clicking with y-cable

[Barack_O_Bama]

i just modded my wii u and bought a HWAYO 750gb USB3.0 hdd along with a y-cable. the wii u is recognizing it just fine and i’ve downloaded a few games on it already, but it still makes an annoying clicking sound. is this normal? is there a way to stop it? thanks in advance

 

[V10lator]

Do you have any issues like random freezes or a message that the USB drive has been disconnected? If not it should be fine, HDDs are mechanical so they make some noise from time to time (the clicking could just be head movement when reading or writing many small files, for example).

In case you have any issues you can't explain on your Wii U it might be worth to try putting the power-only end of the Y-Cable into a powerfull wall charger through.
Or do you have a datasheet or something of the HDD telling its max powerdraw?

 

[ertaboy356b]

Clicking means the HDD is going out. Better backup your files now. If it's a new HDD, try an HDD dock instead of a Y-Cable.

 

[Fapper69]

The hard drive is 100% on its way out. Back it up and have a new one to hand.

 

[V10lator]

@ertaboy356b and @Fapper69 Not sure what hard disc drives you use but again: HDDs have mechanical, fast moving parts inside. Some clicking sound from time to time is completely normal, for example when doing fast, excessive head movement (reading or writing random, small files) or when the head goes into IDLE position:
(from around 5 minutes till the end)

SSDs are of course different but this thread is about oldscool, mechanical HDDs.

//EDIT: In fact what you hear when the Wii U can't deliver enough power is the head going out of IDLE position, then going back in cause of a brownout... And this repeated...

 

[Fapper69]

@ertaboy356b and @Fapper69 Not sure what hard disc drives you use but again: HDDs have mechanical, fast moving parts inside. Some clicking sound from time to time is completely normal, for example when doing fast, excessive head movement (reading or writing random, small files) or when the head goes into IDLE position:
(from around 5 minutes till the end)

SSDs are of course different but this thread is about oldscool, mechanical HDDs.

//EDIT: In fact what you hear when the Wii U can't deliver enough power is the head going out of IDLE position, then going back in cause of a brownout... And this repeated...

I have worked for a system builder ( PC/Servers) for the last 18 years and loud clicking hard drives normally end up failing. But yes agree they are never silent but a loud clicking noise is different to the normal noises a mechanical hard drive makes when healthy.

 

[V10lator]

@Fapper69 Might be true but here it's different.
It migh the brownout caused by the Wii U (there's an IC cutting power for a moment when you draw too much, that's why some HDDs try to spin up again and again, moving the head in and out of IDLE position). With a Y-cable it's unlikely but not impossible as there are cheap Y cables with too high internal resistance as well as a few HDDs drawing more than two ports of the Wii U can deliver.
More likely it's just normal HDD operating noises but the OP isn't used to them. Hard to tell through as "annoying clicking sound" isn't the best description.