As mentioned in my other post, I got this new Hitachi 160gb HD and just when I thought everything was OK, I started to hear an irritating rhythmical sound that's similar to a clock's ticking during reading/writing. Using the accoustic tool from Hitachi to reduce it to "Quiet Mode" didn't help. Then I thought maybe the casing wasn't tight enough. I screwd it tighter - the screws at the side of casing. No joy. Finally, frustrated, I did the reverse and loosened the screws and believe it not, the damn noise stopped - completely. And it has been in this quiet mode for the past 12 hours. No clue why this is so, but I'm not complaining. :-) Thought I'd share this with you. Who knows you might also encounter such an odd situation one day.

Thanks for posting solution - it's a rarity these days. Would just say it may be worth checking to see if the noise is still there though - it may well just be amplified through the case - use a screwdriver held against the drive itself, other end to your ear & see if it has gone completely - you could also use rubber washers to act as absorbers & enable you to tighten screws properly. "I know that I'm mad, I've always been mad"

Noise has not returned!!! You know, my ears are so sensitive, it's a curse. And I hate problems relating to noise, like the creaking sounds in a brand new car. Oftentimes, when you take the car back to the workshop, the noise vanishes and then the guys there give you a funny look. :-) Ever experienced that before?