Hi John,

Computers make a lot of noises and some of them sound like ticks and they are completely normal.

However,I must say that there are a number of causes of ticking sounds that could mean big trouble for your computer (and the information stored on it).  It could very well be a hard drive "crashing" or going bad.  

Inside the drive there are physical stops that prevent a drive from over extending its reach when the arm goes back and forth looking for data.  If you can imagine the arm on an old record player - it looks a little like that but far more complex of course.   If the drive is having trouble finding the data, it will litterally slam into a stop and back the other direction and into the other stop.  This sounds more like a clank than a tick in most cases but it's a bad sign and you should not attempt to do anything else if you value the contents of the computer.  It should be evaluated by a professional.   The drive can be replaced and your contents rescued - sometimes.   You are definately running out of options by the time this noise is heard and you should not delay getting it evaluate.  I'd like to warn you that attempting to retrieve the information from a hard drive in this state is a delicate process and can render it useless and it should be done by us if possible.  You often only have one chance. 

It should be noted that sudden decrease in performance usually occurs prior to the hard drive making this noise and it is at that time that you should seek help.  It should also be noted that our remote backups can prevent the loss of information by storing a daily copy of your information on our servers in Los Angeles as well as Boston.  Call us for a free trial.

MainSail Dale

772-794-1194